Boundaries, balance, and burnout, with Shannon Wright

The Autonomous Creative

At only twenty-seven, our guest Shannon Wright has already had one helluva career.

Shannon’s work has been featured by outlets like NPR, The Nib, and the New York Times. She’s illustrated several successful children’s books, and her debut graphic novel, Twins, a collaboration with Varian Johnson, was released in 2020.

In this interview, Shannon breaks down how she got to where she is today, describing the different support systems and mentors that helped her along the way. She talks about her mission to pay it forward and be a guide for other young illustrators.

Shannon also describes the pressure she feels to brand herself and constantly produce content in order to stay relevant, a feeling many creatives can relate to. She explains how she learned to embrace all aspects of her personhood, and not focus solely on the work.

In a similar vein, Shannon opens up about being pigeonholed, particularly as a Black creator whose work frequently focuses on social justice issues, and the importance of saying no to work that doesn’t support her mental health or is at odds with her intuition.

More from the episode…

• Shannon explains how she generates most of her income as a full-time freelancer, and what she hopes her workload looks like in the future.
• Shannon talks about the motive behind her the “Super Condensed Zine: Portfolios, Websites, Pitching & Agents!” and why it’s important to empower other creators.
• “You don’t have to say yes to every opportunity that comes your way just because it’s there” — Shannon talks about how she handled the sudden interest in her work during the summer of 2020.
• What was the big mistake Shannon thought would get her permanently exiled from publishing, and why wasn’t it half as bad as she thought?
• Shannon reflects on a time when her dedication to the work drove her to isolation, and what it took for her to finally see the light.
• How did Shannon restructure her work days, and build habits that encouraged her to rest and recharge?
• A conversation about Shannon’s family reveals ways non-artists in your life can support you, even if your work is a mystery to them.

More from Shannon Wright

Shannon Wright is an illustrator and cartoonist based out of Richmond, Virginia. Some of her clients include The Guardian, TIME Magazine, The Nib, NY Times, Mother Jones, NPR, Google and Scholastic. She’s illustrated several successful children’s books, and her debut graphic novel, Twins, a collaboration with Varian Johnson, was released in 2020.

She also teaches at her alma mater, VCU.

Connect with Shannon Wright

https://shannon-wright.com/

TWINS: https://shop.scholastic.com/teachers-ecommerce/teacher/books/twins-9781338236132.html

https://twitter.com/shannondrewthis

https://www.instagram.com/shannondrewthis/

https://shannondrewthis.tumblr.com/

https://ko-fi.com/shannonwright

For full transcripts, show notes, and more episodes, head to https://jessicaabel.com/acpod/