We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Aly Isaeff a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Aly, so many exciting things to discuss, we can’t wait. Thanks for joining us and we appreciate you sharing your wisdom with our readers. So, maybe we can start by discussing optimism and where your optimism comes from?
Optimism is a weird thing- it can come and go depending on your circumstances. Sometimes it takes a long time and lots of therapy to get to that point, at least in my case. In a lot of ways, I’ve had a lot of positive things happen in my life, but sometimes that can get overshadowed by the bad things that have happened to me. I’ve struggled for a long time with my health- I was diagnosed with Asthma in my first few years of life, Chronic Migraines and Type 1 Diabetes when I was 10 years old, Depression/Anxiety/OCD at 12 years old, Psoriasis at 18 years old, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome at 26, and currently I’ve been struggling with a reactivation of Epstein-Barr Virus. It’s been a lot to say the least. However, in spite of it all, I’ve learned to accept these things that have happened to me and live life on my own terms (thanks again to therapy). Pessimism never did anything for me except make me bitter and resentful, and, to be honest, that got me nowhere. I didn’t process anything that happened to me, and I definitely didn’t grow from it. I believe that we are given these challenges to not only find our innermost strength, but also to find and create communities around it. I may have all of these things, but you know who else does as well? Lots of people! And it’s within those communities of people with similar problems to my own that I find peace and optimism. That’s the thing about being human and having problems- there’s always someone else or even many people who have been through the same thing. You’re never alone- that’s what makes me optimistic and fills me with hope for a better day tomorrow.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I actually didn’t start out knowing what I wanted to do- I went to college for acting and thought that I’d be going on auditions all the time. I kind of accidentally learned that I loved Graphic Design and Digital Illustration when I was working at The Groundlings in Los Angeles. They were looking for someone to redesign their “Cookin’ with Gas” (an improv show they host every Thursday with special guests each week) poster, and I ended up trying my hand at it, even though many other versions by artists much more talented than me were rejected. They ended up loving it and even now use it as the poster for the show. I’m grateful to my former boss for believing in me and recommending me for the job, because that was my first taste of designing, and I fell in love with it. It was because of that moment that I am where I am today, running my own business selling my designs on enamel pins, keychains, and stickers. I learned a lot from working at The Groundlings, and have tons of crazy stories to tell of my time there, but I’m so thankful to them for allowing me to grow artistically and for nurturing my abilities. I still do some posters for them here and there these days. Currently, I’ve been working with Nicole Travolta on her posters for her one-woman show “Nicole Travolta is Doing Alright,” which has toured in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I’d say that the 3 skills that were most impactful in my journey were communication, creativity, and problem-solving. Communication, because it’s so (so so so so) important to be able to communicate clearly with not only clients, but also customers. You need to be able to understand what a client is wanting and be able to translate that into something creative, whether it’s a graphic design or digital illustration-related project. I chose creativity, because it’s a huge part of my job. Don’t get me wrong though- the creativity is not always flowing. Currently, I’m in a bit of a creative slump, but I’ve discovered that it’s part of the process. Creativity has times of death and re-birth, and that’s just the natural cycle- you can’t fight it. And finally, I chose problem-solving, because it comes with the job. I constantly come across issues and problems be it creative or something to do with the software I’m using. It’s important to be able to trouble-shoot and come up with creative solutions to creative problems. The fourth secret skill would be the ability to take criticism and feedback. It’s another massive part of my job, because I have to be able to take criticism and feedback from the client in order to achieve their creative vision. I can’t take it personally, and I have to be able to move on from it.
In terms of advice for anyone who is early in their own journey, I’d say to keep practicing. Keep doing the thing, and learn from the problems and issues that come out of it. Trouble-shoot and solve problems while reaching for your goals. The most important thing is that you KEEP DOING IT. Also, put yourself out there- you have nothing to lose.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
Right now I’m in a bit of a slump, creatively. It’s been hard- I haven’t been creating as much and I’m worried that it won’t ever come back (though I know that’s a little melodramatic). It’s a hard challenge when it’s something both me and my business depend on. I’ve been struggling with depression, so that of course kills creativity, but I’ve been doing a little better and am wondering what’s going on. I used to be full of ideas and loved executing them, but lately those ideas have been coming up dry. I think I need to take my own advice and just do the thing, whether it turns out great or not. Art is a muscle you have to work out, and maybe I just need to flex it a little. I’m also trying to take solace in the fact that creativity is like the moon- it wanes and waxes. So maybe I just need to give it some time and it’ll come back!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alyisaeff.art
- Instagram: @alyisayif
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aly.isaeff.art.and.design
Image Credits
Original Photographer is Nick Rasmussen for Nicole Travolta one
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