Today we’d like to introduce you to Ramin Nazer.
Ramin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
First, I was a notebook doodler in class.
Then I drew comic strips for the school paper.
Then I started publishing my own books.
Today I am a professional artist who is just good enough at business to survive making art! Most of what I make is illustrated by hand with ink pen, but I like playing with everything and learning new skills.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Like most artists, I had trouble with confidence and money.
I saw that there were extremely talented artists and street performers who were homeless. Also, there were absolute hacks living in mansions. I concluded that talent and money had nothing to do with each other. If I was going to survive, I had to learn more about business.
It was a gradual process that I improved upon daily. Since we were all living online (and still are) I made myself post a new piece every day. Eventually, people would ask me if I sold prints. So I figured out how to make that happen and then one day I found myself operating a little online print store. Eventually this expanded into books, shirts, posters, cards, etc.
I’m still learning every day and realize that there is no such thing as passive income. Even with an online store, you still have to put out fires every day and make sure you’re delivering the best possible product you can to your customers cause they’re the only reason I can continue to do what I do.
Please tell us about Rainbow Brainskull.
Rainbow Brainskull is just me.
There’s no board committee of chairperson executives weighing the options on how to best message the brand to extract the most value out of the current socio-economic blah blah. It’s just one artist trying to express what resonates most deeply.
I am known for using a lot of vibrant colors and well-defined lines so that it appears pleasing at a small scale as well as a large scale. Most people are looking at art on their phones, so if it doesn’t look good in the palm of your hand, you’re not going to reach as many people.
The reason we like art is cause it articulates a feeling we couldn’t express or perhaps didn’t even realize we were feeling. I want to always stay true to that, otherwise you could just have a computer do what I do.
I just try my best to show up every day and be honest. We all wish we could see the worlds inside of each other’s heads and every day, I try to make that a reality for those who are interested.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have immigrant parents, so they’re all about education. The only viable career options were Engineering, Law, and Medicine. They knew that pursuing the Arts was a long shot, and they’re RIGHT. I fell on my face many times and wouldn’t have learned how to take care of business if it wasn’t for them. Most of what I do now was impossible in the world my parents grew up in, but thanks to social media and e-commerce I’m able to do what was unthinkable ten years ago. It’s all still changing and it’s a constant balancing act to stay on top of business stuff while being also pursuing creative goals.
I also owe credit to the countless originals that came before me. Musicians I loved like Frank Zappa, Prince, Jimi Hendrix, and Joni Mitchell. Visual artists like Alex & Allison Grey. Anyone who broke the mold and showed that you could be your own thing (full-time, not just on weekends) gave me fuel to keep going. Everyone has the potential to be an original and not just a member of the Borg. You just have to carve out the actual path.
Finally, I must thank everyone who’s ever supported me by buying a book, a shirt, a show ticket, etc. I don’t have a boss. Instead, I have many different droplets of income from many different individuals that keep me alive from all around the world, so I try not to let them down. I reply to every email and DM I receive and try to provide as much value and honesty as I can.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.rainbowbrainskull.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/raminnazer
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/raminnazer
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/raminnazer
- Other: http://www.patreon.com/raminnazer
Image Credit:
Photographs by Kim Newmoney. All illustrations by Ramin Nazer.
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