Interview No.1 - Living a Creative Life

Bob Byrne is a well respected Irish Comic book Artist, who has published a number of comics such as MBleh! and the highly acclaimed graphic novel Mr. Amperduke.  He very kindly took some time out to answer a series of questions focused on living a life of non conformity and how his life experiences to date have hindered or helped him to this point.  It makes for some interesting reading, and I hope that those out there can take something of value from it and be inspired in their own journey in some way.

NLLC - How does creativity contribute to your life?

BB - It's hard to separate them, for me it's the same thing, it's a creative life!

NLLC - What is your definition of conformity?

 BB - I suppose it's compromising yourself for any reason; fear and ease mostly I reckon. It's easier to fit in. I consider myself a conformist in lots of ways though. I try my best to fit in physically by shaving everyday and wearing normal clothes. Life is so much easier if you don't look like a weirdo outwardly.

 NLLC - How have you conformed over the years?

 BB - Yep, as above. I do lots of heartless corporate design work and have no problem with it. It's money. I worked a 9-5 non stop from 17 years of age until recently.

NLLC - What type of work were you in from your early teens?

BB - First job was in a pet shop, then I was a forklift driver for ages, then a baker until I got a typesetting job.

NLLC - How does that differ to the work you do now?

BB - I'm sitting at a desk. For years I was either putting a box on a pallet or taking one off. Having a desk allowed me to start drawing on the sly and with a computer I could get up to all manner of creative antics

NLLC - Were there any signs, subtle or obvious, during your normal period of work or non-work that indicated that this way of life wasn’t for you?

 BB - Yeah the physical jobs were just dead ends but I as soon as I got to sit down at a desk indoors I would draw on my down time. I could give you a million examples of where I knew the 9-5 world wasn't for me but I could quote the same amount about the 'creative world'. I don't like working with other people regardless of the environment. That's why I love comics, you can make an entire movie on your own.

NLLC - Was there a time when you were not creative in any capacity?

Yes, when I was 16 I stopped drawing completely and just sat on a wall or in my mates shed smoking for nearly a year. Then again, when I was 21 I gave up drawing for about 4 months in favour of drinking. But other than that I've been busy my whole my life.

NLLC - What made you decide to follow your current career?

BB - I had no choice really. I've been doing the same thing since I was a baby. I mean I could still be working stacking boxes during the day or whatever until I retire but I know I'd still be creating at home in my free time. I have no interest in design but I'm fairly good at it so I'm happy to do that for a living.

NLLC - What type of resistance/obstacles did you encounter when moving into a creative career?

BB - I sort of wanted to go to college to study something but there was no money in the house and I was eager to move out as soon as I could so I suppose the harsh realities of money was a big obstacle. And working a 9-5 and trying to create in your free time leads to all manner of disruptions in your personal life. Trying to stay employed, keep working on your own stuff and still being social is hard. As cold as it sounds, money is the obstacle that stops people from a creative career.

NLLC - How did you overcome it/them?

BB - I had a serious girlfriend when I was 22 and having her in my life made me more disciplined, meaning that on the nights I didn't see her I worked much harder because I knew my time was limited. I became organized. Another big thing was ditching friends who were having a 'toxic' effect on my life. Hard to do but it was the best decision ever. They didn't understand that I wanted to spend time drawing instead of going to the pub or whatever, so I just cut them.

NLLC - Do you think location is important to your art and lifestyle?  If yes, how so?

 BB - Location no, environment yes. I hung around with a bunch of NCAD artists for a while and they were so busy talking about art they never created anything. For them the environment of being in college was counter productive.

NLLC - How important are goals to you and how do you set them?

BB - I set deadlines for everything. Every day I set a list of goals. Filling out the answers to these questions was a goal today. Without a deadline people don't work. Sometimes I'll reward or punish myself for missing or hitting targets.

NLLC - How do you stay focused in your current career?

BB - My focus right now is a little wider than the laser-like concentration I had a few years ago, I moved country and gave up the day job so I'm toying with other things right now. For the set projects I'm working on for others I just think of delivering the best possible work as it always leads to more.

NLLC -What has been your biggest fear to date and how have you overcome it?

BB  -Creativity wise? I suppose there were a few years were I was scared of languishing on a couch out of it somewhere saying that I could have made it and that pushed me along to overcome the lethargy. I met a lot of really talented people who never really pursued their dreams and that scared me. Life passes by so fast. Now I'm scared that if I have kids I won't have enough time to work on my own stuff.

NLLC - Is there a person that inspired you to live a life of non-conformity?

BB - My parents I suppose. My Mam was a writer and into all kinds of mystical stuff and my Da is a fantastic artist. They showed me you can still make a living by your own rules.

NLLC - What qualities/values do you possess, that assist you in your creative journey in life?

BB - I'm never happy! I get depressed when I'm not working on something so I always stay busy. Sounds weird but it keeps me working.

NLLC - What was it like to receive your first payment for your work?

BB - I got a bigger thrill out of being published than getting paid. I started selling illustrations around 18 but didn't get published until my early 20's. I can't remember what my first paying gig was.

NLLC - What keeps you going in this life of non-conformity?

BB - It's not a choice for me to be a non conformist, it is a choice to try make a living on creativity alone. I've met so many people who try to be different just for the sake of being different. Is a goth a non-conformist? I don't think so. The most genuine non-conformists I know are people who work a 9-5 but by night they get up to all kinds of things.