Micah Lidberg is a young american artist with a love for nature, drawing, and combining the two. Mr. Lidberg’s line work is imaginative, dynamic, and other worldly. He is also represented by the ever impressive Hugo & Marie.
I cannot recall when I first came across his spectacular work, but was honored to be featured alongside him in HOW 2009. After exchanging some emails Micah was kind enough to donate his time to respond to this interview. Thanks Micah!
Q: Has the internet played a particular role in your development as an artist/designer?
A: Yes, I’d be a complete liar if I said otherwise. The internet’s most significant role for me has been in distribution and exposure. For reasons that escape me, people seem really enthusiastic about sharing my work. It’s something that has left me completely flattered and very grateful. I published the first incarnation of my online portfolio back in 2007. It got featured on a couple of popular blogs and everything sort of went from there. I don’t know where I’d be if that hadn’t happened but I feel pretty comfortable saying it wouldn’t be where I find myself today.
Q: What are some of your methods to staying motivated, focused, and expressive?
A: I have a lot of interests outside of the realm of illustration and design and I think that helps me quite a bit. It’s been my experience that a holistic approach to life has a lot of advantages. If you feed lots of parts of your mind, then you’ll have lots with which to work. Also, letting yourself not be too burdened down with expectations from yourself or others helps. It lets you be a somewhat happier person and happiness always does wonders for motivation, focus, and expression.
Q: Which Wes Anderson film would you want to be in? and Why?
A: For the sake of disclosure, I have to confess that I’m not the biggest follower of Wes Anderson. However, with that said, I think I’m quite comfortable in choosing The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. That one has just the right blend of silliness, nautical-ness, dark humor, and Bill Murray.
Q: Do you listen to a lot of music while working? What are some of your favorite records of 2010?
A: I actually listen to more spoken word than music. By spoken word I’m not really meaning Spoken Word the genre but rather people just talking about stuff. I think it goes back to when I was a little kid. I was raised VERY Baptist and every Sunday I would draw for the entire service. It was the only way my mom could keep my attention focused.
I do listen to music occasionally but usually it’s internet radio or my iTunes on random. As for records for 2010, I’ll probably be buying Janelle Monáe’s album, The Archandroid, on vinyl very soon. I think she’s fantastic and we share the same home-town. I can’t resist!
Q: Did you go to Public School? If so, did you ever get a swirly in the bathroom?
A: I’ve been to all three of the basic versions of school. I was home-schooled in kindergarten, I went to Public School from first to tenth grade, and I went to a private school for the last two years. I liked being home schooled. I remember eating a lot of yogurt and playing in my backyard. Public School was by far the best. It certainly had it’s tough parts (not any swirlies to mention) but it was the most rewarding. The private school was sort of a fluke. I moved from Missouri to Alabama after I finished my sophomore year. My parents decided the public schools were a complete disaster where we lived so they resorted to private school. It wasn’t the most complimentary of matches. I was an artsy, awkward, teenage, yankee boy in a class of forty true-blood southern bells and footballers. They were all good people so I don’t have loads of leftover bitterness or anything, but it certainly was a strange stretch along my educational road.
Q: Do you have any new projects that you could share with us?
A: Hmm… I don’t have any shareable projects at the moment. My whole family hates me because I’m like a locked box when it comes to new projects. I rarely share project info with anyone; Mom, Dad, Sister, Brother, Boyfriend… no one. It’s a weird trait of mine. I like to not make things into ‘Things’ so I just don’t say much.
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Make sure to check out more of Micah’s work and ladies…you should snag one of the scarves he designed for Hugo & Marie. His Rise & Fall zine is available through Nobrow.
