We recently connected with Olga Mihailovic and have shared our conversation below.
Olga, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
I’d like to open up to you with one of my youngest memories of being inspired by art. When I was around 3-4 years old, I went to visit my grandma and grandpa with my mom. When she brought me to their house, my grandparents gave me a VHS tape with a woman on it, as well as a pumpkin and adorable little mice scattered around it. This was in fact a video tape of Walt Disney’s “Cinderella”. Looking at the cover felt like I had a spell put on me, I was mesmerized by how nicely the characters were drawn. It absolutely made me want to watch the movie. I ended up liking it a lot, and soon after, I was introduced to many other Disney classics.
These films ended up engraved in my mind, not just because they blend storytelling, visuals and songs so well, but because I saw them as the height of inspiration. The people who worked on them put in so much passion, time and effort to create something grand and unforgettable, even as a child I believed this was worth all the praise in the world. When I saw their animated characters moving, I thought to myself “I want to be able to draw like this too”. My thought process was “These movies brought me joy, so I want to bring joy like this to others as well”, they awakened the desire in me to become better at drawing, and by extension, become an illustrator.
To tie into the question, mostly the work of Walt Disney and Don Bluth inspired me and kept on pushing me to better myself. It helped me tap into different parts of myself and taught me to try out various things. It upsets me a bit when I see some artists online who only stick to drawing one thing, whether it’s landscape or women or some other third option. Those things are good, of course! But it’s much more fun going outside the box in my opinion: Animals, monsters, sci-fi, dinosaurs, werewolves, there are so many things out there that can light the flame of creativity, leading to some really cool results!
All of the above serve as my fuel for creativity. Additionally, as a comic artist and writer, I have to constantly think about a bunch of comic aspects, from the paneling to the flow of the story. I’m currently working on a fantasy comic, so I’m forced to do mental gymnastics and ask myself questions such as “What’s going to happen to this character? And when? Will they be able to face off against a monster? What kind of monster?”. Oftentimes it’s tough and time consuming to figure out, but it’s something I’ll happily dedicate my time to. It keeps me feeling fulfilled, I’d say!
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?
Like I said, my infatuation began ever since I was small. I kept on pushing and honing my craft, and now I’m a cartoonist and a comic book artist! And I couldn’t be happier about it! For me, it’s exciting to see the end result of what I’m working on. I constantly joke with friends how much I struggle during the process of drawing, since I get many other ideas I want to work on while I’m preoccupied with a current piece. But when I finally reach the end and see the characters of the piece all colored and shaded, and the background painted neatly, I feel immense joy. It’s the joy of knowing I made another neat thing, and now I get to show everybody else the neat thing!
I’d personally describe my own art as bright, colorful, and detailed. The theme I find most comfort in is definitely fantasy. Whether it’s for myself or for others, I like coming up with interesting dress or armor designs. At the same time, people who reach out to me for illustrated works offer me lots of creative liberties, and I’m thankful for that. It’s always cool to see what’s something I can do differently, how I’m going to tackle the next project, there’s always something fun and interesting to work on, and to look forward to.
Currently I’m working on my own comic, set in a realm of fantasy called “Oluinn”! I started work on it during my studies at my art university, and I’ve received my PhD with it, as part of my doctor’s dissertation! At this moment, it only tells one part of the story which I’m still prepping, and I’m hoping people will enjoy the comic just as much as I’ve enjoyed making it. I’m sharing it on Webtoon and Tapas as we speak!
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?
If I had to pick three, I’d say practice, persistence, and an open mind. All three sort of go hand in hand: As a kid, I drew because I wanted to, and I did it ALL the time. It could get difficult, but it was something I wanted to do. I couldn’t draw clothes folds unless I dedicated time to them, same with drawing backgrounds, anatomy… Designing clothes especially made me sad because for the longest time, I felt like I was too uncreative with it. But creativity takes practice as well. And it’s the persistence and a clear goal in mind that got me (And everybody else who wanted to get better at their work) where I am now.
When I say “an open mind”, I mean the knowledge that you won’t always draw everything 100% how you imagined it. You won’t always be happy with your work. Not everyone’s going to like what you make. Getting to a level of drawing you’ll be happy with will take lots of work, time and patience. I’ve met people like this who get easily discouraged from pushing forward, whether it’s because they deem their progress “slow” (I’m personally guilty of this, or at least used to be) or some internal struggle. But in the end, progress is progress. As my mother used to say “Nobody’s going to get worse from practicing more”.
If there’s anything I can offer at the moment, it’s draw what makes YOU happy, and I mean that literally! It’s as simple as that! Drawing to impress others is different from drawing for oneself (And for some reason, it’s not a subject that’s often talked about). If you work on a project free from potential judgment of others, that’s when you’ll truly start feeling fulfilled.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Collaborations are something I’m pretty much always interested in! Whether it’s an illustration, a short comic, a zine, I’m ready for suggestions and new ideas. I’m flexible and open to communication if others are as well, that’s mostly what I’m looking for. That, and for the story or subject matter of the work in question to be fun!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turadulip/
- Other: https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/oluinn/list?title_no=838827
Image Credits
– “Magic: The Gathering”, Ink-Eyes Commission/Fanart – “Magic: The Gathering”, Kemba Commission/Fanart
