Ep.59: Kiki Eiseman (Gweakles) on overcoming obstacles to become a full time artist

Iva Mikles
Ep.59: Kiki Eiseman (Gweakles) on overcoming obstacles to become a full time artist

Kiersten Eiseman, a Florida native, is a full-time visual designer and illustrator with a focus on pop culture illustration. Her tastes vary anywhere between comics, movies, or sometimes a dark, creepy/cute style which she likes to explore concept art. She went to the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale where she achieved a Bachelor’s of Science in Illustration, working freelance and building her design and illustration skills ever since.

She uses Gweakles as her online artist name and Kiki for a more personal touch on a nickname. Most of her art activity has been on Instagram until nearly two years ago when she involved herself in the YouTube community where her following and art community grew into something she strives to keep positive, motivating, and inspirational.

Get in touch with Kiki

Key Takeaways

“We are the worst critics of ourselves, so be sweet to yourself. Don’t forget why you are doing it. You do it for yourself to make yourself happy!”

  • Parents didn’t support Kiki in her pursuit of art as a career. She had to overcome that and she had to fight for deciding to go to an Art school. She knew this makes her happy and she always saw how they came back from work unhappy
  • Best advice Kiki received was from her professors. Unless the person understands art, they will never understand what you are going through. The next best advice was to stop comparing yourself to other people. Compare yourself to yourself and your progress
  • One of the worst advice she ever got was “There is a lot of artists working in McDonalds right now”
  • The best motivation for Kiki is to just make herself to do it – Jake Parker has a great video about it: Finished, not perfect.
  • Some tips from Kiki on taking care of your YouTube channel. She tries to respond to every comment because she wants to make sure the community knows she is there. Another great tip is just to be yourself and be genuine on Youtube

Resources mentioned

Special thanks to Kiki for joining me today. See you next time!

All artworks by Kiki Eiseman, used with permission

Click Here For The Episode Transcript

Iva

Hi, I am Iva (rhymes with “viva”). I am a full-time self-taught artist behind Art Side of Life® and a Top Teacher on Skillshare. I have 15 years of experience in the creative field as a concept designer, illustrator, art director, and now freelance artist, content creator, and art instructor. My goal is to help you get your creative groove on with Procreate and make awesome art through practical classes, tutorials, Procreate brushes, and guides on art tools, supplies and resources. About me »

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Iva

Hey there!

I am Iva (rhymes with viva), and I'm the artist behind Art Side of Life. I'm all about helping you get your creative groove on with Procreate and make awesome art! So on my website, I share Procreate classes, tutorials, brushes, and guides on art tools, supplies, and resources such as these interviews. Ready to create and make amazing art? Then explore, join and have fun ♡

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