Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dylan Jacobson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Dylan, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
I love this question. I find myself being the unique character in the room at most events I attend. My artwork has its own visual language, and I have leaned heavily into creating work that I care about. I’d rather, “please myself instead of pleasing others,” to paraphrase Michael Stipe. That sentiment strikes of confidence, but transplanting that confidence from the artist studio to public space is a real trick.
We’ve got to be kind to ourselves, sure. It’s always helpful to do whatever we can to silence thoughts that we’re weird, or awkward, or uncomfortable. But, I’ll admit it, I kinda suck at that. That’s why I try to bring out a more powerful part of myself by taking extra steps to my presentation. I do what I can to acknowledge how my set-up of work differs from others and lean into that more. I also try to identify how I’m the same and I make time to interrogate that similarity and decide if it’s serving me and my work. I’m always growing and getting better at being a stronger identity in the room.
It doesn’t stop there. In order to be a part of my work, I curate work attire that creates visual icons of who I am. A bright shirt and a leather jacket with my best possible hair help remind me that I’m in social mode and I’m dressed for work. I don’t have the best posture, and I am tired a lot, which has encouraged me to stand more at events. Standing helps me look engaged and keeps my posture open.
What I’m trying to say is that if I’m going to be a black sheep in a crowd, I’d rather own it and look enticing instead of being a sore thumb. You don’t have to be bombastic to still come off cool and prepared.
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 tell people I’m an illustrator. If you’re a creator of anything in 2020s, you’ll understand that it seems impossible to just be one part of content. Because of the digital landscape I’m a writer, I’m a streamer, I’m a podcaster, I’m an educator, I’m a whole lot of roles just trying to be an artist. It’s exhausting to say the least. But, those challenges have started to become more of an opportunity as I’ve embraced who I am as a creative person.
I’ve worked on independent comics, like my series Champions, I’ve illustrated children’s comics, co-designed board games, and have created illustration series that blend figure work with comics principles. Furthermore, I’ve been a teaching artist in the Midwest since 2016, covering Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Finally, along the path of building my career, I’ve grown as a person and have developed into a secular advocate and an accessibility advocate. All of these things have made my experience robust, but disparate.
We’re in a time in which identity is everything. Fighting to be heard on social media, and the internet writ large, has all of us striving to know ourselves better so we can find anyone like us. As I’ve processed myself as a person, and an artist, I developed a brand that helps hone my voice, Brimstone Studios. Much like my appearance, the name evokes something edgy that might not be for everyone. However, it asks you to look just a little closer, to step toward something unknown. The people who take that step are like me, and a part of my community.
Working on artwork that ranges from youth to adult, visual to recorded, felt incredibly dissonant until I created Brimstone Studios. The brand is young, but has given me room to push myself into being more of who I want to be. This growth has taken place strongly enough that Brimstone Studios is growing into a media company. My goal with Brimstone is to expand it as a publisher, as a podcasting network, to make room for more voices who may find themselves faithless or without access, but always fearless.
Brimstone Studios has published my comics, and one of my coloring books, Together with Goblins, maybe by the end of the year, it’ll publish more than my own work.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
It’s hard to narrow things down to just three qualities or skills. There’s so many things that go into building a career, and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m far from perfect. But, if I had to offer three right now, I’d say my best qualities and skills are patience, deconstruction, and community.
Patience can often look easy. Even at my most patient, I often find myself screaming inside to have things hurry up. The reason I highlight that is because I think patience is actually resilience. Sure, I won’t live forever. But, I’m willing to take the time I need to get something done. And, I’m willing to move through failure, doubt, and defeat, to come out the otherside. No, it’s not easy. Yes, sometimes it takes me a while to process and move on from a failure. But I will move on, I deserve that. We all deserve that.
Deconstruction is my new favorite word. It’s in the title of my podcast, Fables of Our Deconstruction. I love the word because it’s about taking things apart. If I have a great experience, or a bad experience, it’s beneficial to reflect on that experience and understand what made it happen. I want to know the parts that made things work or not work. Then, when I understand those parts, I can keep what works, and strip away what didn’t. I try not to rely on something when it’s no longer working.
Maybe community isn’t a skill. But, with patience, I have grown a fantastic community. Frankly, I don’t think I’d still be an artist without it. My community is gracious and permits me, and others, to be real and raw. I have people I can talk to, people to deconstruct with, and people to make new ideas with. I’ve run three successful Kickstarters because of these folks. I love them and wouldn’t be half of who I am without them.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
I rarely talk about clients in interviews, which is why I was fascinated by the question. My perfect client is someone who loves the human form or ink. Hell! If you love both we’ll get along swimmingly. I aim to capture boldness and confidence with the high contrast that inks offer, and I think it’s fairly unique.
Yeah, I work with a huge variety of clients. But I would love to work with magazines, or even clothing brands, that want stunning illustrations of the human form. You don’t have to be a skeptic, or ska-enthusiast to work with me. You just have to love contrast and have a respect for every line I laid down to lay down that one committed ink line that made our work exactly what it is.
Contact Info:
- Website: brimstonestudios.com
- Instagram: thedylanjacobson
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrimstoneSudios
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanjacobson/
- Other: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fablesofdeconstruction
Image Credits
Cathryn Carney
