Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Anthony Carranza. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Anthony, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
I developed my confidence and self esteem from simply realizing everyone is just as scared and intimidated as you are. By changing the status quo, standing up and believing in yourself, you can set an example and new standard for artist. That we can be business owners, entrepreneurs (or artreprenuers!) and make an impact on the world we live in. I just felt the imposter syndrome in art was too prevalent for it to impact me. I wanted more for myself and that’s what drives me to push myself more and more every day. I also gained a lot of confidence by taking my health into consideration with my workflow. Adopting good eating habits and a fitness schedule keeps me disciplined and in shape for long periods of drawing.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
At Shape Comics, we aim to skate against the grain of mainstream comics by creating retro styled comics that target all audiences. We want to break the mold and reshape what’s on the shelves put out by the industry today. By exploring genres outside of the norm, and collaborating with likeminded creatives we hope to become a household name in the world of comics.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I honestly think the 3 most important things I learned in the world of comics apply to life in general; Health, Focus and Confidence. You will be surprised how much endurance and focus is required to illustrate a book, it’s both a mental and physical challenge to consistently make comics. Late nights, and long hours but the end product makes it all worth it!
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
I think it’s incredibly important to play to your strengths, it’s far more effective to work at something you’re good and confident at then trying to master every little thing you’re not. While I do think it’s important to play to your strengths I think it’s equally important to surround yourself and work with people who are strong at what your weaknesses are. I contribute much of my success to my friends Breyden Boyd and Tom Morrow. The amazing work they do with me at Shape Comics play a vital role in our production. Without their writing you would just have pretty pictures! We all formulate unique ideas and bounce them off each other. Our individual strengths make us a powerhouse, much like Voltron!
Contact Info:
- Website: ShapeComics.co
- Instagram: @ShapeComics.co
- Twitter: @Shapecomicsco
- Other: TikTok: @Shapecomics.co Anthony’s illustration Instagram: @Pulp_Americana
