As we previously noted, Ruth is a science teacher by day. We asked her how her teaching experience might influence her artwork and if there are any specific ways it shapes her creative process. "As a science teacher, I can see on a daily basis the struggles my students go through when it comes to understanding certain concepts, and I apply that to my comics, showing the funny situations we sometimes encounter. When it comes to my comics, I'm very aware of every detail when referring to science. I have a few projects in mind, as I do believe science is more fun when explained with cartoons."
We asked Ruth if there are other artists or creators that inspire her work. She said there are a lot! "Quino, Flavita Banana, Sarah Andersen, Alex Norris, War and Peas, Steinberg, and many more. Instagram has been a great source of amazing discoveries. Most of them keep me going and make me realize we're all fantastic artists in different ways."
Many artists experience creative blocks, so we asked Ruth how she manages those moments or what she does when she isn't feeling inspired.
"I used to think I didn't have creative blocks, as I was constantly writing my ideas everywhere so I wouldn't forget them. Then life decides to be very mean, and there goes your creativity. For those blocks, I keep reading, paying attention to the stuff that is happening around me, and trying to get something out of it. But the real struggle for me, most of the time, is finding the perfect balance between my full-time job as a teacher and my spare time, where I can draw. However, I'm always trying new things, new crafts, and new experiments, so those take a lot of time away from my comics."
Are you an aspiring comic artist? Ruth has some valuable advice just for you: "Draw what you like—any subject, any technique. Experiment, do whatever makes you happy, and forget about the algorithm. Many people have told me I should stick to a niche for more followers, but my life is too rich in many aspects, and I like to draw about all of them."
