Interview with Brynn Metheney
^^ Welcome Brynn Metheney to the show! We chat about how working on a goat ranch and having pets influence her work, mental health and how it’s important to be a multifaceted person, and so much more!
Please note: discord gave us a bit of trouble for about the first 18 mins of the interview, then we got it sorted. Thanks for understanding!
Hi friends, Sarah D here.
This is the transcribed conversation made via HappyScribe.
We know some people like to read more than listen and vice versa, and we will always try to provide both when we can. HappyScribe is roughly 80% accurate.
Also a huge thanks to our guest: Brynn Metheney. Check out her art!
Website • Instagram • Patreon • Twitter • Youtube
Happy Art Making!
-Sarah
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Interview with Brynn Transcribed Conversation
Speaker 2 (00:00)
Hey, folks, this is Sarah and Sarah and Brynn for Mindbodyartist.com. This is the podcast and blog that talks about the mental and physical game of being an artist. And I'm Super happy that today we're going to be interviewing Brynn Metheney. She's a creative creature artist, and she works in production, films, games, you name it. And yeah, I'll let Bryn tell you herself. So, Bryn, where can people find you online and how can they support you? And basically, what do you do?
Speaker 1 (00:29)
Hi. Well, thank you first for having me. I'm super thrilled and honored to be here. This is going to be a ton of fun. My name is Brent, and I work primarily in film, games, and publishing. I work as a creature concept artist, and I have worked on a number of different projects, including Ghostbusters, Afterlife, Scuba, Minimal, Valerian Ventures, and Dragons and more. If you're interested in seeing my work, you can find it online@brinarch.com. That's my little fashion website. You can also find me on all the social medias, Twitter and Instagram under my name Briny. I also have a Patreon. You can find that under my name as well, where I post about creature design, but also life as an artist. It's also a little bit about goat ranching in there and various other things studio days, process, that kind of stuff. And I'm currently working on a new book that I'm writing and illustrating. It's about the American Southwest and the flora and fauna that live there, as well as a few other odd occurrences that happen in that landscape. So, yeah, that's a little about myself. And thanks for having me.
Speaker 2 (01:50)
That's awesome. All right, so today we're going to be talking to Bryn just basically about her life and what she does with art and not with art and how it all kind of comes together. So we had a whole bunch of questions and what is a typical day like for you? And do you have any routines that you stick to?
Speaker 1 (02:14)
Oh, my gosh. It's funny because I am not a routine person. I wish I was. I envy my husband because he's very much one of those routine people that does the same thing in the same order every day. And I'm not that kind of person. I kind of have to decide what to do every day infuriating. But typically my day starts with it kind of depends on the day. Some days I start with getting up, getting my coffee. I usually read a little bit of the news, Twitter. I do Wordal right now.
Speaker 3 (02:50)
It's like the essential wake up step for me right now, too, when we listen to this in a decade and we're like, what? Yes, it's an online word game that we're all obsessed with. It's the third wave of Pandemic lockdown freak out. It's great.
Speaker 1 (03:07)
That's the most incredible description I've ever heard. But yes, we're all living in the same existence. It's intense, but I too start my day with Whertle. And yeah. And then from that I typically will have an easy breakfast. And then I go right into work. I work from home in a home studio that I split with my husband. He's also remote now due to the pandemic. So we've been working together now for two years. I think, oh, God, has it been two years since all this happened? But we actually work very well together. So it's fine. It's great. And I typically do start my day with email. I like to kind of do, like admin stuff first. So I'll usually check my email, answer any questions or inquiries I'll send invoices in the morning. I typically do like website updates, that kind of thing. And that usually starts around 830. And I typically do admin stuff until about 1130 is kind of what I do because I like to do like social media updates. I do my Patreon post anything that requires writing. I'm just kind of in that headspace in the morning. And then from there I go to lunch and I always take that away from my studio.
Speaker 1 (04:34)
I've learned that over the years to take lunch away from your desk. And then after lunch, I actually start making art.
Speaker 3 (04:42)
We have the same schedule.
Speaker 1 (04:46)
That's great. Oh, my gosh.
Speaker 3 (04:49)
You know, first time in our few interviews that we've done with ours. And I've been like, that is what I do every day.
Speaker 1 (04:55)
That's awesome. Thank you for joining me.
Speaker 3 (04:59)
Validating your choices.
Speaker 1 (05:01)
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (05:04)
So that was working for me next week right now. But talk to me in like two weeks and it might be completely different.
Speaker 1 (05:09)
I feel this completely because some days I'm like I have to make art right away. I don't know, but I have to do it right now. And then other days I'm like I need to go like, walk down the Arroyo and not think about art. It's a little crazy, but yeah. And then I will work from lunch until dinner pretty much. And then make dinner. And then I typically don't work after that if I can afford to. If I have some kind of deadline or something that needs a lot of attention, then I'll work after dinner. But typically I like to end at like eight and I don't like to work after that. And then I don't. So other days or I start my day on a goat Ranch where I work from usually around 730 or eight to about ten. And then I go through the mobile day from there. So some days I wake up slowly and have a nice morning at home. And other days I'm wrangling goats and trimming hooks.
Speaker 2 (06:13)
That's awesome.
Speaker 1 (06:14)
That's the crazy stuff. So, yeah, that's my day to day.
Speaker 2 (06:19)
So then I guess the next question is about do you have active or fitness time? Do you have so I guess wrangling goats is definitely working on a Ranch is definitely fitness. There and what about do you do anything on your off days or do you do stretching or anything like that?
Speaker 1 (06:41)
Yeah. So it's been a very recent thing for me to be better about fitness. I used to be bad about it, but in recent years, outside of goat ranching, I've adopted working out more typically. I like going for walks a lot. I like hiking. So usually anywhere between one to three or four times a week, I'll do a hike or a walk typically anywhere from two to 4 miles. Hikes usually are longer. They usually are like 6 miles, but like a walk down the arrow is about four. I do some stretching, probably could do more, but I definitely am more aware of my wrists and my body as a whole. I do weight lifting when I remember to. Right now, I was more consistent, especially through the pandemic and stuff. But I have a small weight bench and like those Beau Flex Select weights.
Speaker 2 (07:39)
Yeah, I get those, too. I have those as well.
Speaker 1 (07:41)
They're so great because it's like I lived in apartments for forever for like 16 years. And this house that I live in now is the first house I've rented. So those weights are great because they're very compact and they don't require a lot of space. And then the bench folds up. So it's all very small footprints, I like. So I use those and then, yeah, the ranching typically on the Ranch, just doing chores and all that. I walk according to my Apple watch. Anyway, it tells me that I walk anywhere between like two and a half to three and a half miles a day. So I do a lot of walking is really what keeps me going.
Speaker 2 (08:23)
Nice. I do a ton of walking, too, because I have ink, so he needs.
Speaker 3 (08:30)
I did 3 miles today. I'm so proud of myself.
Speaker 1 (08:33)
Oh, that's amazing.
Speaker 2 (08:35)
Well done.
Speaker 1 (08:36)
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:37)
Let's not talk about the last time I did anything. It's been back on the way.
Speaker 2 (08:43)
Absolutely covered in ice. I wouldn't feel like every but walking with ink. I'm like, Nope, it's ice. Can't walk down Britain.
Speaker 3 (08:50)
We have so much in common at this point in the conversation that I'm like, Maybe I should take up goat ranching. Like, everything that you've said so far, I've been like, yeah, that's me. Maybe I need goats. It might be my calling.
Speaker 1 (09:07)
Everybody needs goats. I'm here to spread the good word of ghosts.
Speaker 2 (09:10)
I think they're super cute.
Speaker 1 (09:15)
Yeah. So that's typically what I do. When I was living in La almost a year ago for, like, the six years that I lived there, I got very much into fitness. I think that's just because Los Angeles is kind of that sort of place, and I got really good at deadlifting and all kinds of crazy moves and all this stuff, which I really like. But I think that recently my actual equilibrium, I guess, where I feel the most comfortable is really with walking. I do like weightlifting, but I think that I can work through more in my brain if I'm moving space.
Speaker 3 (10:01)
Oh, yeah.
Speaker 2 (10:02)
I solve many more problems when I'm walking than when I'm not walking. Definitely. That's how I write. Like, anything I write.
Speaker 1 (10:11)
Oh, my gosh. Yeah, I can relate to that.
Speaker 2 (10:14)
Yeah. And go walk with the tiny notebook in my pocket.
Speaker 1 (10:17)
Wonderful. I love that idea.
Speaker 2 (10:21)
Let's see. Oh, you know, what is your talking about, like, mental stuff? What is your relationship with social media? What's your social media presence like?
Speaker 1 (10:39)
Oh, my gosh. Social media and me have had a history. I joined Twitter when it started in 2008. Well, I think it started before that. It was like something else and it was totally lame. But then when it became Twitter, I joined and I was still in College. And so it's kind of this weird legacy account that I sort of refused to let go of, even though that place is a hell site. I have an okay relationship with it now, a much better relationship with it now. I think that for a long time I felt really pressured by it and very stressed out by it. And I was facing a lot of my worth and direction on what social media told me was good. So I kind of followed that a lot with things I would like, draw something, and if I got a good reaction, I'd keep going that direction. If I got a bad reaction, I would shy away from it. And I think lately I've been better about pulling back and pouring more into places like Patreon because I love my patrons. They're so, like, supportive and wonderful and interesting and just great people, and we talk about great stuff, and they're just genuinely excited about what I make.
Speaker 1 (12:01)
It doesn't really matter what it is, as long as I'm excited about it. They're excited, and that makes me really happy. Whereas I feel like sometimes with Twitter and of these other places, you're kind of beholden to this algorithm that maybe people just didn't see it, but then you kind of beat yourself up. So I've done a lot of pulling back in recent years, and it's been much better. It got a little out of hand for a while, but I like it because I think that social media, while it has a lot of terrible things about it, and maybe this is just because I'm an Elder Millennial.
Speaker 3 (12:40)
They call us Geriatric Millennials. Just so you know.
Speaker 2 (12:44)
I like Elder Millennial more.
Speaker 3 (12:46)
I'm just saying Geriatric Millennial is what they call us. I'm owning it.
Speaker 1 (12:52)
I love it. I mean, I refuse to wear, like, any heels over an inch. And I'm very much into, like, comfortable clothing and going to bed at ten. So, yeah, I'm fine with that. Let's see here. I remember back in the day when social media was a really powerful and positive tool to reach people. And I still think it has a lot of that potential because I still discover incredible people on social media.
Speaker 2 (13:32)
No.
Speaker 3 (13:35)
We actually are here for the rants.
Speaker 2 (13:37)
Yeah, it's totally fine. But it was funny. I had the same reaction. And then I saw I think it was last year that you made a post, and it was something like, I'm going to put more time into my Patreon and relationships that are more personal than just A Rando on Twitter and everything. And I was like, that's so smart. I'm going to do it.
Speaker 1 (14:02)
It's been extremely rewarding because I have become so touched and humbled by the people that I've been able to be in contact with, especially my friends, because they're just so positive and curious and lovely people. And every time they join me for a live stream, I'm like, wow, this is so cool that people actually want to be here and hang out. And I really enjoy it a lot. And also, like my newsletter and just kind of talking with people on discord and texting more. Actually, it's funny now that I'm rambling off and talking about walking. When I go on walks, I really do try to call my friends on the phone, which is such a like, I forget that my phone is a phone.
Speaker 3 (14:57)
Oh, yeah, we do relate.
Speaker 1 (15:00)
And so that's been wonderful because I can catch up with them and joke and we talk. And it's just kind of this, like, lost art that I feel like I used to do more as a kid. I used to get on for hours, and I don't do that anymore. That's been one.
Speaker 2 (15:28)
Oh, you just cut out there for a second.
Speaker 1 (15:30)
I'll let it disappear. That was actually where I ended very abruptly.
Speaker 3 (15:40)
I totally know what you mean, because I've definitely started trying to make the effort to voice chat more often than textually. If I plan on having a conversation with somebody that's longer than just like, hey, man, I'm going to get not to do anything if I'm actually going to talk to somebody for any extended period of time. Like, just like, hey, what are you doing right now if I call you? Because a lot of my friends are doing the same thing I'm doing. Right. They're just sitting at their desks working, right. And so it's like we could just hang out while we work because I don't have coworkers. So it's like, I got to do that for my brain.
Speaker 1 (16:24)
Well, I find that sometimes my brain zones out in the art making realm, and it's able to make way better because you're not thinking about it so hard.
Speaker 3 (16:37)
You're just kind of letting it flow. You go into that, like, flow place, right? Yes.
Speaker 1 (16:42)
And it's like, okay, I know what I'm doing. And really, my brain is where the conversation is. My hand is kind of rings off. I always get a ton done.
Speaker 3 (16:56)
Every single time we record one of these chats, I'm sewing a hair bow.
Speaker 1 (17:01)
Oh, that's so cool.
Speaker 3 (17:02)
Every single chat we do, I'm like putting stuff together because I don't have to think about it. I guess there's some kind of art that you probably can't do that with.
Speaker 1 (17:11)
Right.
Speaker 3 (17:12)
Or there's probably some brains that won't be able to do that. But, yeah, the audio processing, the chat processing, the talk word section of my brain doesn't interfere with the sewing part. They don't.
Speaker 2 (17:25)
Mine doesn't now. It used to like, I used to not be able to talk in art, but then I was like, I want to start streaming, and you kind of have to learn. You're going to get over that.
Speaker 1 (17:37)
Yeah. No, I think teaching really helps.
Speaker 2 (17:41)
Brin, what were your early career challenges?
Speaker 1 (17:44)
Like, gosh. So when I graduated, I graduated in the recession.
Speaker 2 (17:54)
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:56)
It was a challenging time for all of us. It's terrible. And I definitely came up against a terrible job market. And I was also kind of counting on being very specialized in my field, which is being a future designer, which is challenging. Anyway, so it was really hard at first to try to get any kind of work. I got extremely lucky with a couple different leads. I started working in mobile games. There was a mobile game studio that I happened to apply to who did hire me, and that was not painting creatures. It was painting clothing for a game called Retail Therapy Does Not Exist Anymore.
Speaker 3 (18:44)
Sounds great, though.
Speaker 1 (18:47)
Interesting. Okay, so I loved working on this game because it taught me a lot about working with an art director and how to work in Photoshop. I wasn't really good at working in Photoshop at that point in my career. And so simultaneously, like, working on this mobile game helped me kind of bolster my digital painting skills because I came out of the gate really far behind. I didn't have any sort of computer program growing up. I basically got into Photoshop, probably seriously into it, probably at the end of my junior year in College.
Speaker 3 (19:26)
Brittany, what was your major?
Speaker 1 (19:29)
I majored in illustration. Okay, cool. And I studied at a school that was primarily, like editorial publishing, illustration. So it was not concept related at all. So I told my teachers, like, I want to be a coffee artist. They're like, what is that?
Speaker 3 (19:45)
Okay, go do that.
Speaker 1 (19:48)
What was great. They were like, sure, yeah, you can do it.
Speaker 3 (19:52)
Oh, that's so nice to hear. Yeah, that's really nice to hear, because a lot of professors have that, like, stuck in their way. That stereotype. That's like, I have a degree in sculpture, and now I make hair bows, so I just don't know how that would have anyway.
Speaker 1 (20:11)
No, for sure. I was so fortunate that my instructors, even though they didn't really know what I was talking about, they were still excited to help me. They were supportive and jazzed yeah, it was great. So I had a very good experience in that, which is a lot I know not everybody does, but the early struggles for me were definitely the recession but also I struggled a lot with working from home and trying to be like a human. I was very much a workaholic in the beginning and I would quote unquote work for like 14 hours, 16 hours days and most of it was just sitting at my desk stressing out about what to work on.
Speaker 2 (21:04)
I know that feel.
Speaker 1 (21:05)
Yes. And then probably like 4 hours of it was actually art making. A lot of it was scrolling and a lot of it was like self berating all this stuff. So I didn't have a very good mental health outlook in the very beginning and I struggled quite a bit with leaving my home actually. I became very homebound and was unable to leave for a few months so it was very difficult for me in the beginning just as a person, but I was able to kind of pull out of it with I had a very supportive fiance then either, but my husband now was very supportive of me live together and helped me along the way, but I also had a lot of supportive friends who stayed in contact with me and encouraged me a lot. So that community is extremely important and I was very lucky to have them through school. So when we graduated we all kind of stayed in touch and that really helped push me out of it. And then from there it was kind of like finding clients, getting regular work. That was difficult, especially because I had specialized so much, but I was very adamant about kind of sticking to that dream and so I took on a customer service job at the Pete's Coffee so I would work there from 06:00 a.m. Until two and then at three I would go and do future work or whatever I could illustration stuff.
Speaker 1 (22:39)
So for a while I was working two jobs which is pretty exhausting but it's kind of how we had to do it to make it to me and then from there things got better and brighter and I was able to kind of carve out a little niche for myself in the industries that I've worked in and very, very fortunate to get to work on some of the stuff I've got. Yeah, it wasn't very easy in the beginning though. I'm sure it's definitely easier than a lot of folks do have it. So I definitely consider myself very fortunate and privileged to have gone through it the way I did. So there were a lot of parts about it that were very difficult, particularly mental health and finances.
Speaker 2 (23:27)
Yeah. It's awesome that your school friends are like so supportive of you and stuff by you though. That's really cool.
Speaker 1 (23:36)
Yeah. It was kind of at the tail end of I remember going to College and having folks be a little guarded and kind of cynical through a lot of school. But my group was we were all just kind of a bunch of nerds. And we really stuck together through the graduation process. And there were a lot of things that were happening in art with social media and spectrum, fantastic art getting more big, like with a convention and all this. And so, like, fantasy art was becoming more mainstream, I guess. And so it felt like there were more people to talk to, even if I hadn't gone to school with them. I had folks online I could talk to and reach out to and stuff. So I had a lot of support from a lot of different places that really helped me through that time, that after graduation. It was a really hard time, a little dark at times, but we made it through.
Speaker 3 (24:39)
We've been to Sarah and I have talked frequently about how it kind of feels like the people that we know that are kind of hitting their stride right now are the people that have been doing this for like a decade or more. You've just been kind of nose to the grinding wheel and you just don't ever stop trying. It's like that has its pros and cons. Right. Because Sarah literally broke herself. I don't think we're going to have a lot I mean, we might have some young artists listening to this, but the artists that haven't yet figured out that they need to take care of themselves, our target here.
Speaker 1 (25:22)
Yeah. God, it's so important because depressed and so homebound for so long that I had atrophied to a point where I couldn't lift a pot with my arms. Like, I was so bad. It was really bad. And I remember just not being able to do a lot of physical tasks without becoming, like, winded. I couldn't walk up the street, and I was very paranoid when I go outside. So I really had to do a lot of work in the very beginning to kind of get myself back and to feel like I was human again because I was just so far in. And it started with walking. It definitely started with walking. I got a tiny Chihuahua who is pastel, but she helped me quite a bit in going.
Speaker 3 (26:21)
Good old dogs.
Speaker 1 (26:22)
Oh, man, dogs.
Speaker 2 (26:23)
Dogs are the best.
Speaker 1 (26:25)
They really are. They're great. And then also having my friends help me out with meeting me places, starting to go to conventions. And eventually I did rent a studio with another illustrator. Michael Manuelinville is a really good friend of mine's, best friend. And he working together in that studio really helps me get practice with leaving my house regularly and having, like, a, quote, unquote day job place to go to. But it's so important because you'll lose yourself and then you've got to work even harder to get it all back.
Speaker 3 (27:06)
Physically or mentally or both.
Speaker 1 (27:09)
All of it. Yeah, it's hard and it's difficult because I've definitely had this discussion with a lot of other artists. And it's one of those things where, like, would I have been able to do my career had I not grinded so much? Maybe not as fast, definitely. But was it worth it? I don't know. It's one of those things that you go back and forth, and I always try to encourage people to take care of themselves first Because rebuilding myself from the ground up was definitely one of the hardest things I had to do. And it's still a challenge. There's still some things that I have to work on and practice, and it's hard. So don't lose sight of yourself and love yourself. It's not worth it.
Speaker 2 (27:57)
No, that's some really awesome advice because you do hear like, grind, grind, grind all the time and get lost in that.
Speaker 3 (28:05)
It's like never give up, but it's okay if it's like never give up, but play the long game.
Speaker 2 (28:14)
I like, never give up, but you can change direction. You don't have to.
Speaker 3 (28:20)
You got to pivot.
Speaker 2 (28:21)
Yeah, forever. In the very beginning, I knew that people would think it was cool if I was like, yeah, I want to work for Pixar. So I would just say I want to work for Pixar. And I had no idea what that even meant.
Speaker 1 (28:34)
Right.
Speaker 2 (28:34)
But I would be like, my art desires are valid because I want to work for Pixar.
Speaker 1 (28:39)
Right.
Speaker 2 (28:40)
And what I really actually wanted to do is what I'm doing now is making creatures. But you can't say that to your grandma to Cook out. They don't know what that means.
Speaker 1 (28:52)
It's true. No, it's true. Yeah. And it's hard because I think you get so fixated on that goal that sometimes you miss the opportunities that could also lead you somewhere that you also might want to see. And I think that I definitely got tunnel vision for a long time. And I was like, I have to do creature work. I have to do it for film. I have to do it this way on this kind of thing. And then you work and work and work and you lose yourself, and then you rip yourself apart, and then you might actually get there. And I did finally get there. And then when you get there, you're like, I didn't plan after this.
Speaker 3 (29:37)
That's where I'm at. I have achieved all my life goals. I am not yet 40.
Speaker 1 (29:42)
What do yes, you get goats. That's what you do. But it is important, I think, as artists to remain open, to always be curious and to learn as much as you can about a bunch of different things. Because I think that it makes your life richer, but it also makes you work better and it keeps you busy because you'll get to those goals. If you set out to do it, hopefully you'll get to do it. And if you do, then what you got to have interests outside of that passion. I think it's funny because when I was making I always had social media for work, but I never had it for fun. And one day I was like, I'm going to make an Instagram just for myself so I can post selfies and stuff. Like, I was trying to be, like a human, and I went to write my bio, and I had no idea what to write because I had just focused my entire existence on the period. Think about who I am as a person and, like, what they're going to write on my gravestone.
Speaker 3 (30:54)
Yes. Existential dread.
Speaker 1 (30:58)
So, yeah, it's one of those things that and again, I don't know that every young artist will know it, and it's fine. But I think that as you as you go through your career and your life as an artist, you start to understand. But it's good to be open to a lot of different things.
Speaker 2 (31:17)
I'm still trying to learn that lesson. We'll see. I'm so bad at that one.
Speaker 1 (31:23)
I feel like you do all kinds of stuff. You do podcasts, you've got, like, reptile stuff, you've got dogs, you got everything.
Speaker 2 (31:30)
Oh, yeah. I'm kind of bad at pivoting. I get a little Bull headed, and I'll be like, I'm going to do the thing.
Speaker 3 (31:38)
And then he gets a little Bull headed. Understatement of the century.
Speaker 2 (31:46)
That's fair. That is totally fair. And then I know in the past, I've missed out on opportunities that came knocking, and I was not perfectly part of the plan. So, no.
Speaker 3 (32:00)
I can't fit this piece into my Grand Master puzzle.
(32:04)
Exactly.
Speaker 2 (32:06)
The intricate threads of my world. So I started getting a little bit better the first time something an opportunity came up and I was like, oh, I don't know. It was our business boot camp. I don't know if you know that one. It's probably like Lauren Pinna Pinto and Mark Chef. So that came up, and I was like, not part of the plan, but I think I really want to take this class. That was, like the best decision ever. Oh, my God, I was so happy. I was like, wow, I actually know how to business art now. That's great.
Speaker 1 (32:39)
So awesome. I mean, it's important. And I think we as a society also are so obsessed with, like, what do you do for a living? That's what people ask all the time. How does your job define you? And it's one of those things. It's like, well, yes, I am an illustrator and a conference artist, but I'm also this. And I also like that I think it's good to branch out, but also good to constantly learn. I mean, you mentioned taking a class that's so important. I took a woodworking class, like, a few weeks ago. I love woodworking. Yeah, it's fantastic. And it's a different way to use your brain, a different way to be creative, a very terrifying way to make art because there's lots of saws and all kinds of sharp things, and it's like art that can kill you.
Speaker 3 (33:30)
I've been on fire three times.
Speaker 1 (33:34)
That's sculptor territory hardcore, but yeah, it's so important to have different facets of your creativity. I think it keeps your mind fresh, it keeps you playing, and it keeps you curious.
Speaker 2 (33:54)
Definitely. So actually, this goes into the next one. Where do you get your inspiration from and ideas?
Speaker 1 (34:02)
Oh, man. A lot of places. So because I work primarily with animal anatomy and creature design, definitely nature is one of those places where I work quite a bit because I have a real fascination with animals. I always have. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a vet before I wanted to be an artist, and so I definitely pull from nature the most. I think history has been a little fascinating for me lately. I wasn't very good at history in school, but I think it was because I just couldn't really relate to it. But I've been reading a lot of local history of the Mojave and New Mexico and just the Southwest in general. I find it very fascinating and terrifying and weird, and so I like that aspect. I guess that's where I'm also pulling inspiration out of storytelling, like, firsthand accounts, that kind of thing. I really like, what else do I have inspiration from? Definitely from, like, I guess in terms of, like, media, I definitely get a lot of inspiration from music, for sure. I really, like, kind of, like, narrative full music right now or, like, folk country. I guess it kind of matches the vibe I'm going for with this book about the Southwest.
Speaker 1 (35:28)
So I'm listening to a lot of Johnny Cash songs and stuff like that and kind of like in a weird pivot. I really do, like animated films. I'm, like, obsessed with animation. I think I probably should have pursued more work in animation. I actually wanted to be an animator before I wanted to be a concept artist. So it went vet, animator, puppeteer, and then concept artist.
Speaker 2 (35:59)
That's pretty close for me, too.
Speaker 1 (36:02)
Really?
Speaker 2 (36:02)
Yeah, that's pretty close. People were like, you should be a vet. But I was like, oh, but I'm really scared of blood. And then I wanted to be an animator because that was, like, the only art job, like, I knew. And then I went with my switches. I wanted to be a video game artist, like a character artist for video games. I did do that for a brief amount of time, and then I went to concept artists with the specialization in creatures after that, because that's cool. That's my love.
Speaker 1 (36:29)
Yeah. I feel like that's the animal girl artist pipeline.
Speaker 2 (36:35)
It's a vet to vet tech creature designer.
Speaker 1 (36:40)
Yes. Because I feel like there's a big crossover there with a lot of us, for sure, because a lot of us start with a fascination with something as a kid, and I think that a lot of future artists start with that fascination and love of animals pretty early on.
Speaker 2 (36:57)
Yeah, definitely. It was like as soon as I could, I don't know, form concept, like, complex thoughts. I was watching animal documentaries, so I was like, these are the best. I would watch them in cartoons, and that was it. Nothing else?
Speaker 1 (37:11)
Yeah, very much the same.
Speaker 2 (37:18)
That's awesome. So I guess you mentioned it a little bit, but can you tell us more about what you do as a career? You're not 100% independent. You take commissions and you do your own stuff.
Speaker 1 (37:33)
I work contracts as a conference artist for filming companies, publishing, sometimes games, virtual reality especially. But I have a variety of different clients that I work with the year, and I kind of jump from project to project. So some projects take a couple of days and other projects take a year or two. So it just depends on the nature of whatever it is I'm working on. So I do that. I did teach for a little bit. I sort of stepped away from teaching. I kind of needed to recharge and sort of reevaluate some of the principles I was teaching to make sure that it was in line with what I value and what I think is beneficial for the industry. So I've stepped away from that for a bit, but I think I'll return to that soon. I love teaching, but I take it very seriously. So when I do too.
Speaker 2 (38:32)
Yeah, it can be daunting. I teach a human anatomy class at a little school down here, and by the end of the week, my brain is, like, completely fried. I'm like I've said every muscle. So be tired.
Speaker 1 (38:44)
Yes, it's a lot you give away a lot of yourself when you teach. And I really did need, like a minute, but I do miss it because I love my tune.
Speaker 2 (38:56)
Do you have a favorite thing to teach? Like a favorite aspect?
Speaker 1 (39:01)
I love teaching anatomy, actually. I love teaching animal anatomy. I think that it's fascinating. I like when people realize that horse legs are wrists, like elongated wrists, and they're like, what? It's not a knee? And I'm like, no, it's the front leg.
Speaker 2 (39:16)
It's me.
Speaker 1 (39:17)
It's the wrist.
Speaker 2 (39:19)
And they're like, what?
Speaker 1 (39:20)
It blows their mind or whenever they kind of realize that vertebrate anatomy is the same across the board and we're all the same skeleton. To sort of arrange these ways, I think it's a really beautiful thing for them to kind of see. I love that. I also love teaching people about animals in general. I really want to try to incorporate that one in going forward with teaching and trying to figure out how I can bridge animal anatomy into animal behavior and all these different things, because I think the animals are wonderful and I want more people to know about them. I still teach for the animation workshop. I teach for them annually, Mark. But I do that remotely now.
Speaker 2 (40:02)
That's pretty cool, though.
Speaker 1 (40:04)
Yeah, it is. I love it. I did self published my own books for a while, so I have been selling and still sell them online. The ones I have left, they won't be reprinted, but I still have a couple of boxes of them, and then I sell, like, originals and stickers and stuff like that randomly. And now I'm working more publishing, having my books published and that kind of thing. A lot of different income streams.
Speaker 3 (40:32)
Right.
Speaker 1 (40:33)
For a freelance artist, as I'm sure both of you know, it's kind of just like, let's make money from everywhere, and hopefully it adds up.
Speaker 3 (40:43)
Definitely put all the buckets out.
Speaker 1 (40:47)
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 2 (40:49)
Please become a career.
Speaker 1 (40:57)
That's kind of the difference.
Speaker 3 (41:00)
Some of my buckets are weird.
Speaker 1 (41:04)
Tell me more about your bucket.
Speaker 3 (41:07)
It's the Internet underwear modeling bucket. That's the weird one.
Speaker 1 (41:10)
Yes.
Speaker 2 (41:13)
But it's a pretty lucrative bucket.
Speaker 3 (41:16)
It's the biggest bucket I have right now.
Speaker 1 (41:20)
That's awesome. I love it.
Speaker 2 (41:22)
Yeah. Bryan, you were mentioning animals and how much you love them. How do your pets affect your art and your workflow?
Speaker 1 (41:33)
Oh, a lot. Let's see. When I first started in Future Design, I had two cats, and one of them was named Calvin, and the other one was named. They were a huge inspiration for me. Calvin was very much embodied. His name very rambunctious. Got into a lot of trouble, just an absolute terror of a cat. It's not for the faint of heart. And he only lives about to be eight. He was, like, too bright of a star, truly. But his, like, face and his expressions and his movement, I was always kind of observing him. I definitely observed my Chihuahua's way too much. They're funny little dogs because they're very short hair, so you can see a lot of their anatomy, which I really like. But they also have this kind of, like, Gremlin vibe because of the inbreeding. It's not okay, which I adopt all my Chihuahua. I find them in shelters because they end up in shelters quite a bit. Just because people don't really understand what they're dogs. They think that they're babies, but they are fantastic little creatures. They're fiercely loyal but very independent.
Speaker 2 (42:59)
I love all the art that you have based on the Chihuahuas. It's great.
Speaker 1 (43:05)
Anything that's kind of, like derpy and Gremlin like, is definitely just one of my Chihuahuas in disguise. That's awesome. And then, honestly, the goats have a lot of sway. My work lately, especially. I've been very fascinated with Angula anatomy for quite a while, even before I started working on the goat Ranch. But working there and seeing the way they move and interact and just their personalities and the way they celebrate each other or the way they greet each other, how they are, just how they are, it's fascinating to watch.
Speaker 3 (43:40)
Those are really social, right? They have, like, a community, and.
Speaker 1 (43:48)
They remember you. They remember members of their herd animals, so they stick together. We have two sisters on the Ranch, Cocoa and Number Five. Their mother was named pretty funny, but they are inseparable, these two, and they are constantly hanging out. They're constantly, like, sleeping on each other. They're always together. And so when I had to trim Coco's hooves, Number Five was just, like, freaking out. She was calling for Cocoa and just looking for her, and it was only like 15 minutes. I was like, you guys are dramatically Scotland. Yes. They really do have very close bonds and are just fascinating to watch. They have a lot of communication that goes on, which is their bodies and their faces and all this. I don't know. They're fascinating. So, yeah, my pets, the goats, everything I interact with is a lot to do with how I interpret and make art.
Speaker 2 (44:57)
I love your goat based art as well. It's awesome.
Speaker 1 (45:01)
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (45:02)
So I guess in the same vein, talking about making art, what do you do when you have a bad art day?
Speaker 1 (45:09)
Oh, my gosh. I actually had kind of a bad art day today, which is funny because I got a lot done, but it was all very incremental. And then I ended it with a simple drawing. And I don't like the simple drawing, so I have to remove it.
Speaker 2 (45:23)
I know how that is.
(45:25)
Yes.
Speaker 1 (45:25)
I was like, damn it, it's fine. I'm very used to redoing things numerous times. But when I have a bad art day, I usually don't know I'm having a bad art day. It kind of depends. Some days I'm like, hey, having a bad day, I'm just going to go for a walk down the Arroyo or I might go to the thrift store. I really like thrifting, and I like looking at weird antique stores and stuff. So sometimes I'll just go make the rounds around my town and see what is new in those places just to get my head out of the art for a second and go somewhere interesting. Or I'll go for, like a hike or I'll go just maybe go to even do work on the Ranch. I've definitely been doing that where I'm like, I got to scrub those buckets. I'm going to go do that. Other times when, I don't know, I'm having a bad art day. My husband will usually be like, I think you're having a bad day. Then he'll be like, oh, you should take the day off. And then he's usually correct because it's usually been like a few days that I haven't had what I call a lazy day.
Speaker 1 (46:34)
It's not really lazy at all. It's just like giving your body and your mind a rest. You just get to read or watch YouTube or play video game or something.
Speaker 3 (46:43)
That's my clean the whole freaking house today because I just don't do any chores for, like, multiple days in a row, and then I go, oh, wow. I actually need to like, yeah. And then I just go into a manic cleaning, but the art brain shuts off, right? Yeah. I can clean the kitchen and I can clean the toilet without too much.
Speaker 1 (47:05)
It's true. Yeah. And that's honestly the best. I've definitely had those days, too, where it's like, I can't make art today. Maybe I'll just go run errands and do laundry, and then I'll also clean and organize, get everything done. Because it's been a while. I definitely relate to that for sure. That's another area where we're the same person.
Speaker 3 (47:26)
We're going to be best friends now.
Speaker 1 (47:28)
I think we are already basically. Yeah. That's kind of how I handle it. I usually try to distract myself with something else or if I'm feeling, like, particularly creative, but I don't want to do my art. Sometimes I'll Journal or do something that's creatively inclined but not, like, drawing or illustrating, you know what I mean?
Speaker 2 (48:00)
Oh, that's interesting, because I also wanted to ask you about that. Do you make time for writing because you do write your books and stuff?
Speaker 1 (48:08)
Yeah, I'm kind of always writing. It's funny because I don't think of myself as a writer at all. I've never called myself a writer, but I love writing. And I'm recently kind of, like, embracing it more. So I use this planning and organization app called Notion, I'm sure.
Speaker 2 (48:32)
Oh, yeah, I've heard of it. I've heard it's good.
Speaker 1 (48:37)
I love Notion. I love it because it's, like, everywhere. I can get it on my phone or my iPad or my computer, so I have access to all of my writing all the time. So if something comes into my head, I can just jot it down and it's all updated everywhere. And I like that. I also have a bullet Journal that I write in for just different writing. Not necessarily, like, illustrative writing, but just, like, I guess journaling or stream of consciousness writing, that kind of thing. Right. I'll do that. Or I'll do journaling, as in, like, collage. So I collect a lot of, like, weird magazines and old stamps, old cigarette cards, old, like, just little things, like kind of stationary type materials. And I became really fascinated with, like, junk journaling. Back in high school, an artist called Sabrina Wood Harrison. This is, like, way back. Totally. I've never told anybody this, but I like to kind of, like, make fun collages and just, like, throw paint and, like, make weird pages with, like, ink and paint and whatever materials I can find and then, like, write on them and just kind of just kind of make a mess and sort of piece it together into a book.
Speaker 1 (49:58)
And then I have a cool little book that sounds beautiful.
Speaker 2 (50:01)
Yeah, it's a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (50:04)
I haven't drawn in two years, and I've been thinking about maybe trying again, but the pressure of an empty sketchbook is really intense. And I know because I haven't done it in so long, it's going to be, like, bad. Like, it just will be. And you just have to work through that. But if I did going into it with, like, I'm going to make a mess, that's fine. And if some jarring happens, like, great.
Speaker 1 (50:37)
No. And it can totally help to even just have that ground, we would do this thing. I think it's called, like a master page is what it's technically called, but we actually just would get it was like, me and my friend, we would get, like, a big page or big piece of paper. And me in June. Her name is June Miller. She was a good friend of mine. She is still a great friend of mine. She's one of my best friends, but she lives back in California. We would get this big page and make all these big paint marks and just use crayons and pastel and just anything. And usually it was like second hand art materials or materials we've just had forever that we want to use up so it doesn't matter what it looks like. And then once it's dry, you, like, cut it up into page sizes or spread sizes, and then you make a book out of it. And what's cool is that because you cut it all up, it kind of abstracts everything. So nothing is how you intended it. And you can see all these new shapes, and it's a beautiful thing to work onto from there.
Speaker 1 (51:43)
So you have this really cool ground and you can find shapes in it and make painting out of it or draw on top of it or put words on it, like collage words on it or whatever it is you want. It's just a nice way to make art that doesn't have any pressure association to it. It's purely play. It's purely experimental. It's just kind of fun.
Speaker 2 (52:05)
I love yes, that sounds awesome. That sounds like a great way to because that fear of the blank page is so real sometimes.
Speaker 1 (52:15)
Yeah. And I think also, like, when you do and I know that both we all know this as when you do art as a career, you always kind of have this pressure in the back of your head. Is this going to be able to promote me in a way that's good or showcase my skill or whatever? And I think that art is a form of play. And there's moments when you really have to go back to that because it just recharges you in a really wonderful way.
Speaker 2 (52:48)
That's one of the reasons that I wanted to, like, you did want to start focusing more on Patreon this year, because I was like, I know those people have signed up to see the weird little Gremlins that are, like, side characters.
Speaker 1 (52:59)
Yes.
Speaker 2 (53:00)
So I don't feel bad being like, oh, this won't be like a big final. Beautiful render or whatever. And I'm like, yeah, I can do the little monsters. And these people are here for that.
Speaker 1 (53:11)
Yes. And that's so important because and I feel the same exact way, Sarah. I really feel like my Patreon got better when I started embracing, like, myself as an artist more for a while, I felt a little pressured that it had to kind of be like creature creature design, centric, very specific all the time. And while I love creature design, obviously it's like one of my favorite things to do. I also wanted to show, like, oh, here's a weird book in my studio, or here's the goats, or here's a funny drawing I did and whatever. And it's been so much more. I just love it. It's like my happy place right now. I'm glad that you had the same experience that's really.
Speaker 2 (53:55)
Yeah. I was copying you because I was like, wow, she's doing a really cool thing. I should try that. It looks nice.
Speaker 1 (54:04)
It's been nice. Yeah, I like it. I'm glad you think that.
Speaker 2 (54:09)
Definitely it has been very helpful as well.
Speaker 1 (54:13)
Let me see.
Speaker 2 (54:15)
I think that's all of my questions.
Speaker 1 (54:19)
Oh, my gosh. Wow.
Speaker 2 (54:20)
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:21)
It's like, been an hour, right?
Speaker 2 (54:23)
It has been an hour, but I don't know if there's anything you wanted to add, like if you wanted to give a tip to an aspiring creature artist or anything like that. Feel free.
Speaker 1 (54:35)
Yeah. I guess if I was starting design, it's always like, practice anatomy. Absolutely. I think it's the biggest thing, like, practice animal anatomy. But I think more than that, it's really, like, be curious and in love with animals in nature. I think that if you can find something about it that really speaks to your soul, then, like, stay there, you know, stick to it and just become obsessed with it. Because I really find that the more and more I lean into my tendency to be a little obsessive about information, the better time I have with designing and the more ideas I have. And it's fun to learn. It's fun to learn, and it's fun to be curious. So I would really encourage young artists to do that. I think it's also very important. That's why I love your podcast, to take care of yourself, to really, like, give yourself time and patience and laws and care. I think that's such an important message. And I'm really happy that that's become more of a thing in the art community. And I really do admire you both for putting that with the podcast. It's so important. And I know that for us, what's the term again?
Speaker 1 (56:17)
Trick?
(56:17)
Millennials. Millennials.
Speaker 1 (56:20)
That's old folks. It was very much like you got a grind grind and work on art 24/7 and you're not sketching all the time. What are we doing? And it's like, first of all, nobody can do that. And you'll burn out so fast. And self care doesn't necessarily have to be like taking a bubble bath every day. But I think that it could be. Absolutely, it could be. I am known to take a lot of bubble baths, but you should always put your health and happiness first. And you know, some people I am actually one of those people that does thrive with being busy. I like being busy. I like having a lot of things to do. But there's also a point where I have to step back and be like, okay, it's a little too much, and I need to eliminate something so I don't get stressed out. That's been a hard looking.
Speaker 2 (57:24)
I would love to know how you eliminate I'm right there with you. I was like, something's got to go.
Speaker 1 (57:31)
Yeah. For me, it's been asking for help, and that is really hard for me.
Speaker 2 (57:41)
She's laughing because you just compete on oh, awesome. And she recommended The Art of Asking book for me because I'm terrible at asking as well.
Speaker 1 (57:57)
Yes, same. I'm horrible at asking for help. And I have found that I do. I have a much easier time. And if I'm honest with people around me about what I need right now with the Ranch and everything kind of happening all at once with kids being born, baby goats being born in a few weeks, we have baby Quail coming also that we just really expect a surprise.
Speaker 3 (58:30)
Baby Quail.
Speaker 1 (58:30)
Yes.
Speaker 2 (58:31)
I'm very excited about the Quail, by the way.
Speaker 1 (58:33)
Oh, yeah. The video footage is going to be great because I'm getting a new phone, so they're going to be in high debt. So all of this stuff kind of happening at once is a little stressful. But I found that if I asked my husband for help and tell him, like, hey, I need you to handle this. He's more than happy to do it, but he can't read my mind in terms of what we're doing on the Ranch because we do the Ranch together as far as, like, showing three together. And so asking him for help and asking, being honest with the folks at the Ranch about what I need from them or what we all need from each other is really important. I've had to come to terms a lot of times with talking to the owner about what we need and what she's expecting and all this. And that's been hard for me because I've always been a very independent and self driven person. I don't like to appear weak. I like to be in control and savvy and like, wow, she's got it handled. But on the inside, I'm screaming and freaking out.
Speaker 2 (59:43)
I know. Yes, this is my life as well.
Speaker 3 (59:49)
I wasn't going to make any sound that time.
Speaker 2 (59:51)
But I was vigorously nodding and silent.
Speaker 3 (59:55)
I was just pointing at you.
Speaker 1 (59:58)
I love it. Oh, my gosh.
Speaker 3 (01:00:01)
I don't think I have this one. This is you guys thing. I am very good at asking for help.
Speaker 1 (01:00:06)
See that's? So awesome. Because I think that whenever somebody asks me for help, I am thrilled that they're asking me for help. And I'm more than happy to help. And I think I've got it in my head somewhere that if I ask someone for help, I need to be using them or they're going to hate me or I'm like being a weirdo or weak or whatever, all these stupid lies I've told myself for so long. And really when I do ask people for help or ask a question or maybe like hand something off to someone or maybe just even say no, that's the other thing I had to learn.
Speaker 3 (01:00:37)
That one. That one I had to learn.
Speaker 1 (01:00:42)
It's okay. Because when people tell me no, I don't think that okay. Well, no worries. Maybe we'll line up another time. It's fine. But it's just one of those things where it's like and I definitely don't do this all the time. I definitely say yes to things more often than I should. And a lot of times we'll forget to ask for help. But it's something I'm always working on. It's the way that I can help myself. Life as an artist and a freelancer, whatever it is I'm doing, whatever that is.
Speaker 2 (01:01:15)
It's like an ongoing battle to keep learning the lessons that you need to learn.
Speaker 3 (01:01:20)
Yeah. And sometimes learning the same lesson again and again until it sticks.
Speaker 1 (01:01:27)
That's the challenge. But what's nice is particularly between the two of you, you know, what the other person is struggling with or what they need and what they have trouble asking for. And I think that that's the importance of community again, that you have friends and colleagues and partners or whoever is with you that might be able to advocate for you, too, and be like, hey, I think you're a little stressed out what's going on? And then that can help, too.
Speaker 3 (01:01:56)
Yeah. There's like no greater feeling than when I know that I'm like crazy behind on a chore, and then it just gets done, and then it's done, and then it's like an instant reset. And I'm like, oh, wow, that's like so much pressure off.
Speaker 1 (01:02:13)
Yeah, it's huge. And it helps. So I think that answer, I kind of forget what the question was, but I hope that that shed some light on a little bit of what we all struggle with.
Speaker 2 (01:02:28)
All of that has been super helpful. That is awesome.
Speaker 1 (01:02:33)
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:02:33)
With that, I don't really have any more questions, so I think that's a wrap. Unless you had anything else.
Speaker 1 (01:02:39)
No, that's it just thank you. This has been such a lovely chat. You're both so wonderful and sweet and funny. And I love this idea. And I love this podcast. So thanks for having me on. And yeah, it's been a lot of fun.
Speaker 3 (01:02:55)
Thanks for hanging out. New bestie.
Speaker 2 (01:02:56)
Yeah. Thanks for hanging out. This was wonderful. Absolutely wonderful. So I really appreciate it. And for all you guys who are listening. We'll be back with new content on the first and 15th of every month. And thank you so much, Bryn, for being with us. And we'll see you soon. All right. Bye bye. Bye.
Speaker 1 (01:03:15)
Buh bye.
❤️
Sarah, Sarah, and Brynn
Discussed by Sarah Dahlinger, Sarah Forde, Brynn Metheney