Emil Ferris Quotes

Powerful Emil Ferris for Daily Growth

About Emil Ferris

Emil Ferris is an acclaimed American graphic novelist and illustrator, best known for her debut work, "My Favorite Thing Is Monsters." Born in 1962 in Chicago, Illinois, Ferris spent her early years immersed in art and literature. Her mother was a sculptor and her father, a collector of folk art and memorabilia, instilled in her a deep appreciation for the creative world from an early age. After graduating from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago with a degree in Printmaking, Ferris worked as an animator on various television shows. However, a near-fatal illness forced her to abandon this career and focus on her health and recovery. This life-changing event led her to start creating "My Favorite Thing Is Monsters," a work that would become a testament to her resilience and creative spirit. Published in 2017, "My Favorite Thing Is Monsters" is a complex, genre-defying graphic novel set in 1960s Chicago. The story revolves around Karen Reyes, a ten-year-old African American girl who aspires to be a monster expert and investigates the mysterious death of her neighbor Anka Silverberg. The book blends elements of horror, science fiction, and coming-of-age narrative, drawing inspiration from Ferris's love for old movies, comic books, and art history. Ferris's work has been praised for its intricate illustrations, rich storytelling, and exploration of complex themes such as identity, family, and friendship. "My Favorite Thing Is Monsters" was a finalist for the National Book Award and has been translated into several languages. Ferris continues to work on new projects from her studio in Chicago.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Everything I create is a self-portrait."

This quote by Emil Ferris suggests that every work she creates, whether it's a piece of art, literature, or any other form, is essentially a reflection of herself. It means that her personal experiences, emotions, thoughts, and identity are intricately woven into the very essence of her creations. Essentially, each work serves as a mirror to her inner self, offering insight into who she is as an artist and as a person.


"Art has been a savior to me in many ways – it's a way out of the chaos into something beautiful."

This quote highlights the profound therapeutic effect art can have on individuals, providing an escape from adversity into a realm of beauty and creativity. For Emil Ferris, art serves as a refuge, offering solace amidst life's challenges by channeling emotions and experiences into something transformative and aesthetically pleasing. Art, in this context, becomes a powerful tool for healing and self-expression, enabling one to transcend difficult circumstances and find meaning in the process of creation.


"The purpose of art isn't just to decorate or to have some kind of aesthetic value, but it's to tell stories and share things about life that you don't normally find in textbooks."

This quote emphasizes the multifaceted role of art in society. Emil Ferris asserts that beyond its decorative or aesthetic function, art plays a crucial storytelling role, offering perspectives on life that are not typically presented in academic texts. Art serves as a platform for shared experiences, emotions, and knowledge, fostering empathy, cultural exchange, and social understanding.


"Art is a language we all understand. It has the power to transcend any barrier, whether it be cultural, racial, religious, or age-related."

Emil Ferris's quote highlights the universal nature of art as a form of communication that transcends various barriers including culture, race, religion, and age. Art has an extraordinary ability to connect people across diverse backgrounds by bridging gaps and fostering empathy and understanding. This powerful tool allows us to appreciate and learn from one another's perspectives, ultimately promoting unity and human connection in our global society.


"I wanted my work to have an emotional impact and for people to feel something when they looked at it. I don't want them just to look at a picture and say 'oh that's pretty.' I want them to feel something."

Emil Ferris, in this quote, expresses her artistic intent to evoke emotions rather than mere aesthetic appreciation from viewers of her work. She seeks to create an immersive experience where the audience not only perceives her art as visually pleasing but also feels a deeper connection or emotion. This approach invites empathy and understanding, making the artwork more impactful and memorable.


There's the way that light shows in darkness, and it is extremely beautiful. And I think it essentializes the experience of being human, to see light in darkness.

- Emil Ferris

Think, I Think, Being, Being Human

Monsters are a departure from 'reality' in a way that allows for a range of fantastic possibilities. I mean this within the world of literature as well as in regards to art. When I sit down to draw, I'm energized by the possibility of creating a monster. That is where I find beauty and pathos.

- Emil Ferris

Beauty, Possibilities, Range, Fantastic

I was illustrating, and I was cleaning people's houses; I was doing whatever I could to take care of my kid as a single parent.

- Emil Ferris

Parent, Cleaning, Doing, Illustrating

When I say 'art healed me,' it really healed me!

- Emil Ferris

Art, Me, Say, Healed

My mother was very, very beautiful, and I saw that the beautiful women around me were often constrained not only by their beauty but by the way that being an object of male desire frequently caused violence in their lives. And it caused them to be constrained in these terribly sad ways - their brilliance was not valued.

- Emil Ferris

Beauty, Very, Frequently, Brilliance

I kept notebooks as a kid, and they were important to me.

- Emil Ferris

Important, Kid, Were, Notebooks

My parents met at the Art Institute of Chicago as students, and somewhere in there, they procreated off to the side and created me.

- Emil Ferris

Art, Side, Created, Institute

Yes, doing a work, telling a story very much represents a way to save my own life, and on so many levels.

- Emil Ferris

Doing, Very, Telling, Levels

I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear... But there is a chance that something... will talk to me from the dark, so I have... to be prepared for that communication, which has happened.

- Emil Ferris

Inside, Deal, Prepared, Great Deal

The hardest thing is in terms of the drawing, because, you know, I really have to work to keep my hand fluid, and I've done a lot of recovery, but it's not the same as it once was.

- Emil Ferris

Work, The Hardest Thing, Fluid

I fell asleep once while washing dishes. I hallucinated prolifically - like, squirrels knitting whole sweaters! It was like my dreams inserted themselves in my waking life.

- Emil Ferris

Like, Sweaters, Dishes, Waking

I have a profound interest in embroidery, as I have female ancestors on both sides who embroidered their way through great trials.

- Emil Ferris

Great, Both Sides, Through, Ancestors

I still do love monsters. And when I was a kid, they were really important to me. I couldn't wait for Saturday night.

- Emil Ferris

Love, Wait, Still, Monsters

I never quite became the monster I wanted to be. I feel mostly monstrous as I more become myself. Because the more you become yourself, the more it disturbs other people.

- Emil Ferris

Other, Became, Mostly, Monstrous

I read a quote to the effect that we are always writing about ourselves no matter what we're doing. That may be so.

- Emil Ferris

Doing, Always, Read, Quote

When I read 'Maus,' I realized you could tell a story of tremendous import using the graphic novel.

- Emil Ferris

Could, Using, Read, Import

Becoming a monster sometimes isn't a choice that you have. We're all that; we're all 'the other' in one way or another.

- Emil Ferris

Other, Becoming, One Way, Choice

When I'm too worn out or in pain, I lie in bed and write in my mind.

- Emil Ferris

Pain, Mind, Bed, Worn

I was born with fairly serious scoliosis, and I did not walk at all until I was about two-and-a-half years old.

- Emil Ferris

Born, Old, I Was Born, Fairly

Silent films weren't so different from my comics - the basic choice both offer an artist is what do you show and what do you tell.

- Emil Ferris

Artist, Films, Comics, Silent

I think the Hammer films really made death quite sexy.

- Emil Ferris

Think, I Think, Films, Hammer

I learned how not to be alone in the playground.

- Emil Ferris

Alone, How, Learned, Playground

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