We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joe Ruff. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joe below.

Alright, Joe thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Do I ever think about having a regular job…

Every. Damn. Day.

Maybe it’s just a “Grass is greener” mentality, but with the inconsistency of freelance work, I’m constantly longing for the stability and steady paycheck that comes along with a normal 9-5 job.

I’ve also never had one.

All my life I’ve had part time gigs that allowed me pursue art with the rest of my free time. My life has always been compartmentalized. Like a horse in a stable just waiting to run. And when my time is up and I clock out I’m wild and free and the possibilities are endless and then as quickly as it came, the freedom is gone and I’m back in the stable, waiting.

Am I happier as an artist? Yeah of course. For me, art has always been the only option. I’ve often felt that other artists are far more passionate than me, but the main thing that kept me going was I wouldn’t know what else to do with myself.

Making art is the only thing I could do every day without being miserable. I can get stressed with deadlines and corrections and multiple projects, but as soon as the smoke clears and I’m left with nothing to do… I start thinking about a comic, or a song, or a t-shirt.

Making art is my default setting. It’s the only thing I know how to do.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m an illustrator and musician. I’ve done a lot of music artwork, product illustration and package design. I’ve also illustrated comics, which is where my love of art started and where most of my influences come from.

I was trying to be a comic artist for a while but finally started getting work through music. I’d been in bands for years in New Jersey and made friends in the scene who started hiring me to do artwork. I’ve gone on to have long professional relationships with bands like Cold Weather Company, The Foes of Fern and Connor Bracken and the Mother Leeds Band.

I think what sets me apart from other graphic designers is I’m an illustrator first and foremost. I’ve often teamed up with graphic designers who need spot illustrations for shirts and products. These days I think graphic designers are expected to do everything themselves, when illustration really is a separate discipline.

I work digitally, on an iPad but I still do almost all my work by hand. I use digital fonts, but I’m the most satisfied when I can incorporate hand drawn lettering into an image.

So yeah, album artwork, t shirts, stickers, posters, comics, package design… anything that needs illustration, I can do it! I can do simple line art or full color and lettering too!

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

“The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield is hands down the greatest book in the world to get you off your butt and get creating.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Stop replacing us with AI, but I have little hope for that. The history of humanity is not full of stories where people chose the noble path over the easy one.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.joeruff.net
• Instagram: @joeruff
• Twitter: @joeruff89