Today we’d like to introduce you to Renee Carranza.
Renee, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was about six years old, I remember sitting on the couch next to my dad and stared in awe as he drew my older brother napping. I was so enchanted by how a few strokes of a pencil made my brother’s face appear on the page like magic. I begged my dad to teach me and we spent countless hours together drawing and painting. These lessons evolved into the checking out of library “how to draw” books, staying up late practicing, and researching as much as I could about artists I found online when I was older. I remember my art teacher, freshmen year of high school, asked me if I’d ever considered pursuing a career in art? Something clicked in my brain once I realized I could make a living doing what I loved, and I worked hard to get my skill up to the level of acceptance into the art program at Kennesaw State. After two years of schooling, I decided to take a break to work and save up money. I honestly wasn’t sure whether or not I was making a mistake pursuing art and wanted time to consider my options.
While I originally planned for a gap year, it turned into three. Thankfully in that time I continued to practice drawing, save up money, and even met my fiancé. As I considered which field I wanted to go into during those years, I felt myself drawn towards comic books and concept art for movies and videogames. After hearing KSU had added a Sequential Art major I decided it was time to go back and finish my degree. I now have two semesters left, and in the past few years have met an amazing group of women at school that have now become some of my closest friends. Earlier this year we decided to start our business called “Sad Girls Art Collective”. Together we wish to create a community of artists that support and take care of each other. There’s so much competition within the art world, but there’s room for everyone.
Has it been a smooth road?
Thankfully, I’ve been privileged enough to always have a support system of loved ones who have been there to help me out however they can. Financial struggles have seemed to make it difficult for me to fully immerse myself in the art I want to make. I’ve had retail jobs since I was a teenager and unfortunately cannot afford to focus just on school and my creative work. The exhaustion of adult responsibilities has been something that’s definitely weighed on me throughout my schooling. Working a ten-hour day tends to suck all the creativity out of you. But knowing I’ll soon be able to leave my grocery store job and make money at what I love doing drives me forward.
Internally, I’ve struggled with anxiety that has at times made me want to just throw in the towel. There have been moments throughout my schooling where I felt that no matter how skilled I could become, there are going to be roadblocks within the industries I want to work in. Being a woman trying to enter the world of comics, movies, and video games has been very intimidating. These industries at times have not seemed very welcoming to the creative women behind the scenes. I do not want my fears to rule me however, I couldn’t give up before giving it my best shot. I’m so thankful that the hurtles I’ve faced haven’t been too much for me to handle, but I have a feeling on the other side of graduation might be a different story.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Sad Girls Art Collective story. Tell us more about the business.
Sad Girls Art Collective is a budding group of artists who work within all sorts of media from printmaking to digital illustration and traditional comics. The five of us each come from a variety of backgrounds and contribute something different to our collective, I myself love portraiture and storytelling. Personally, as an artist, I can capture someone’s likeness while also throwing in a creative spin. I work with clients on different commissions ranging anywhere from personal portraits to original character designs.
The rest of the Sad Girls group are amazingly talented women. Our goal is to use this group to build each other up and also promote each other. I think most creatives will agree that it’s very hard and sometimes awkward trying to sell yourself and your work to someone, but it’s much easier to hype up a friend. That’s what we’re hoping to achieve with our group. We want to be able to promote each other and one day turn that into a large-scale business that will help smaller artists, especially those who already have the odds stacked against them in the industry. We are creating a space without competition and replacing that spirit with one of camaraderie and unity. Every single person views the world differently and they deserve the chance to share their stories with as many people possible.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I definitely see the entertainment industry going through a lot of ups and downs over the coming years. COVID-19 has proven that any field of work can be put on hold, but thankfully with today’s technology, entertainment like comics and even animation can be done remotely. It looks like for now the entertainment industry will survive, it’s so huge how could it not. I hope it will shift to be more inclusive, and I hope the Sad Girls and I can contribute to that. I see now more of an emphasis being put on stories that aren’t usually told within Hollywood. Being the daughter of a white American and an Ecuadorian immigrant, it definitely excites me seeing this change. More diverse stories need to be told, hopefully bringing understanding and patience with them. I’m hoping the entertainment industry will continue to grow, expand, and push the boundaries of making art in all its forms.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.instagram.com/sadgirlsartcollective/
- Email: carranza.renee@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reneecreates/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/renee_creates
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