Natasha Goodwin - Art Taps Into the Emotions of the Viewer to Help Them Understand an Idea Better, With Better Perception (Comic Artist)

I notice there’s this unintended pressure these days on young people to do what they’re passionate about, full-time. Else they’re not ‘making the most of their life. It’s not necessary and definitely not the only way. It’s fine to land any job that helps you pay your bills. It’s okay to change your mind anytime and change fields when you do feel you want to follow your passion.

1. What attracted you to art when you were a child? Tell us how your journey started.

I was always a daydreamer. Since childhood. I was wildly imaginative, a quality I came to realize much later in life was not something I shared with everyone - especially after you reach a certain age. I feel like that played a crucial role in inculcating artistic skills in me.

I was never one for words but I felt I could articulate a great deal with my drawings and doodles. I felt at peace whenever I drew/draw. While expression of my thoughts was an added benefit, the main reason I drew was that I enjoyed it and was something I did for myself, not for anyone else. It put a static visual display of the many thoughts I had in my head.

2. Your Instagram page Messy Bun Comics has a great following. What inspired you to start it?

Honestly, other comic artists. Gemma Correll and Sarah Andersen to name a few. The fact that I would feel so understood through their comics, was the reason I started my own comic series, to be able to pay that forward.. that feeling of being understood.

When I see the unexpectedly large number of people who relate to my comics, I feel happy. From the comical ones to the deep philosophical ones (sometimes the really deep philosophical ones), it’s good to know there are others who have had similar experiences as me.

3. Art is still perceived as a hobby and a supplementary career in today’s society. How did you make a full-time career out of art?

Actually, I’m not a full-time comic artist. I like to maintain comic creation as an escape from reality kinda deal. I value it too much to turn it into a stressful job that determines my income. And I think that is okay.

I do however use my creativity in a different field, that is, design. I work for a stock investment company called small case as a full-time product designer. Comic creation is a hobby and product design is my job. I enjoy them both.

4. What were the social misconceptions you had to combat in this process?

The myth that artists and designers rarely ever make it big. If you are dedicated and work hard, you will go places. No matter the field. It may take you some mistakes and a while to find your ‘cup of tea’, but when you do, it’s good and it’s worth it. Hard work always pays off. In some way or the other.

5. Your comics are very relatable to young women. Do you draw inspiration from your experiences to create comics?

Yes, haha!! I’m so glad I started this comic page ‘cause it’s like a pictorial journal to me. Sometimes I go through old comics and laugh at the phase I was probably going through when I drew those comics. And I feel happy that I recorded these moments in some way or the other.

6. You acknowledge a lot of social stereotypes in your comics. What is your take on the significance of art as a tool to raise one’s voice in today’s society?

Doodles, comics, paintings, plays, movies, and so on.. these are all forms of art. And these are the most powerful tools in getting a message across. Sometimes, words just don’t do. Sometimes fewer words, the better. And in such cases, art can really get through to a person. Art taps into the emotions of the viewer to help them understand an idea/concept better, with better perception.

7. Who is your favorite illustrator and why?

As mentioned above, Gemma Correll and Sarah Andersen. Off late I’ve also come to really appreciate Grant Snider. Their work is honest, original and you can tell they draw for themselves, and for people who actually appreciate their work, and not for the masses. I guess that’s why they’re among the most consistently popular artists on Instagram, ‘cause their work is evergreen, and not as per some new fad or trend.

8. If given a chance, what would you advise your younger self?

I often daydream about going back in time and enlightening the younger me about so many things I know today. But the deeper I go into this fantasy, the more I realize that there’s nothing I would want to change about my past.

Every little event, every little decision, every mistake, every bad thing that happened to me, has paved the way for something wonderful that I am hugely grateful for today. Things that wouldn’t have existed had I not gone through those times of trial. So yeah, I would probably just say ‘hi, you’re doing great, probs get a haircut or something!’ to my younger self.

9. What are your other passions and interests?

Dreaming! Haha. Like I can safely call ‘dreaming’ a passion. Oh, if only I could make a living out of it, I’d be a millionaire.

As for interests, I like traveling, love adventure sports (sky diving was my fave), I like listening to people and helping them in whatever way I can, I like playing with my dogs, I LOVE long drives (only as a co-driver lol) and I like hanging out with my friends.