Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Davis.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am blessed to have grown up with two very creative parents that encouraged the same creativity in my siblings and me. I remember for my fifth birthday my mom and dad gifted my sister and me drawing desks loaded with an extensive collection of markers, pencils, pastels, crayons, and more. We spent most of our days sitting at the miniature bright orange desks, creating masses of drawings. I’m a working illustrator now, still spending hours at my desk amassing Photoshop illustrations on my hard drive. My sister works as an animator also. Because my family has always fostered the importance of creativity, I’ve never felt hesitant in pursuing my passion for illustration. This fulfilling path allows me to create something that didn’t exist before; it feels like alchemy.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Like a lot of young people today, I struggled with mental health as a teenager. It made it hard to be motivated to do the things that genuinely make me happy, like illustrating. When I did draw, it was an outlet for emotions that I didn’t know how to express, sometimes that I didn’t even know existed within me. I used to think that my art needed to be sad to be good. As I grew older and got better mentally, I realized that what makes my art “good” to me is that I genuinely enjoy making it. It has meaning because I give it meaning; it’s informed by the struggles and challenges that I faced in order to get here. Now, I’m inspired to make brightly saturated illustrations that capture and entertain viewers.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am an artist that specializes in digital illustration with experience in a variety of fields like advertising, concept design for video games, and book illustration. Recently, I wrote, illustrated, and self-published a graphic novel called Shield Maiden, a comedy adventure about two girls trekking their way through a mosh pit from hell. My illustration work typically features bold, stylized characters with strong lines and saturated colors to match their eccentric and over-the-top personalities, a reflection of myself. I create busy compositions so that viewers can’t help but stare.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
To create memorable connections and to have success in networking means to have a certain amount of curiosity coupled with humility. When I am in a creative space with people from different fields and backgrounds, I take that as an opportunity to learn something new by asking genuine questions. I stay engaged in conversation so I can ask specific, hard-targeted questions instead of just being a passive listener and waiting for my turn to speak about myself. People appreciate a genuine spirit of inquiry, and I benefit in the end because I get to learn about things I otherwise wouldn’t have known if I wasn’t curious. It’s a win-win.
Contact Info:
- Website: clairedavisillu.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairedavisillu/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/claire-davis-illu
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/clairedavisillu
- Other: https://a.co/d/7rhDPrV
