1. What drives you to create stories?

I spent an excessive amount day dreaming in my childhood, creating stories where interesting and exciting things happened to me. Day dreaming doesn’t require to ask your strict parents for permission after all! As I got older, writing and drawing my own stories became a way to safely explore things like clothes I wanted to wear, events that happened to me, and things that happened to people that I knew.

2. What inspired the story published on Chronicles?

Funnily enough it was initially supposed to be an eight page oneshot so I could learn to use Clip Studio Paint for manga. It then turned into a way to test the chemistry between the two love interests for my series I’m developing so I chose to have it take place at the park I grew up going to so I could visualize the mood and vibe with my characters.

3. Describe your process for creating a character, including what you start with, what inspires you, and what challenges you.

I’d say 90% of my characters are based on people I know to some capacity. I find it difficult to come up with a personality for a character out of thin air, so I opt to chose one or two characteristics of people I know in real life and exaggerate those qualities.

Once I have that, I create what they look like visually based on their personality. I try to put myself in the shoes on my character at this step. If I was them, what hobbies would I be interested in? What makes me insecure? What would be my favorite color?

What stumps me in the process a lot lately is being way too realistic at times. I tend to over intellectualize everything to make their lore ironclad, but thats how you run into art/writers block. I have to remind myself constantly its okay to be outrageous and campy!

4. What tools do you use the most and how do you organize the different stages of writing a script?

My IPad Pro 12.9 inch and Clip Studio.

I’m actually quite disorganized haha. I have a co-writer who basically keeps me contained and writes outlines as we bounce ideas. I’m in charge of giving my characters back stories and other smaller details, which my co-writer then takes and uses to intertwine events that are relevant. I then take those notes and flesh it out into an actual story with dialogue. I organize them into cells: one box for dialogue and another for a description of what is happening in that panel with SFX notes.

Black and white or colored sketches featuring Reineldis and characters from the Heroes Circle universe.

5. What kind of scenes move you the most when you’re drawing?

Romance or angsty scenes. I love writing/drawing moments when characters are floored with some sort of revelation of their own feelings or someone else’s. The moments I remember the most from manga I’ve read are those moments where time seems to stand still as a character confesses their feelings or confront overwhelming sadness or anger.

6. Your main sources of inspiration right now:

I’ve been reading quite a bit of shojo manga in to familiarize myself with what is currently popular.

I’ve been really enjoying Colette Decides to Die, Fall in Love You False Angels, Firefly Wedding, and Tamon’s B-Side.
I frequently reference back to Norgami and My Hero Academia for fight scenes and how to write teamwork. Anyone who reads or sees my work knows that fashion is a huge component of my art, so I follow many fashion influencers and watch RuPaul’s Drag Race. I also refer back to the clothing my mom and the older kids in my childhood wore back in the early 2000’s in New York City where I was born.

Lucy’s original animation starring Reineldis.

9. How do you deal with work stress and creative blocks?

I think I may be the best and worst person to ask about this haha. I am notorious for being stressed out and getting creative blocks from stress and exhaustion. I think resting is extremely important. Resting your mind and your body is the only way you can be at your best to create.

Being creative is a marathon, not a race. Productivity for creatives can also be going out and experiencing life, family, and friends. Naps are great too!

10. Describe one of your typical workdays. Do you have any rituals to help you immerse yourself in the creative process? Is there a specific place or type of music that helps you?

I usually start my day by reading manga physically or on my phone. It helps ease my way into a creative mind set in a leisurely way. I then put on a podcast or a movie and usually sit at my desk for four to five hours before I go on a break. I typically go to book stores or pet stores to rest my eyes and change up the scenery.

When the days are nicer I’ll usually walk my dog or go out with my brother so I can have a moment away from my desk to refresh my mind. I find listening to music from my teen years or childhood really put me in this creative/nostalgic mood. I’ll even allow myself to dance around my room to hype myself up haha.

I’ll also have period of times where I hop onto creative discords to talk about non-art related things, that way I don’t feel the amount of mental strain I’m under as much as I work.