Meet John Vazquez | Freelance Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with John Vazquez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi John, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Like most kids growing up, I would wake up early to catch the Saturday morning cartoons; 2D and 3D animation alike, it got me interested in visual storytelling. Eventually I would discover the comic book section at my local library and my interest in drawing grew even more; the idea of someone coming up with such colorful characters and panels made me marvel at the idea that someday I could do the same. Since then, making art has been an important part of my identity. As I got older, it was clear that the only decision I could make regarding my professional future was to invest my time and efforts into being an artist. Now, we all must start somewhere, and for a while drawing was all about immersing myself into learning through books, online tutorials and eventually art school. With my skills developing further, I realized the joy that making something out of nothing brought to me. While that notion still holds true and continues to be a motivating factor for my work, my life experiences have also added a depth to my personal philosophy regarding art. I still enjoy using my imagination and my ideas have only gotten even more outlandish and whimsical, but I’ve also noted the ability that art has to nurture connection. The candidness of the human experience is something that has influenced my work for a while. Whether it’s a post-it doodle, a drawing on a coffee sleeve or a framed illustration with custom printed elements, art is capable of making others feel seen, heard, and appreciated. The intention behind my work is to elicit a sense of marvel, which is not always easy to find in the world we live in today. My reasoning for wanting to pursue a creative career is to give others and myself an opportunity to notice these little moments and to have fun along the way.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
There’s a charming movie that I absolutely adore called Meet The Robinsons (2007) and one of the central themes underneath all that beautifully animated noise is to always keep moving forward, no matter how hard and bleak things might get.

I’ve always had big dreams about being an artist, and a part of me sometimes thinks that they might be too big, but something that became apparent this past year is the importance of exercising patience. I knew that success wouldn’t be overnight, but after having been drawing for more than half of my life now, it was nice to see all the time and effort I’d put into my passion start to pay off. Whether it’s having been featured in several local publications(Indy Star, Indy Monthly, Coffee People Zine, PATTERN magazine) , having my work up in public spaces(The Athenaeum Foundation, Amelia’s Bakery), or being asked to tutor someone’s kid in art, someone out there saw what I was doing and kept me in mind. Self doubt can sometimes come too easily but knowing that I would have missed out on these opportunities had I not kept moving forward makes me want to keep at it even more because you never know what next great thing will be waiting around the corner.

Now, for a long time having a successful art career only looked like one thing: being able to financially support myself through my work. While that’s still very much the endgame I have in mind, I’ve learned to value the steps and subsequent journey before I get to that point. While I’ll always make time for opportunities as they arise, my current picture of success is the continued development of my artistic discipline. Everything else will come in time, but having a healthy creative practice as a foundation to build on is something I’d like to achieve before I am ready to take on even bigger changes to my personal/professional life and future.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of the first things that comes to mind when thinking about worthwhile spots to check out in Indy are all the local coffee shops we have; breakfast comes to mind as well. These are but a few spots I’d personally recommend:

Calvin Fletcher’s Coffee Company/CFCC Roasters
Amberson Coffee
Commissary Barber + Barista
Normal Coffee
Amelia’s Bakery
Easy Rider Diner
Landlocked Baking Company

Out of all the places to eat/drink at around town, these a few of my picks:

La Parada
Mori Sushi
Bluebeard
Hotel Tango
Imbibe
Commodore

And lastly, fun places/things to check out:

Canal/Cultural Trail/Pacers Bike Share
Kan-Kan Art Cinema + Brassiere
Chatterbox Jazz Club
Atomic Bowling – Retro Duckpin Bowling
Mass Ave/Fountain Square

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The first person that comes to mind is my roommate, Dawn Olsen, and her cat, Ruth Kitter Ginsburg; I’m very fortunate for our paths to have crossed when they did. Life dealt us similar hands and although we are still trying to make sense of it all, I’m grateful to be able to call our space home (…also, Ruthie is the best cat in all the land and she’s very lucky to have you).

Then there’s Jingo de la Rosa, you have been a source of inspiration since we first met in the classroom. You always looked past my identity as a student and never stopped believing in my ability to astound; whether it was our talks after class or taking time to meet for coffee, you’ve always shown me that you care and that what I do matters. There’s still lots to be done and I can only hope to have you in my corner when I’m off playing in the big leagues.

Next, I want to thank Jeff Litsey and the folks at Calvin Fletcher Coffee Company. Working here for the past almost three years, y’all have seen me at my best and my worst and yet I could always count on your support. Jeff, you’ve without a doubt been the best boss I’ve ever had; the space you nurture in our coffee shop is one I’ve always felt proud to work in. Emily, you’ve been a solid manager and a good friend; working through a morning rush has never felt easier with you on the work floor. Everyone else, I’m grateful to be able to serve our customers alongside you; the laughter we share is easily one of the favorite parts of my week.

Lastly, I want to mention someone very special to me. Grisel Barajas, you played different roles to a lot of people in your community: a radio personality, a leader, a mentor, a friend. To me, you were the big sister I always wanted. You believed in me in a time when I didn’t have anyone else and always knew what to say when I was unsure about something. I still find myself thinking about what you would say regarding where I’m at in life; I am grateful for the chance to have known you and I miss you so very much.

Website: https://www.johnvazquezart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliensushi/