Spotlight Sessions: Natalie Byrne, Feminist Illustrator
Today on the Spotlight Sessions we’re talking with Latina illustrator, Natalie Byrne about her proudest moments, her favourite illustration tools and why she uses her creativity as a platform to tackle social issues…
Hi Natalie, how are you today?
I am all right I have bad days and good days, yesterday was a bad day but I feel good about today. Not much has changed in my day to day in my work and I’ve been very blessed that I’ve gotten quite a lot of work during this time, although I know how privileged and lucky I am to say that.
How did you get into illustration?
So it happened by accident really. I loved drawing as a kid once I hit secondary school I could choose between traditional art and digital art and because the traditional art teacher wasn’t very encouraging of me doing political work (actually pushed back against that), I chose to do digital art. That’s when I fell in love with graphic design I went on and studied that at Sheffield Halim university and absolutely loved it. But after graduation, I found myself quite lost, depressed and lonely and started to pick up drawing again as a form of therapy. So I started posting stuff online, it’s kind of been organic since then.
“Now I see that the more honest and vulnerable I can be online, it will have that meaning for others. Additionally, my illustration style, which is bright and cute and playful, is a great tool to talk about really important and sometimes quite hard to talk about social issues.”
How do you come up with ideas/inspiration for your own illustrations?
Me. I am my muse. Haha, but seriously I am. I never really thought when I was drawing about my problems that it would connect with so many and also turn into a career. I was just drawing about my own personal discoveries in therapy and sharing it because I knew it would have helped me get to a better place sooner.
Now I see that the more honest and vulnerable I can be online, it will have that meaning for others. Additionally, my illustration style, which is bright and cute and playful, is a great tool to talk about really important and sometimes quite hard to talk about social issues.
What’s been the proudest moment of your career?
My book launch, it was so scary. And also the public speaking things I’ve done. My book launch was the first time I ever did any public speaking - it was terrifying. I had a whole thing planned and I froze. Having the book in Waterstones so early on in my career was just so unexpected, and the book got such a positive response. That it’s a day I will cherish forever.
What’s been your favourite brand collab?
Ahhhhhh omg don’t make me choose! They have all been incredible, the thing about building a career on feminism is that clients come to me also care about that - and that’s incredible. If I had to pick it would be the stuff I did for the BBC, particularly the future prediction illustration. It’s so unlike anything I’ve ever done. And it’s the only thing I’ve ever made that took me a long time. I wanted to challenge myself and really do the most, in terms of adding a background and foreground and it’s so unlike anything else I’d ever made. It was also very hard to get it how I saw it in my mind, but we got there in the end!
“I believe you should always pick what you have at your disposal, what’s easiest for you, otherwise you won’t find the motivation or it will be too hard to get going. ”
What software programmes would you recommend to someone who’s interested in illustrating?
Always starting with a pen and paper. The only reason I use illustrator is that I worked as a designer for years before I started drawing. I believe you should always pick what you have at your disposal, what’s easiest for you, otherwise you won’t find the motivation or it will be too hard to get going. Once you have your practice down and want to take it to the next level, it’s important to choose something that’s most intuitive to you.
You use your illustrative (and actual!) voice to tackle social issues, why is it important for you to shine a light on certain issues?
I am Latina, I am also from a very working-class family, where there’s addiction involved and we struggled and struggled hard in our family to survive. Growing up I felt so alone in all my issues from going through a very abusive relationship to having to deal with a lot of violent racism at school where my brothers bully one time actually jumped me and broke my braces.
When I started therapy in my early 20s and found feminism, I realised how messed up society really was (I mean I knew it was bad) I had to go through this complete self-education on my rights basically.
I don’t want anyone to have to be 23 and discover that they have been abused and didn’t know it. I don’t want people to feel so traumatised by their first period, because they didn’t know what it was like me. I don’t want anyone to feel so let down by not only society but also by the adults, I just felt so upset like why did no one tell me all this stuff? Why did no one tell me about consent? Why did no one tell me I am more than how I look? Why did no one tell me about periods? Why did no one tell me about my lgbtq+ education? And why did no one tell me about mental health? And that’s why I talk about it. Thank fuck lots of people are now and we are having these conversations in mainstream media because it wasn’t happening before.
Any last words of wisdom?
If you are straight and white, please access where you can do more. It can be easy to be afraid to stand up for others when you’re worried about messing up or getting it wrong. But I truly believe that being silent is part of the problem and if you’re white or straight or cisgendered you’re going to have more of an opportunity every day, to affect change within people who will never meet others different to themselves.
I often talk about my story with my mum when it comes to this. I remember the days leading up to my book launch. I had a bag packed and at my publisher’s house, just in case my mum would kick me out of the house. My mum my whole life was super homophobic and my book was trans-inclusive and I hadn’t had that conversation with her because I assumed it wouldn’t go well.
The day of the book launch Kenny Jones, the only trans activist doing work about periods, came and spoke on the panel. I stayed the night at my friend’s house to celebrate the launch and went home the next day very scared. My mum came to me and said “I want all the names of all the trans activists you know, I’ve been doing my research. And Kenny is so brave, so so incredibly brave and wonderful” and I broke down into tears.
My mum told me that she had finally understood everything I had been saying for years. How it’s all the same oppression, from the oppression she faced growing up in a dictatorship, to the oppression of race to the gay people to the oppression of trans people. It’s all the system trying to silence the minorities. And she finally saw it.
I never thought in my lifetime that I would ever ever be able to change my mum’s mind. But I did. So don’t give up on people. Have those conversations, try different things, and be creative.
Lastly, how can people buy your prints or designs?
On my shop nat-b.com
I also do portraits ;) perfect for gifts
