We recently connected with Em Frank and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Em, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?
Every morning I wake up and meditate for 15 minutes and then i do some journaling and prayer. Then it’s off to oatmeal and green tea. It’s very wholesome and dependable and monotonous which i think really clears the gutters to make space for creativity. I think most of my self-care practice is about emptying, shedding the world in a kind of way so i can start fresh. I can’t make something new if i don’t feel new.
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?
Hi! I’m an artist – i make comics, and i write! I really like volleying between mediums so i never get bored or feel trapped in one place. When i feel like writing is getting too arduous, I draw. When i feel like drawing is getting too boring, I write. It’s also a great way to not put all my value and passion in one basket. Early on, I took art really seriously and it paralyzed me and really made me resent art and i realized that part of the reason i was taking it too seriously is because when it didn’t flow easily i really started to doubt myself and feel like an imposter, like i wasn’t any good at art, so diversifying my creativity whether it’s just doing something around the house or starting a graphic novel really helps me keep creativity in a playful mode. It also helps me gravitate to a particular medium depending on my mood. I’ve digressed a bit but yea, i make comics about relationships and how it has been feeling for me being alive and i also make longer and weirder graphic novels. I sell my one-panel comic prints in stores and online and i release my books with Floating World Comics.
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?
I think mostly just hmmm… passion, maybe? Like really wanting more for me and my world than the capitalist structure that i felt was being placed on it. I think constantly cultivating and nurturing my interest and excitement for art, movies, music etc. Always keeping that flame alive and engaging with it. I can’t make stuff if i’m not inspired, and i think we can inspire ourselves just by engaging in what we love. Like i think inspiration comes from curiosity and passion rather than from influences if that makes any sense. But i’m really of the school of doing something related to art and creativity every day, no matter what. Whether it’s starting a new chapter or just watching a five minute music video on youtube… just something to keep a daily connection with what moves you. I really believe in learning from ourselves, and feel like that’s the only thing you really need to make stuff.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
I think trying to make work more to deepen my relationship to self and relationship with something bigger than validation or appreciation or to just make something “great,” whatever that means. So much of life is based on cause and effect and accomplishing goals and i really want my art to be a break from that, so i’m really trying to develop the muscle of art as play, and spiritual exploration.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jonmichaelfrank.com
- Instagram: emjonmichaelfrank
Image Credits
Me!
