We recently had the chance to connect with Aubrianna Robinson and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Aubrianna, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Goodmorning!
It’s currently 7:15am. The golden hours of the morning are when I’m most motivated to get started with my day!
Recently I’ve been waking up at 5:45am. From there, I take my medication, clean the house from the night before, and open all the doors and windows to make it a bit cooler. (The summer has been humid this year!)
After the breeze enters my house, I roll my yoga mat out for a morning workout. A nice hot cup of Hazelnut coffee is ready for me after this, and I take out my planner to prepare my day as I sip my cup.
Today, I have a webcomic to text, a comic to finish for a commission, and some stickers to make for my Patreon!
Let’s get started! 🙂
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am Aubrianna Robinson and I set up my “Cartoon Yourself” booth at Balboa Park on the weekends! (Friday-Sunday)
These are like caricatures, but instead of elongating the face to make fun of people, I prefer to draw the person into the art style of their favorite show.
Couples like the Scott Pilgrim style, kids love Monster High style or Sonic the Hedgehog style, but recently the most requested style is Ghibli and Bratz!
I’ve been doing this since November 2020, when I made the decision to quit a cafe job and work fulltime as an artist. I haven’t looked back and enjoy what I do. This helped gained confidence to continue my career to become a comic artist, animator, layout artist, art teacher, and an art director.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
“It Is What It Is” / “Que Sera Sera”
When something happens, especially when the problem won’t budge, I understand the comfort of allowing it to just be. Let go of the stress and wait for it to pass. I feel we are filled with fear everyday, and sitting back into a “it is what it is” state helps with those nerves. But it’s not allowing the problem to go away, instead we are sitting in the problem. Allowing it to wear us.
I believe to get through something, you will have to challenge it. This could be changing your mind about something, communicating, stepping away, apologizing, or anything else that may make you uncomfortable.
Life has winding roads complete with multiple forks, each with a destination awaiting them. We are completely in control of our life, regardless of what gets thrown at us. There isn’t some guy writing a book about our life and deciding things for us. And that’s awesome! We are completely in charge, powerful, and malleable to create the best life we can.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I feel I’m not ready! Ever!
I’m haunted with the comments my teachers gave me in college. Upon looking at a completed artwork of mine, they’d say “You are ALMOST there, you’re JUST at the finish line but you haven’t crossed it!”
It’s been eight years since college and I still feel I’m not there, yet. It’s great to be a fulltime artist and make my own stories and comics, but I would love to work on something in a studio of people. If not that, then have something professionally published.
I’m on my way there, though! I’m currently working on publishing a graphic novel of mine. I learned I need to write a query but the fear of getting the QUERY wrong is holding me back. I need to kick this fear and just send it! I gotta!
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Of course!
I was raised to be unapologetically myself. As I’ve grown, I’ve had instances where people will make fun of me or look at me weird just because of who I am. But I’ve also had many more instances where people have seen who I am and loved it, encouraging me to never change!
As a teacher, I’ve recognizing the feelings young artists may encounter in the classroom. When someone is insecure, they lash out at others. Sometimes it’s easier to “fit in” to avoid anything uncomfortable. I disagree with that! I’ve continued to wear outfits that get double looks, say things that I find funny, and do what feels right to me. I’ve lived almost 30 years and nothing bad has happened to me over it.
I’m hoping I can be a role model in terms of lifestyle and confidence for my students so they can be whoever they want without fear.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
Any experience in my art career is like gaining XP in a videogame or something like that.
There are so many opportunities out there, and living in the city has a lot of “I know a guy” situations. A small conversation with someone can turn into a new job opportunity. No, really!
One of my first art opportunities in San Diego was creating art standees and decorations for San Diego Comic Fest, and later was hired to do animations for studios and illustrations for books.
I’ve been in Balboa Park for years. One time, a stranger said to me at my booth, “I see you here everyday, want to join my podcast?”
I joined the Comic Artists of San Diego and met so many other local comic artists. We meet up to draw together, create anthologies, and attend local markets selling each other’s artwork. I love working with other people and putting together events. This eventually helped me get an art director job!
There are days I am excited to work, meet up with someone, teach, draw… and other days where I really don’t feel like it. But, the day is full of opportunities and surprises and stories to tell and it’s up to me to have a good day or not. I’m happy for who I will be in a year, a week, a day from now!
Contact Info:
- Website: aubriannarobinsonofficial@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blobri/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aubrianna-robinson/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Blobri
- Other: Tiktok @awbwi
Image Credits
BizBaz, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Aubrianna Robinson (blobri)
