Meet Christian Ray Blaza | Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christian Ray Blaza and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christian Ray, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
It’s always been a struggle, even now. Working as an illustrator, I need to put on many different hats. I not only illustrate, but I need to promote, plan, and manage my business. On top of freelance illustration, I also work in other creative fields, like graphic design and adjunct teaching. It can be overwhelming at times. I enjoy my work, but I’m constantly in work mode. When I take a break, I feel guilty as there’s always something that needs to get done.

It’s easy to get caught up with work, but I try my best to give myself free time. No matter how much work you finish, there will always be more you can do. I found myself working for long periods, which leads to burnout. Setting boundaries when work ends is crucial to a healthy work/life balance. Life shouldn’t be all about work, so spend time with friends, play games, or go outside. Sometimes it can’t be helped, and I need to put in the extra hours; it’s just the nature of the business. I want to minimize those situations by planning my time more efficiently.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I primarily work as a freelance editorial illustrator. Part of the fun in editorial illustration is conceptualizing how I want to illustrate different articles. I don’t wish to label myself into one type of illustration, as I like to experiment with how my art can fit into other mediums. I enjoy creating looping animated GIFs, zines, and original merch. Looking back even a few years, I’m proud to see how far I’ve come and excited to see how much more I’ll change.

I am in my career today with the support of friends and family. Art classes and learning on the job taught me valuable creative skills. Still, a strong support group allowed me the freedom to pursue freelance with limited risk. Having people to fall back on when you need help is something many might overlook. Illustration as a career has made me think I need to do everything alone with the amount of work I need to juggle at once. At the beginning of my career, I hesitated to reach out for help. I’ve realized that it’s not only alright to seek assistance; it’s necessary for a healthy career. Many great opportunities have opened up for me from the people I know.

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?
New York City is always a good option if you’re looking for something to do. I often make stops at Kinokuniya New York. The store has manga, comics, graphic novels, and art books. Right across the store is Bryant park, where during the winter season holds Winter Village, where food stalls and shopping stands are set up. Nintendo New York is an excellent spot for anyone interested in video games. The store sells exclusive merchandise and showcases different versions of Nintendo consoles through the years. New York is home to many fantastic museums. My favorites are the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History. Some of these museums are so large that you can spend the whole day there.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Many mentors and peers have helped shape me into the artist I am today. Attending Montclair State University, I went into my bachelor’s to study Illustration and Animation. I had the pleasure of learning from many excellent professors and fellow cohorts; I could list all of them if I could. One of those people was Brendan Leach, who taught an illustration class. Besides having some of the best advice and critiques, having Leach as a professor felt like a collaboration. Leach always saw what I was trying to achieve with each project and made me think critically about my creative decisions.

He eventually moved from Montclair State University to the Fashion Institute of Technology to become Chair of the MFA Illustration program. In 2019, I decided to pursue my MFA at FIT. Through my MFA, I had the pleasure of having Brendan again as a professor. He has guided me through most of my academic journey and continues to inspire me post-graduation.

Website: https://www.christianblaza.com/

Instagram: @chrisblaza

Twitter: @christianblaza