Nick Seluk - Pt. 2
Your deck Zen includes simple and important little artful reminders to look after ourselves - find that peace, and calm - it’s a beautiful undertone in your work - where did this idea stem from?
- I loved the idea that Flick was so invested in solitaire games as a relaxing escape. I wanted to bring as much of that as possible into my deck so that players might find some subtle inspiration. Each card is designed around things that are good for mental health.
Our player reviews share how our game gives them an escape to help deal with anxiety and depression. It’s clear drawing comics has been your therapy through life and now you’ve given that to audiences worldwide. Do you feel any pressure to keep important topics at the forefront of your work? How do you get the right balance between drawing what you want to draw with humour and relatability?
- I don’t really feel any pressure to keep important topics at the forefront, but I do feel a bit of responsibility to portray my experiences in a way that is helpful to others. Some of my feedback over the years has been that my comics helped people through very dark or difficult times in their lives, and that really keeps me going. My comics aren’t always meant to be funny, they just say what I feel I want or need to say at that time.
What colors make you the happiest?
- Growing up, my favorite colors were red and black. But over time working as a graphic designer and illustrator, I realized that any color can be beautiful in the right palette. I have certain colors and palettes I’m drawn to, but it would be too difficult to narrow it down.
A family man, and running your own business - are you conscious of taking time to think about your mental health and mood? How difficult is it to find a break to take care of yourself - despite project deadlines and tasks!
- Yes, I am very conscious of it, but admittedly the stress often overtakes me and I don’t always have the best coping mechanisms. When things get rough, I slow things down - I allow myself breaks during the day, and sometimes I even allow myself whole days to get nothing done at all if that’s what I need. If I can’t fully take a break, I set up an environment at home that keeps me calm: calm instrumental music, burning incense, fresh air (weather permitting), and taking a break from stressful situations. Sometimes I’ll work on art just for myself because there is no pressure on it at all, but it somehow feels productive because I am still exercising creativity. If my kids need me when work is stressful, I usually try to drop the work in favor of time with them, which ends up paying off a lot more than dealing with work problems.
Life can hold us in places we have to be - paying bills, responsibilities, and family - whilst still taking care of ourselves - there’s a lot to think about and manage. How can artists give themselves more chances to be truly creative and happy? How do you know when you make the right choices for your head and heart - is this ever achievable!?
- I find it extremely difficult to balance it all. Any job where the manifestation of your ideas determines your ability to pay bills is very stressful. Most of us aren’t always “on”, but to keep things going you have to find a way. That can get creators stuck in their own heads, as a necessity, which doesn’t make it easy to balance the rest. I think it’s very important when things are feeling hopeless to take a step back, take care of your own needs, and be patient with yourself. If you’re like me, and you don’t always get to take a break, try to put as much of that as you can into the work itself, as honestly as possible. That often helps me, much like journaling helps people. It’s very difficult to know when you’re doing it right and when people will like your work, or for how long you might stay “relevant”, so ultimately it’s best to focus on being happy with the process of creating itself.
Being able to create - truly create - what does that mean to you?
- Creating is mainly problem-solving. I have a vision or idea of some kind, and I need to solve the problem of how to manifest that vision. To truly create, it has to be something I believe in, and stems from a vision that’s uninfluenced by others.
What’s the biggest change you have seen in the art industry since you started drawing? How have you adapted over the years to changes and what’s the last skill you learnt?
- The biggest change for me since starting as a cartoonist has been social media. Giant companies like Facebook got artists to bring their fans to them from their individual websites, which seemed great - we got to build even bigger audiences! But then an odd thing happened: Facebook went public and started charging us to reach those same audiences. It started slow, but over the course of a few years, we lost most of the access to our own audiences behind a paywall! The real message here is that when you are an artist, or anything entrepreneurial, you cannot invest everything in one place. It’s crucial to diversify because you never know when the company you rely on will change, or cease to exist. If there is any one thing I have learned that has allowed me to keep going (for now), it’s that you can’t get comfortable with what’s working.
