This interview was curated by Nadia Othman

Hi! Everyone calls me Nora and I love to draw. It's my bread and butter! I've been drawing for over 10 years and it's the one thing that keeps me together.

How did you get your Artist name?

Nora's my nickname and my username references how much I doodle in my sketchbook.

How did you get into creating?

When you have a mom who encourages hands-on skills and artistry, it wasn't hard to get my hands on paper and colored pencils.

Where are you from?

I was born in Perth Amboy, NJ, my parents are Dominican.

How did growing up in your neighborhood/city affect you?

My city is a small stage full of diverse people. I grew up around all kinds of personalities composed mainly of Latino individuals. Wouldn't have it any other way!

What did you do to advance your skills/knowledge?

I draw all the time. Even when I don't have a sketchbook, I'll sketch out my idea in Notes on my phone! Lots of practice with realism in high school, lots of practice with different mediums. It helps to give different styles a chance as well.

What does your current setup look like?

Standing desk with a Jekyll and Hyde situation haha! My work computer is on one end and my main station is on the other half. My sketchbook is always close and of course, pens are all over my desk. I like using red and blue BIC pens.

Who inspires you?

Anyone can inspire me, anything can inspire me. Those who are closest to me end up inspiring me with their aspirations and interests.

What is your goal when you create?

MY goal when creating is either to have fun or to express pressing emotions. I'm not stellar when it comes to detailing my emotions verbally but through art, the piece does the speaking for me. It's a hobby that allows me to be as expressive and imaginative as possible, something that we as people don't always get the ability to do through our normal day to day lives.

Why do you create?

I create because there's always been a need in me to create. Not sure how to put it exactly but I enjoy doodling at least once a day but if I can't, I'll try and write down ideas to expand on at a later time.

How has choosing your creative path affected your life?

I think being more creative has affected my life specifically in the way I look at things. I figure the reason I appreciate small details is because there's a joy in creating those small details, perfect or not, that make up the larger picture.

Did you have to overcome any obstacles along the way?

The reason I clung to art so fiercely was because I feel too much, as some would say. My household was a single parent household since I was 10. Being thrown into the rush of a divorce, drop in income bracket, and tying all that up with the bow of puberty and school, I didn't have many avenues to express myself than through my art.

What's your go-to song right now and why is it important to you?

My go-to music in general is either rap or romantic spanish music. I love Luis Miguel, Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Julio Iglesias, Alejandro Fernandez, I could go on. Sometimes I just need to feel a bit more connected to my heritage and somehow, emotions sound so much more profound in Spanish than in English!

What is your dream as an artist and what steps are you taking to reach your dream?

I'd like to move more towards animation, but at the moment I'm taking more passive steps towards it since animation is very daunting haha! Working on my storyboarding skills!

What would you tell someone else with a dream?

My best advice is to just start. The more time you spend regretting not getting started earlier, the more time you waste not getting started now!

Tell us about your most recent release

I've been mixing more of my graphic design skills in with my art, so that's been fun! Leaning towards mixing organic and rigid forms in a more organized composition.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5i6qOiuvLy/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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