We recently connected with Carinne Boord and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Carinne 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?
I would say both of my parents, and my paternal grandmother especially, instilled in me the value of working hard. My Grandma grew up on a small island near Okinawa and she’s told us many stories about how difficult life could be on their farm. When she moved to America she had several jobs to help pay the bills, including working in a suitcase factory and seamstress work. She used to say to me “don’t do something unless you’ll be the best at it”. My father had to join the military to receive higher education, and they tell me often that nothing in life is given to you, everything is earned. My mother grew up in coal country, southwestern Virginia. You can glimpse the economic difficulty of that time and place in the documentary “Stranger With a Camera”, it’s something I think about often. She worked diligently in school to escape the holler, and worked many jobs to pay her way through college. When I chose a career in art I know they were worried for me, but I draw from their experiences and use them to motivate me. Nothing in our lives that is worthwhile comes easily, and whenever I’m faced with uncertainties in such an unpredictable industry I know I can at the very least count on myself.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I’m a bit of a jack of all trades, but I’m currently working as a photographer in the DC metro area. I majored in animation but picked up a bit of info about photography in film school. I actually went to film school because one of my favorite artists said it was the best place to lean visual storytelling. I’ve wanted to write comics since I was in high school but never dreamed about drawing my own until college. I fell into animation and ever since I do feel like I’m playing catch up with my peers who’ve been drawing since childhood.
In my free time I’m working on comics and illustrations, and attempting to resolve my art related burnout from my last job. I taught fine art for a while after college, and painting all day left very little in the tank for personal work after my 9 to 5. I’m going into 2025 with the resolution to regularly update a webcomic in the new year! The best place to see updates would be on my Instagram @Chboord.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The most important thing to have in art I think is “your eye”. Does it look good? The ability to make an interesting composition is so key, the ability to recognize when something is “working” or not. This skill is easy to beef up too, simply visit a local museum and check out some paintings! That’s one of my favorite activities when I’m feeling burnt out too, dip and be inspired by how other artists “solve” creative issues. By that I mean how do they frame and illustrate what they’re trying to convey. Do you like a piece? why or why not? Making a list of what you like about a piece can help you consider how you might incorporate a similar approach in your work, or maybe what you might do differently.
I think being open to new things is an important skill. My first year of film school I came in expecting to join their writing program, but ended up in animation. We were required to take classes and every department and it really opened my eyes to what I enjoy about the creative process. Experimenting in new mediums is a great way to learn more about yourself, and how you might approach your work differently with a new toolset.
I struggle these days to find enjoyment in the process of making art. After my massive burnout two years ago, its nigh impossible for me to “get into the zone” anymore. Once a painting starts to “go wrong” I can get really frustrated quickly and give up on a piece. I have to remind myself that finishing a piece I’m not thrilled about is part of the process. Making “bad” art is also the process. Being overly invested in the end result of a piece can really mess with the actual art making, which is the majority of an artists life. Most of your time is in the process and you get momentary joy upon completion, but then it’s onto the next project. So it’s important to enjoy the “nowness” art making and worry less about the final product. If you can stay present and find pleasure in the process, you’re way ahead of me.
How would you spend the next decade if you somehow knew that it was your last?
Right now I’m trying to resolve burn out from teaching fine arts. I had already stopped drawing personal art almost entirely when I left that studio, but then I experienced an immense loss and stopped drawing completely. In the last year or so I’ve slowly been rediscovering my love for comics and film. I feel the spark to create again. Part of it has been forcing myself to draw every day, even when I don’t feel like it. Most of the time, once I sit down and finish my first sketch I keep going because I remember how fun it is. At worst I can go to bed thinking “at least I drew today”. The daily discipline of it has added up and I’m starting to feel the creative spark again. Most of the daily drawings are just my dog Shep, in a little notebook that no one will ever see. I think part of the success I’ve had in finding the joy in drawing again is knowing that it doesn’t have to “be” anything or “go” anywhere. Removing the expectations on the end result and keeping them for myself has removed all the excess pressure from my creative process. I’m not drawing anywhere near as much as I did 3 years ago, nor is my work as technically proficient, but I’m happy to say that I can see a path back. If you’d have asked me even 3 months ago, I wouldn’t be as optimistic as I am now.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chboord.com/
- Instagram: @chboord
Image Credits
They all belong to me
