Meet Ryan Minn

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ryan Minn a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ryan , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

By never regretting a single decision I made. Of course, I can look back and admit there are things I would have done better, but there is a difference between reflection and regret. There is no room for regret in my life because no matter what, life will always go forward. No ifs, ands, or buts about that. I’ve met a lot of people who constantly wax poetic about how they regret doing this or not doing this. Even at a young age, it was saddening to witness, and I decided that I won’t be that kind of person. Regret keeps one tethered to a bygone past and prevents the human spirit from progressing to a growing future.

In addition, I’ve built my own spirit by reminding myself that nobody can take my achievements away, not even myself. There will be bad days and bad moods, but that does not diminish everything I’ve done to build myself up. Sometimes I may have an artwork that was executed poorly or a failure to keep up with a deadline or a goal, and of course it makes me stressed. But I would be a fool if I punished the entirety of who I am for those brief moments. A bad day is just that, a bad day. It does not mean a bad or wasted life. Reminding myself that a failure is just one mark out of many keeps me from being swallowed by the poisons of despair and anxiety.

In simple, live in the present and never punish yourself too hard. That’s the only way I live and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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 am a self-taught artist specializing in pen drawings and watercolor, more specifically in fantasy and sci-fi landscapes. I have taken on other projects in the form of doing commissions of people’s pets, acrylic painting, real-world scenery, starry skies, logos, and the occasional piece of digital art.

The most special thing I love about my artistic process is how I combine the familiar with the alien to reach a homely, but otherworldly atmosphere. Like something that would not look out of place in a children’s book but would also be a setting in a cinematic movie. A mix of serenity and the sublime, like the feeling of peace you get after a long hike only to come across a vast view ahead of you. I believe in the beauty of the more unseen aspects of our world, such as ancient ruins, unfamiliar wilds, and isolated places rarely treaded by humans. My art celebrates the beauty of both architecture and nature; we as humans can do a much better job of appreciating the world around us. It’s easy to look at the movies or hyper-edited images and feel like our own world is so dull and glum, but one should never sleep on the beauty that might await you in your own area.

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?

Number one, from a practical standpoint, your materials are half the journey so figure out what works well for you! This advice is more for younger artists or children, but I believe that when many beginners feel they aren’t doing so hot, it’s because they aren’t using the right supplies. I used to spend a lot of money on paint sets with numerous colors for convenience until I learned I could mix the same colors from a limited palette. When I felt like my own erasers were damaging my linework, I discovered how wonderful kneaded erasers were. The list goes on and on. Never feel like you’re a bad artist when you’re just starting because chances are, you haven’t found the materials that work for you!

Next up, it’s easy as a growing artist to look back and overtly critique your past creations. It’s a slippery slope to excessive insecurity if taken the wrong way. When your skill is improving, so does your ability to critique. So if you look at your past works and say to yourself, “I was so bad back then!”, also recognize that you can only say that because the person you are is now more skilled. Every painting you make, “good” or “bad”, is an experiment you create with the ultimate result of growth regardless of quality.

Lastly, when you are starting, do not scatter yourself creatively. You can make 1/10th of the progress of 10 drawings or you can reach a 10/10 on just one. It’s tempting to want to do everything, but in our busy lives and human limits, it’s easier said than done. I feel this strongly because I also dabble in other creative hobbies such as interior design, writing, and cooking alongside my art. You can do anything you want, but you can’t do everything, and though that may sound discouraging, it’s not. Because you can still do things right and create more things you are proud of rather than dividing your time amongst projects that may not go anywhere.

What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?

Learning not to compare myself to others. It’s a big and wonderful world of opportunities to seize and at times, I’ve nitpicked at my life wondering if I’ve done much compared to this person or that person. I’ve learned however that while it may be easy to compare people in the moment, you cannot compare lives. Social media has made it easy to see an unrealistic, hyper-edited and overtly polished image of friends and family. Chances are that most of the picture-perfect faces you see on that smartphone are crying behind the screen.

I admit it’s a trap I’ve fallen into, but to combat it, I celebrate my own achievements and remain grateful for what I have. I remind myself that life is not a race and if I chase the superficial desire to reach some artificial finish line, I will burn out like a moth to a flame. Even if you get to that line, there’s always some new challenge and you’re back at square zero. So why not smell the flowers along the way?

I did not get this far in life by choosing my path based on people who will never walk in my shoes. One man’s victories aren’t the same as another’s but they’re still victories. I don’t care how society defines a “successful person”, I’m happy with what I have and proud of where I am now.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artstation.com/nicatorshields
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicatorshields/
• Other: https://cara.app/nicatorshields