We were lucky to catch up with Jeremy Labib recently and have shared our conversation below.

Jeremy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I knew once I realized nothing else felt right. My enthusiasm and life blood lives in art, wether it be in its creation, its observation or its discussion.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got myself into the industry by kind of throwing myself into the deep end. Taking up open calls and applying for traveling shows to sell my work at.

I sell prints, stickers, and shirts of my artwork, which mostly consist of pen and ink sketches of monsters, robots and strange locales. I also take a long a binder filled with sketches and bring some framed works which I sell as well.

Drawing is something I do almost every day, even when I am uninspired I find myself drawing coffee cups and shampoo bottles to keep the chops up. It’s important to have what I call a “beat em’ up sketchbook” on hand which is something I fill with fast and sometimes crude sketches. I don’t worry at all about quality and focus more on idea recording and experimentation.

When working with clients I always try to find the middle ground of where I excel as an artist and the client’s vision. Whether it is an album cover or book illustration, I always stay true to my grimier, detailed and darker style so that I can give them the best I have to offer. Communication and updates are also super important to me. It helps to keep the projects momentum going and helps me make sure the clients needs are met. I carry this over to my online shop as well. If there is a delay in shipping or issues with product stock, creating a line of communication helps in assuaging any worry.

I’m proud that my work seems to resonate with people. I’ve had bouts of self doubt and worry about my stuff being seen as weird or unsavory, so for years I used to kind of hide it away. When I started getting out there more by doing expos and showing at galleries, I have heard people describe my work as “beautiful” and “stunning”. I’m always humbled when I hear that and it honestly makes my day.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Growing up listening to the Howard Stern Show made a huge impact on how I run my business and compose myself professionally. Howard has always had a pretty remarkable work ethic and on the show he’d always used to stress the importance of taking up opportunities no matter how small and how you cannot see early opportunities as beneath you.

Over the years there have been people affiliated with the show who sort of doomed themselves to failure by letting ego or entitlement dictate their actions. The self sabotage would be a shame to hear, especially when it was happening to genuinely talented people who had a lot to offer. The cautionary tales were numerous on the show and they always stuck with me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the capacity to grow and change. It’s a medium that literally records progress in technique and in concepts. It’s fun to challenge yourself by learning new methods or focusing on new subject matter because it feeds inspiration and intrigue. I love doing this because it kills boredom and keeps me from being too comfortably set in my ways.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jeremylabib.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/jeremylabibart