Meet Naomi Volain | Science Cartoonist

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

Hi Naomi, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I drew pictures and cartoons to help my high school science students learn in a visual way. I also had them do their own drawings in the labs and assignments I gave them. Later, outside of the classroom, I saw that comics could be really powerful as a nonfiction narrative. I read graphic novels tackling mental health, immigration, isolation and solid waste. They inspired me to create science comics.

My comic strips focus on plants – research and the environment. Now I’m working on a graphic memoir to chronicle the journey and teach the science of my breast cancer. I’m looking for an agent and a publisher for my book – any suggestions in your networks? My email: plantlady@plantsgoglobal.com

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I don’t have any formal art training or education. But I do have an instinct for quick, intentional drawings that convey a science concept, which I did constantly while teaching high school science. I aim to teach science through this comics genre, outside of the classroom, to reach more people. Teaching the science in concert with humor, sarcasm and a deeply personal view is what sets me apart. I’m proud that people do respond to my work, so this has encouraged me to move forward. One of the ways my work was validated was when I presented at the US State Department’s American English Global Comics workshop for international teachers.

My background in myriad science connected careers set me up to be a science cartoonist. I was a nutritionist, a medical advertising copywriter, a high school science teacher, and worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab’s Education Office, as well as various gigs in informal education. I’ve won national and international teaching awards, so this connected me with an incredible network of teachers globally who showed me how teaching could take so many forms, especially in the arts.

Getting to this place as a cartoonist has not been easy. I’ve had to redefine for myself what it means to teach people. I’ve had to carefully consider how people will not just learn, but remember what they learn so it can be meaningful in their lives. Science is personal and needs to be actionable, as we are all living in these COVID times.
Other challenges for me include developing a creative process for the craft of comics. Do I write first, read first, draw first? I have to research the science carefully so I can boil it down into comic panels. This is an ongoing challenge, and I’m constantly trying new things.
I’ve learned that I need to suspend my expectations and criticism. My work doesn’t have to be perfect, but I do need to learn from it as I move to the next comic.

Hey world! I want you to know I’m working on a graphic memoir on breast cancer. My aim is to tell my story and teach the complex science in the journey. I’m looking for an agent or publishing house – please let me know if you have a connection, thank you! plantlady@plantsgoglobal.com

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m all about LA’s science and nature. We’d start out at the La Brea Tar Pits to be amazed by the bubbling tar and humbled by LA’s ancient natural history. In no special order, because traffic and time dictate the plan, we’d walk and body surf at the Santa Monica Beach, hike at the trails at the Griffith Observatory, get drinks at any of LA’s rooftop bars, or jaw dropping high rise cityscape views – Perch, or 71 Above work well. We’d stroll the Hollywood Forever Cemetery to honor some of the revered stars of our show business city. We’d go to the Huntington Gardens and spend the most time in the Desert Gardens. In Pasadena, El Metate Restaurant is the place we’d hit up for Mexican food – casual, delicious, authentic, and run by a warm family.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Teachers deserve credit! So, I’d like to thank my teachers Matt Silady from the California College of the Arts, and Jim Higgins from the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles. Both taught me the craft of comic writing and creating, and gave me confidence in my drawing. Then there’s brilliant Beth Callaghan, who teaches teachers at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. She’s from my origin story – an Environmental Science teacher colleague who supports my efforts in all things scientific and creative.

Website: www.plantsgoglobal.com

Instagram: plantsgoglobal

Linkedin: Naomi Volain

Twitter: @NaomiVolain

Facebook: Plants Go Global

Image Credits
California Native Plants Society – Forever Forests Art Contest – Fire Gallery Champions of Science: The Art of Ending Stigma (Janssen)