We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Alan Lujano. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Alan below.
Alan, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
When it comes to creativity I often only need to observe the natural world around me in order to keep it alive. When it comes to making art I usually don’t have much trouble making something from scratch or from the mind, but during times of burn out or frustration I’ve found it most helpful to take a step back from the creative process and focus my energy on something else. Usually that means doing some other work, but sometimes I take these instances to do some exploration. Whether it’s walking around a nature trail or exploring every nook and cranny of my grandparent’s backyard, I try to breathe in whatever piece of nature I can find in my day-to-day life.
Outside of nature, media such as animation, video games, and comics have always been a creative outlet for me. These pieces of entertainment exposed me to imagined spaces, new ideas, and different forms of self expression that I would have never thought about.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am an artist working in both traditional and digital mediums, but with a knack for ink and pen drawings. I love expressing my art and illustrations in different mediums whether in the form of drawings, paintings, animations or more. I’ve been told my people around me that my artwork has either a dark or whimsical style to them, which I think more or less describes the type of work I’m accustomed to making. I’m eager to explore new art styles so I can further develop my own as I work on new projects and gain new experiences. I know that I wish to one day publish my own comic or illustrated story book and hopefully work in some capacity in the animation and video game industry. Nothing is ever set in stone and no one knows what the future holds, but I know that I’m working towards those goals as the days go by.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back I would say that my most important qualities as an artist would be my work ethic, my attention to detail, and my love for learning.
I’ve always had a good work ethic, growing up in a Mexican household you realize there’s never a shortage of work to be had if you look hard enough. I also have an attention to detail that I apply to my artwork as a result of my upbringing and my fascination for the small details in life. Despite struggling in school for most of my childhood and adolescence, I always had an interest in learning new things. Whether it was history, anthropology, religion, or the natural sciences, I always wanted to understand the world around me, even now.
For anyone going through similar journeys I don’t really know what to say, every person is different and I’m still a work in progress, all I can really say is to keep at it, whether you’re in your lows or in your highs.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I would say that my family and friends have been the most helpful in overcoming the challenges I have been experiencing in life lately. I’m a pretty introverted person, so I’ve had dark moments in my life where I get lost within myself only for them to pull me out of that negative loop I get stuck in. It can be overwhelming at times, but I know that they all come from a good place, and one I really appreciate. In that sense they keep my feet on the ground while my head is in the clouds, my loved ones keep me grounded.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alanlujano.artstation.com/
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/alan-lujano-9a7369228
Image Credits
All images were made and taken by me.
