We were lucky to catch up with Zion Garrett recently and have shared our conversation below.
Zion, so happy to have you with us today. You are such a creative person, but have you ever had any sort of creativity block along the way? If so, can you talk to us about how you overcame or beat it?
Defeating art block is easier than it seems. I’ve learned not to force ideas, but to let them come naturally. When I get creatively stumped, I take it as a sign to step away and actually live life for a bit. Inspiration tends to show up in unexpected places, whether it’s something I experience personally, something I read, or new things I notice during an ordinary day.
Sometimes, all it takes is trying a new cafe, walking a different route, or exploring a part of the city you’ve never been to. Hobbies not related to your career are also essential to keeping your mind fresh. I like thrifting, gardening, and gaming. I also like to see things related to my work, since I do comics and character designs usually, I like to read vintage comics and see unique fashion designs, or watch a show/film. Sometimes, when I have no clue what to draw, I study the essentials. If I’m looking for story ideas, I even take from difficult moments, like heartbreak or grief, which can become the foundation for a new idea. Those experiences, good or bad, can connect us to others through art.
Most of my characters are inspired by myself or people I know. I believe in using what I go through as inspiration for storytelling because chances are, someone out there has gone through the same thing. When you create from a place of truth, your work becomes something others can see themselves in. The key to it all is to not force it, enjoy life, and let it come to you naturally.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a visual storyteller focused on building surreal worlds with relatable characters. Currently, I’m working on an animated series and a comic book, both still in the early development stages.
What excites me most about my job is the freedom of creativity. I enjoy creating art for the fun of it because anything I want to happen can be made real. I can tell stories to people to help show them that they’re not alone in their feelings and experiences, but I can create monsters or places that have never existed to show that. The freedom is in what I can make, and that’s truly exciting, to create what hasn’t been made before.
At the moment, I’m developing a pilot episode for my series, NPC, a woman gets trapped in a video game just trying to make some quick cash, and a graphic novel about magic, witches, and faith. Both take our regular worlds but add unexpected elements to them, and are still rooted in experiences we all go through.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most important skills to have, from what I’ve gathered, are:
– Understanding story/visual storytelling
– Basic art skills (EX: color, light, anatomy)
– Showing your stuff
These skills are essential to becoming a visual storyteller, whether it is animation, comics, visual development, or illustrations. These are what get you the job and make your work better overall. It’s a common saying from Picasso: “Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” It’s true, learning the basics helps you have a deeper understanding of everything, rather than feeling stumped because you can’t draw hands from a certain angle. I learned my understanding of story and basic art skills from YouTube and art books. It’s easy to go to a library or even find PDF versions of the books today as well, such as the Animator’s Survival Kit by Richard Williams. Use your free resources while you can. Where showing your stuff comes in is by meeting other people in your field, and putting your art out there. In this era where social media is at the forefront of our lives, developing an online presence is crucial. It could even land you a job or help you meet people in your field. Be courageous and show your work even when you feel it is not good enough. People love to see growth, so don’t be scared and do your best.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
The area I’ve grown the most in is courage. I would spend months reworking my art and never sharing it because I felt it wasn’t good enough, or I was scared no one would even bother to look at it. Until I realized my ideas were going to waste, collecting dust on a shelf.
Last year, I had the chance to talk to plenty of artists in the industry at a networking event, and all of them loved my work but suggested I needed to be more active online. When I talked to my family about it, they urged me to do the same. Another thing that scared me was algorithms; they were constantly changing, and it seemed like you had to post every day to get any sort of engagement, which left me feeling overworked and not enjoying art anymore, since I viewed it as a chore and compared my account to others. However, I’ve changed my perspective on it. I don’t think every platform is for everyone. I’ve been posting on TikTok and YouTube (when I remember). I realized a big part of my discouragement came from feeling isolated. Finding others who resonate with my art and sharing in their journeys has made the process not only more rewarding but also more fun.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://readymag.website/u807818930/5395932/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zionmeiko/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zionmeiko-art
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ZionMei
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@zion_mei
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