Meet Nabeel Rooshan

We were lucky to catch up with Nabeel Rooshan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Nabeel with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

A lot of it is from my upbringing. For better or for worse, my parents had instilled in me the notion that if you wanted something, you had to work hard for it. When I decided to pursue art, that mentality sort of carried over. Especially since I originally was pursuing a career in comics, a noticeably grueling and demanding field within the arts. My time in architecture school also helped me hone in on working diligently, and I was able to translate that into my later career.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

As a kid, I had a pretty isolated childhood. It was a mix of overprotective parenting and school bullying. I would escape into comics and animation. They would offer me broader horizons than ones I could experience in my day to day life and I would always rather be in those worlds of fiction than in my stifled reality. In retrospect, it seems natural that I would pursue a career in the entertainment arts.

As a professional, I primarily work in the field of animation as an Art Director (currently working on the show “Drone Cats”). I’ve also worked as a comics illustrator and concept artist for video games. I enjoy getting in the weeds of story and a world, and painting out it’s corners and letting my mind run wild. I love telling stories and building out the internal logic of a different world. It’s extremely cathartic when it works out!

My art primarily focuses on stylized representations of the stories and worlds that I’m invested in at any given time, and occasionally, my work is trying to bridge the gap between me and my Pakistani culture (from which I have been alienated in the unique way only an Islamabadi can be). I am currently working on a comic based on this very dichotomy, which I can’t wait to announce!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

The three qualities/skill that I can think of correspond to different aspects of my life, but I think they really help anyone who’s going into the arts.
The first and most important skill is networking. I have always been a bit of a loner who wanted his art to speak for itself, but you simply can’t get anywhere without networking. In many ways, it can trump hard work. A lot of my big breaks and opportunities that I’ve gotten are the result of me knowing the right people at the right time. I still struggle at networking but I think it’s largely the main thing that’s kept me in business.
The second important skill is storytelling, especially if you plan on going into animation. The ability to tell a story is key. Pretty work can get a lot of appreciation, but the best work is that which can move a person emotionally. Your ability to tell a story through narrative, design and composition will be the thing that gives you your competitive edge.
Finally, the third important skill is patience. This will help you throughout all avenues of life, but especially in art. There will be times when, either due to the volatility of the job market or the volatility of your own spirit, you will be really tested. In those times, the ability to be patient and trust the process becomes key. You have to be able to exercise some patience and let yourself experience the difficult period you find yourself in (whether professionally or even in the middle of working on a piece) with grace.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

The biggest challenge I’m currently facing is learning how to slow down. I’ve spent the last few years running on all cylinders and now I’m trying to figure out how to slow down. It’s proving quite difficult, especially with rising inflation and stagnant job market. A big part of me hustling constantly had to do with me trying to seek a sense of security in increasingly uncertain times. I suppose, in a way, I’m also having to work on my patience by slowing down. I need to be patient with myself and allow myself the period of rest and recovery so I can commit to things fully once more.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @nrooshan
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nabeel-rooshan-498050190/
• Other: Read my free comic on the figure drawing scene in Pakistan here:
  https://rooshan.gumroad.com/l/figuringitout-comic

Image Credits

All images are by Nabeel Rooshan (me)