Today we’d like to introduce you to Richelle L. Cowan
Hi Richelle L., so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I officially started my creative journey in 2016 when I enrolled in an art university online so that I could stay around family. I always enjoyed immersing in the worlds of movies and graphic novels, but I decided it was time to take that more seriously. At the university, I was able to tweak my studies and did a blend of illustration and concept art with a side of various writing classes, essentially world building. I built a world while in school and when I have time for personal projects, I continue to expand on them by working on novels or various artworks. Notably, I also have run a couple of D&D campaigns in that universe, one for two years, and I look forward to more.
Professionally, I found myself in some community administration early in my degree. I also slipped into art mentoring and did both for many years as my extracurricular activity set. Following graduation, I got scooped up by a digital design firm and was given various clients and projects, some fun and others more challenging. For a few, they had me as the art director; for others, I got to be just an artist, which I enjoyed just as much. I was also brought on to a video game project by another company as a production manager.
Currently, I enjoy working on personal projects—novel writing, oil painting, and building a board game. I also formalized my photography hobby. Having won photo contests against adults when I was in elementary, I figured it was past due. I have always enjoyed nature photography, and now, as an artist, I collect my own references, which is great! I will always bring my camera on adventures and never regret it. Sometimes, that adventure is locally in our hills or in our gardens; sometimes, it’s with friends in San Francisco or on the other side of the globe, like Australia or Malaysia. This whole creative journey has not only been an adventure full of great times and development but it has also been a healing one.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been smooth at all for a few different reasons. The most significant bump was more of a learning curve than it was a setback. Today, I wouldn’t call it a setback at all; it has been so fulfilling to understand and overcome. When I was 29, in my last year of school, I found out I was both Autistic and ADHD. I knew I had some challenges, but I previously roped it all in with scars from past trauma. When I started trauma recovery, a lot of social and executive difficulties remained, and that was the eye-opener for something underlying. At first, I panicked because I was in my senior year and wondered if having these conditions would impact my career. After talking with some of my instructors, I realized that it was clear… I was in no way alone in the industry with these challenges. I have since embraced it all.
To compound my AuDHD, I also figured out I am a dyslexic of both the input and the output. This has made novel writing and chat room interactions very interesting! Learning techniques to manage my internal challenges has been both difficult and rewarding. I don’t work in the traditional sense, but I find ways that work best with my challenges. I get to work comfortably at my own pace; sometimes hyperfocus is that comfortable pace, and I can still achieve my goals. If there are rough days, there are things I can do to manage the extra factors and mitigate additional stress. I also learned to communicate my needs with the rest of the team or my loved ones if I experience issues. Have I since implemented working with neurodivergence and its uniqueness in my art mentoring? Absolutely.
The most recent challenge has lasted almost two years… I hit a significant burnout cycle. Thankfully, I have been recovering and gladly taking steps to mitigate relapse, but it hasn’t been easy. I had to step back from many elements in my professional life and assess them. I had to figure out what contributed to the burnout, if it was internal or external factors, and relearn what I truly enjoyed doing. My current status is deciding what I would like to return to, and I have some things narrowed down. At the very least, I have a wonderful support system, and I know what I enjoy doing most with my time and continuously growing skills.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As an artist, I am a generalist; I know how to reference and love juxtaposing elements together in a new way, like a puzzle. I also love bringing out the stories in seemingly mundane things or using mundane things to enhance the story. That element is my biggest value: stories. Worlds. Immersion! Things like: Does this cafe and its unique personality fit believably with the rest of the street? This is the part I enjoy most when working on either large-scale projects like games or smaller ones like a single painting. Style and all.
In terms of art media, I know a few. Traditional drawing is my strongest, but I am also well-versed in digital drawing and painting. Digitally I work well with a few different programs. I also dabble with inking and watercolor, both traditional and digital. Oil painting is my guilty pleasure! I know elements of character, environment, prop, and narrative communication. Both early design and finished product. I enjoy the variety. I enjoy the challenge of bouncing between the tightness of lines and the nature of shapes with painting.
Photography is my other professional skill set, formerly considered a hobby. I tend to focus on nature shots and improv compositions. Sometimes, I see things like fun textures and grab them for future use in art. My other extracurricular skills are writing, gardening, engineering, mentoring, and entomology. Quite the spectrum!
Every artist has their strengths and weaknesses. Some are better for certain project parts, while others will excel in other areas. It’s great to be specialized and focused on one thing; it’s also great to have a broader spectrum of skills and understanding. I enjoy being on the latter, which allows me to be flexible for projects that come my way. It also turns every project into an adventure!
What are your plans for the future?
At this time, my plans include working on novels in my story universe and getting my photography online officially. I am also currently working on building a board game that was a spur-the-moment idea. Sharing it with peers, the basis holds some water, so I will be working on building that up and seeing if it can bear fruit. If it does, you will see me pop up in local game stores for playtesting. We frequent local game stores, anyway!
Continuing to build my art skills is a constant, I want to do art in general. This includes many adventures out and about with my sketchbook! You often find me at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science or the zoo. If you see me, break my line of sight with a wave, I will most likely have an audiobook in both ears and drawing focus on high. I am happy to draw with others! I also attend local figure-drawing workshops.
I am also glad to consider other projects and commission work. If another contract opportunity arises, it must be part-time friendly because I love my current part-time job. I get work with butterflies and fireflies, and I refuse to give it up. It would be a dream to produce 2D Assets for use in movies and games. If you are interested in working with me, feel free to reach out on any of my platforms.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nerdbirdsstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdbirdsstudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nerdbirdsstudio
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nerdbirdsstudio
- Other: https://bsky.app/profile/nerdbirdsstudio.bsky.social
