“A lot of my inspiration comes from classic children’s book illustrations like the work of Edward Gorey and Quentin Blake,” 25-year-old Julia from California talked to Bored Panda about what motivates and inspires her to draw webcomics. “Artists who are able to balance childlike sweetness with human oddity are my favorite, so in my own work I enjoy combining colorful watercolor with my own sarcastic and somewhat dark sense of humor.”

“When I was still in grade school I didn’t really consider being an artist despite the fact that I was constantly working on various self-driven artistic projects, like drawing detailed treasure maps, sewing clothes for my toys, or building miniature fairy houses out of sticks and pine needles.”

“I used to draw little funny comics and have doodle wars with friends but I didn’t really consider art seriously until I was approached by one of my high school teachers who encouraged me to look into art school,” Julia revealed her winding path towards artistic mastery.

“In my experience, it’s important for an artist to make work that speaks to them rather than trying to fit into a specific artistic box,” she gave advice to other artists. “When we’re starting out and still trying to find our artistic voices, it’s tempting to think: “How would a more successful artist approach this?” But I’ve always found that I make my best work when I consider: “How would I approach this?”

“In terms of making comics, the things I usually think will be popular are the ones that flop. When I made Vampire Boyfriend, it was a short series meant to make me and my buddy laugh, but I got such an overwhelmingly positive response from people that I’ve just kept making them and it’s turned into much more than I ever imagined.”

The high-energy artist exclaimed that she’s always working on various projects and is incredibly busy. “I make weekly comics like Vampire Boyfriend, but I’m also painting, embroidering, and writing. I’d eventually like to work in children’s literature, as that’s where my love of drawing began.”

“In my spare time I love swing dancing, podcasts, and collecting teeny tiny odd knick-knacks,” she added.