Today we’d like to introduce you to Losa Safriwe.
Hi Losa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hello! My name is Losa & I’m a cartoonist/illustrator. I feel like a lot of artists & people, in general, can relate to my story where when you’re young & have a hobby like drawing or painting. Maybe even building Legos, it’s really cute for a kid to do right? But as you get older… the people around you who once supported your “childish” interests start to not be as amused by it or slowly tell you to grow up and leave those things you loved behind.
That’s how I felt when I became a teenager, I hid away my cartoons and completely stopped drawing because I was told it was too childish or I couldn’t make real money off of it. I needed to focus on becoming an adult.
Fast forward today, I’m 26 and never could escape from my love of all things “childish”. I started to go to comic & anime conventions, to cosplay, I saw other adults selling their drawings in the artist alley and I felt stupid for ever believing there wasn’t room for me to do the same thing. Other artists in the Fargo/ Moorhead community completely inspired me to start drawing again because I saw them following their dream and thought if they can do it why can’t I?
There’s plenty of room for adults who enjoy cartoons, comics, video games, cute things, etc. Don’t be ashamed of your interests, what inspires you & what makes you, you.
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’s always trial and error putting yourself as an artist out there & seeing what the best way to get people to engage with your craft are. Not every convention or art show has gone smoothly but I always remember that I need the experience & the knowledge that comes from failing just as much as I do from succeeding.
Before I started selling my art the biggest challenge I had to get over was to just believe in myself. It was easy for me to listen to other people’s/ family members’ opinion that art wasn’t a feasible thing to pursue.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a digital artist, I love drawing cartoon characters especially fan art from tv shows or video games that inspire me. Because I’m creating things that spark joy in myself, I just hope it spreads that feeling of happiness to anyone else who views it. It’s a reminder to be unapologetically yourself, I like things that are over the top feminine, cute & cartoony. So when you pass my booth, I hope you can see that clearly. 😉
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Nowadays, it’s mostly Spotify for music, Instagram to keep up with my favorite artists I look up to. And YouTube is great for learning different techniques or tools in any craft. It always inspires me to keep drawing when I can watch videos of other artists’ stories.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Raisingxwolvesart
