We were lucky to catch up with John Parra recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi John, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
My work ethic comes from my parents. Growing up in Southern California I began working for my father’s landscape construction business around the age of thirteen. Landscape work is not easy. It is a physically demanding job done outdoors in all kinds of weather. I had to balance school, friends, life, art, and helping my dad. But working with him was rewarding. It was also a creative outlet that nurtured my imagination, and my dad’s eye for design and beauty inspired me as a young artist as well as teaching me responsibility and business. My mom, who was a primary school teacher, also gave me the gift of working and studying hard and wanting to be a lifelong learner. She encouraged me to read and stay curious but always be disciplined to achieve goals.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I have been a professional artist and commercial illustrator for more than twenty-five years. Most of the people who know my art comes from my children’s picture books. My newest book is the award-winning, SPANISH IS THE LANGUAGE OF MY FAMILY, an intergenerational story of family ties, cultural pride, and a spelling bee victory that follows a young boy who bonds with his beloved abuela over a love of Spanish. In addition to this I am illustrating three NEW children’s books, two of which I am writing. I also travel around the country, speaking as a visiting artist at schools and literary conferences, advocating art and reading education. It’s tremendous fun and a busy job that I love and am passionate about.
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?
Practice, Persistence, and Patience. Practice is required to develop and get good at a skill. It’s important to stay interested in learning and expanding your talents, which then leads to developing your own artistic and positive voice.
Persistence. Not everyone who succeeds in their career were the greatest in their field of work, but more often than not, those that achieved a goal are those that labored and stuck it out, to just make it happen.
Finally, Patience. This is key because things take time and you need it to pace yourself as well as reflect and adjust your course on your creative journey.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Two books I recently read and enthusiastically enjoyed are; Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain and Leading With My Chin by Jay Leno. The books should seem diametrically opposite in content but they both speak about finding a deeper purpose and understanding of who you are and what strengths you carry in life. I also appreciated the insights and anecdotes using wonderful storytelling and examples with humor to illustrate their points. A recipe for success for anyone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://johnparraart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnparraart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnParraArt
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-parra-8a298120/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnparraart
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXu6jI0jXv4&list=PL6bYYE9-BpH_fg8nlXYCaJVlOHPKprGUA
Image Credits
All artwork by John Parra
