We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jay McQuirns. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jay below.
Jay, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience is a necessity. If it wasn’t for my hobbies I don’t know what I would do with myself. It’s nothing to brag about but I’ve spent the majority of my life in my own head. Friends and family are there but I oftentimes find it harder to be with people than to be creating things. So, the resilience comes from a a need to keep pushing myself to the next drawing, the next project, the next idea because it’s all I know. Without it, I would be afraid to face what I would do with myself.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
At this point in my life I am most focused on me. I’ve spent over 25 years being an employee, and a damn good one. At a certain point I decided it was time to focus my creativity on my endeavors rather than those of someone else. My whole life I’ve been pushed by a DIY mentality. Everything from making zines and comics in high school to teaching myself how to produce music and make hip hop beats from sampling records to old tape recorders. My techniques and equipment may have improved over the years but my DIY heart hasn’t. Aside from freelance animation/illustration gigs, to vending art shows, my main focus right now is my diary comic. Part of focusing on myself was getting help. In my case, that help was medication for my depression and anxiety. Years of ignoring and bottling it up made it a difficult, but important choice. My diary comic entitled “There’s Not A Dolphin In My Closet” is day by day account of the first 7 or so months of being on antidepressants. The good, the bad and the surreal. Issue two will be released soon and I also upload most of the pages for free to read on my Instagram.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1) Doing years of work that I hated and dealing with people that I normally wouldn’t. If you haven’t gone through the hell of either a job you hate, a necessary paycheck, or public service I think it’s harder to get yourself up when you’re feeling down about you own journey. It toughens you, but also be mindful that you don’t let it ruin you.
2) Empathy. I don’t think this needs much of an explanation. It’s something that I think a lot of people think they have but unfortunately don’t, or it’s very fine-tuned to their needs. It’s important to know that regardless of outward appearances most people are pretty screwed up and clueless and in that we are all very similar and I find comfort in that.
3) Humility. Knowing that you’re not the best but also you’re not an imposter. You belong here, like everyone else and your job as a human is to grow and evolve. Look at your work and understand that you could always do better and be okay with that. The second you look at what you’ve done and think it’s perfection is the second there’s no need to keep creating and continuing to learn and grow.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
I believe the challenge of depression, self-doubt and anxiety will always be an obstacle for me. However, understanding that it’s not anything I’ve done wrong but just something I have to learn to deal with has already helped a lot. Much like the best traits derived from heredity I believe depression is a chemical imbalance that is a part of my lineage. Aside from medication, the ability to openly talk about the struggles and most importantly (to me at least) find humor in them through my work has been a massive help.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jaymcquirns.com
- Instagram: @jaymcquirns
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@jaymcquirns
