We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful John Eric Osborn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with John Eric below.
Hi John Eric, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I’ve always drawn pictures of things I liked from a very young age into adulthood. As life throws its challenges my way, I’ve found that the best way to keep my purpose is to remember the origin of the joy I experienced from creating. The biggest mistake I’ve made in my artistic journey was to use art as a defense. I would sometimes use my art skill as a means of getting out of bad jobs or employers. I would do artwork that I didn’t like or enjoy. This ended up being a bad psychological practice, because it framed my creative joy in a negative experience.
Drawing comic books is an extremely large amount of work, but it’s important to inject play and moments of fun or it becomes such a slog. My purpose now is to create the things that I wish I saw, and have fun while doing it!
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’m an art teacher by day and comic artist by night! I love sharing my creative endeavors with people and I love practicing art technique. I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma. I always loved science fiction, action comics and their surrounding cultures. I’m a Native American (Chickasaw and Choctaw) and I travel the world spreading my love of art and comic book culture. I have a corgi named Hiro who has his own comic book called “Hiro Doggie: Space Corgi.” I also draw the sci-if books “We Promised Utopia” (a save-the-environment story) and “The Enigma Machine” (a book with tough guys, beautiful women, and robots)!
I also do freelance illustration for businesses all over the country. I’ve done graphic design for giant corporations and small businesses.
I do art direction for Literati Press and I have my illustration company call JEO Creations.
This year I’m putting out updated releases on Hiro Doggie and We Promised Utopia. These things are very exciting!
I also LOVE dad jokes and my willingness to embarrass myself is my superpower.
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?
There’s an important balance between being self-confident and self critical. All good artists are able to achieve this, I think. The most prolific I’ve ever been is when I’m at my happiest. The romanticized idea of the self loathing, depressed artist that suffers for their art is a dumb idea and it’s not helpful at all. I also believe in patience and sticking to a plan. I cannot count the number of artist that start an idea and abandon it halfway through. The ability to complete things is probably the most important skill and Artist can possess.
I also think it’s worth noting that artists should draw what they love and not what people say you should draw. There have been so many times I’ve passed up on commercial opportunities because I just did not give a care about the subject. It’s important that an artist distance themselves from what’s already readily available, especially now with all the new technology, including AI image generators. The best way to do that is to be emotionally invested in the things you make.
Also, artists need to learn perspective. Jeez, that gets ignored way too much.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I was an artist sitting alone in the studio for so many years and that loneliness led to burnout that I will never forget. I tried and tried to find a community of people to share my artistic life with. I was eventually successful. I found an art community/clique in Oklahoma City Paseo District that I regularly visit. It has been an invaluable asset to have people that care about me and what I make. My art community gives me people to talk to for insight and criticism on the work that I produce. Have people in your life to care about you and want the best for you. It’s important to be humble and to take their advice when it’s offered.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.jeocreations.com
- Instagram: @ jeo_creations
- Facebook: JEOCreations
- Twitter: @ jeocreations
- Youtube: @JEOCreations
Image Credits
One of the photos has a picture of my wife, Liliya Vasileva. All photos were taken by me.
