Meet Naomi Volain

We were lucky to catch up with Naomi Volain recently and have shared our conversation below.

Naomi, 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 comes from my past and present. Tragedy, challenge and hardship push me forward. My mother died when I was 12, a pivotal time for a young person. She was smart and creative; I treasured our mother/daughter relationship. Her absence has impacted my life – I’ve worked to take care of myself – to a fault – so I wouldn’t have to rely on anyone, since I felt so abandoned.

My challenge comes from myself as I sought and navigated my science career, which has shown up in different phases – healthcare, advertising, teaching, and now as a cartoonist. I had to advocate, explore, experiment, and have faith that my ventures would work out.

My hardship has been in these COVID years. In 2021, I was diagnosed with cancer. I started treatment, which lasted through 2022. I’m now in remission, and transformed in multiple ways. I see the world differently now. Expression and love fuel my resilience. People and my art drive me.

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 a cartoonist working to make science personal with comics. I draw cartoons by showing my response to sciencey situations, spinning research into a colorful story, or illustrating my commentary on current science related events, such as global change. Humor, sarcasm, popular culture and a deeply personal view is what sets me apart as a science cartoonist. My work is on Instagram and on my website.

What’s new and in progress? I’m working on a graphic memoir about my cancer experience. I’m looking for a literary agent to represent me. This is challenging because my book is in a niche category – graphic novel, memoir, and cancer. I believe my book will be picked up because my story will resonate for people. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the US – so we are all touched by it at some point.

I’m also exploring the idea of making custom comics – personal comic stories of people and their plants. Why is a plant important to them? Did plants soothe them? Did they become an indoor plant parent? Do they garden? Are they involved with tree planting? This could be a one-page, frameable comic. I’m wondering if there’s a market for this. What do you think? Would you want one for yourself or someone in your life?

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?
Purpose, love and drive made the most impact in my journey. I was always inspired to accomplish something in my different science career genres. In healthcare, I was a nutritionist, working to give people the information and skills to eat well for themselves. In advertising, I sought to get a science message out directly, and with the most visual impact. In teaching high school science, I wanted to give students the support I didn’t have as a teenager, and to give them observation and problem-solving techniques that they could use throughout their lives. In comics, I work to reach people emotionally, through a science related lens. I was driven to find as many resources and experiences as I could to accomplish these goals. And, I loved doing all of this. This is what pulled it all together.

Advice to early launchers: find what you love and do that. Know that you may be rejected, discouraged and frustrated – despite this, your love for your work will propel you. Meet new people and try new things. Don’t define yourself unnecessarily. Everything you do will matter as you forge ahead. Don’t be afraid to get older – you are transforming in every day.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’m looking for an agent to represent my book, or, directly to a publisher. I need someone who can do the targeted outreach to publish and market my graphic memoir about cancer. I realize that self-publishing is an option, but I want to focus on the creative, leaving the business and outreach to a professional.

I can be reached by my Instagram account @plantsgoglobal, or my email at plantlady@plantsgoglobal.com.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where do you get your resilience from?

Resilience is often the x-factor that differentiates between mild and wild success. The stories of

Productivity
Beating Burnout

Often the key to having massive impact is the ability to keep going when others

Leadership Development
Finding Your Why

Not knowing why you are going wherever it is that you are going sounds silly,