We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alex Quintas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alex below.
Alex, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
If you’re good at something creative you tend to think “do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” That is the nicest lie we tell ourselves. It just means that you take your work personally and can never turn it off! So finding something that is JUST for you with no expectations is scary but freeing. For me, I work in animation for a living so drawing is intrinsically linked with work. I didn’t want to be in front of my computer drawing when I was working on my own stuff so I decided to go back to basics and just use pen and ink on a notebook or sketchbook to make my comics. Most of them are me working out ruminations or anxieties and because it’s so far removed from what I do for work it’s nice. I think it also gives me confidence in other fields because I don’t really make different versions of the comics. It’s one shot, get it out there, and put it out into the universe, good, bad or cringe.
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?
I’m a storyboard artist for animation. I love being handed a script and really getting to visualize what the episode, short, or scene will be like. It’s a little bit like being a director on a smaller scale so it’s always fun when a show lets you stretch and take ownership.
I’ve also been working on personal slice of life comics where I explore my own mental health, anxieties and really anything that I feel is important to me. In November I released my first digital collection on Gumroad! It’s the first personal project that I’ve done in a while and really got me excited about making my own art again.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think one of the most important skills for me was learning patience. In a creative field, not everything will line up perfectly and when you want it. Sometimes you will have to wait, and wait longer than you want to, for an opportunity or job to line up. It’s not easy emotionally, nor financially. It’s also hard to accept that you just aren’t READY for certain jobs. You sometimes have to level up while you wait, and that’s ok! There really isn’t a specific age or time for anyone to get a career going and learning that it’s never too late was paramount for me. Especially when you are told you’re supposed to hit certain milestones at certain parts of your life. There is never a “too late”, as cliche as it sounds.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I tend to want to do 90 things at once. It overwhelms me and then I get NOTHING done. What has been helpful is to literally write out EVERYTHING that needs to be done and break it down to it’s smallest parts. A lot of little things eventually add up into a lot of BIG things. I often find myself, especially when overwhelmed, thinking “one thing at a time.” It’s not easy by any means, especially when you have a deadline or even SEVERAL deadlines, but, if you don’t slow down and plan you’re just rushing into doing something rushed and not your best work.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/aquintas
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/alexmquintas
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexquintas/
Image Credits
Alex Quintas
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