Alan Eby shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Alan, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A peek into my day starts with getting kids on the bus to school, before getting ready myself. Around 8:30am I’m pouring coffee and sitting at the drawing board to begin warm up sketches. I normally practice difficult anatomy, and that will give way to just playing and having fun. Once the coffee is finished I start on the days work.
That work continues until bedtime, with some random breaks to play a game or focus on a show or movie that is always going in the background.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a storyteller, I have many things I do to tell stories for myself or clients. Born in the Four Corners area in New Mexico I am Anglo and Indigenous. I combine Native arts, illustration, with a blue collar, punk approach to every project. When I take on a project I get very involved and commit myself to taking whatever story to a satisfactory end. A collaboration with me is to partner with a creative storyteller who is in for the long haul, willing to adapt and learn what is needed to see the project to completion.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I think division starts with too much inward focus. If we only see our own struggles, victories, our own story we stop seeing our connections to the whole.
Restoration starts with stories. When we truly hear and connect to someone else’s story we correct our filters, seeing that while our stories are important they are not the only one that is. This is why I want to tell my own stories, as well as to help share the story of my client as an individual or a brand.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
My childhood could be defined by fear. Fear of being alone and misunderstood may be at the root of all other fears I’ve faced. I allowed that fear to hold me back from seriously pursuing my art and storytelling for many years. I still face the fear of failure everyday as a self employed freelancer, but I’m now free to create weather others understand or not.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
Many conversations highlight that I have a unique take on success. Success is being able to do the thing you love and that’s important, not to be rich and or famous. I spent my early adulthood making hard sacrifices to not have lots of debt or having someone being to direct my destiny. I learned this the hard way, by having early experience of not having control over my life and circumstances.
So I feel that I am a success, despite not being wealthy or achieving celebrity. I am a success because I am able to work on things I believe in and love.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What light inside you have you been dimming?
I think I have held myself back at times from creating and telling the stories I really want to from a fear of being misunderstood. Misunderstanding is isolating and can be defeating if the thing you love doesn’t connect and sell. Recently I’ve been inspired by an interview with Mike Mignola about just telling the story you want the way you want and letting it go after that and move on. This is what I am aiming for in the near future, create the things I love the way I feel they should be done and then move on.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aeby530.wixsite.com/alanebycaricature-co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alaneby530
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alan.eby.5/
- Other: https://linktr.ee/aeby530?utm_source=linktree_profile_share<sid=0727f8c8-6026-4d95-952d-d4d5b226b409
