We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Arguello a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Michael thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

One of the most meaningful projects I’ve worked on is The Echoes of Market Square. My family history in San Antonio runs deep. My ancestors on my grandmother’s side came here from the Canary Islands and helped shape the early settlement along San Pedro Creek. So I’ve always felt connected to the historic parts of this city in a very real way.
Growing up, my grandma used to take me to Market Square all the time. We’d wander, explore, grab food, and hit the missions or the Tower of the Americas like it was our weekend routine. So when I was chosen to paint in that area, it honestly felt like life coming full circle. It wasn’t just a job. It was me getting to honor a place that helped build who I am.
One of the coolest parts was being able to include my daughter on one of the pillars. That made the whole project feel like a bridge between my past and her future.
It also ended up being incredibly emotional. This was the last project my grandparents got to see me finish, and they were both at the dedication ceremony. My grandpa passed away the very next day, and my grandma followed a week later. So this mural carries a lot for me. It’s tied to my family, my heritage, and some of my last memories with them. Bittersweet, but something I’ll always be grateful for.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve always been a creative at heart. Yeah, I played sports growing up, but my mom will tell you I was that kid who brought a coloring book or sketchbook everywhere. High school was no different. art was just part of me.

Around 20, I was diagnosed with Bipolar Depression, which was a huge moment of clarity. Before that, there were so many days where I’d isolate in my room feeling this heavy sadness I couldn’t explain. The one thing that pulled me out during those times was drawing. Art became my therapy before I knew what therapy even was. It’s honestly what carried me to where I am today. I don’t hate my bipolar depression, but I don’t love it either. let’s call it a complicated relationship. ^_^

In high school, I actually auditioned for the North East School of the Arts and got in (there’s a whole hilarious story behind that). I ended up going back to my regular high school because I missed my friends, lol. After graduation, I went to one of those for-profit graphic design schools. The school eventually shut down and my years there didn’t count on paper, but I did learn a lot. I later worked at a print shop designing T-shirts, and eventually applied to the Southwest School of Art, which at the time was a pretty prestigious program. I dropped out after my daughter was born, but the experience really pushed the way I think about art.

My early to mid-20s were rough. Trying to manage bipolar depression on my own turned into a bit of a spiral. When I found out I was going to be a father, I freaked out. I could barely take care of myself, let alone a whole baby. What should’ve been the best news of my life ended with me in the hospital after a suicide attempt. I don’t mind speaking openly about it, my truth is my truth.

After the hospital, I decided I was done living like that. I stayed with my daughter’s mom through our daughter’s birth, and literally the day we got home, I left for treatment. It was hard on her. she had a newborn and a 4-year-old, but somehow everything worked out. I’ve been a present, active father ever since. I didn’t know it at the time, but my daughter really did save my life. As a tribute, I try to include her in my mural work whenever I can. She’s in four murals around San Antonio now, lol.

As for the work I do, I focus on large-scale murals done with spray paint and acrylic. I started out doing live paintings anywhere that would have me, bars, venues, you name it. Back then I didn’t have money for canvases, so I waited for “Bulk Pickup” in my neighborhood and collected scraps of wood, doors, backsplashes… anything big enough to paint on. I sold my first piece on cardboard for like twenty bucks, and honestly, it felt huge at the time.

Somewhere along the way, I became the art director for a great company called You Name It Specialties. I’d work 9 to 5, then paint at night until 3 a.m. or squeeze murals in on the side. One day my boss Josh walked into my office and had this heart-to-heart with me. He basically said, “This isn’t where your heart is. If you want to resign to chase your art, I’ll support it.” I ended up taking him up on it. The company even gave me two extra weeks of pay to hold me over until I found gigs. That moment changed my life. I’ve been a full-time artist ever since, and I’ve been blessed with amazing community and family support, plus clients all over the U.S., including the City of San Antonio.

What clients seem to appreciate most about me is my dedication. I genuinely listen, I care (maybe a little too much), and I always try to go above and beyond. A lot of that comes from knowing what it feels like to be unseen or unheard. I’m a team player, if I need to be the lead artist, cool. If I need to be the assistant, also cool. I’m just happy to be creating. ^_^

People tell me my work feels grounded in emotion and culture. Some pieces are more design-driven, some are more traditional mural or portrait work, but all of them come from a place of love, not only for myself, but for the people around me, and for my community.

What I’m most proud of is being able to share where I came from and everything I went through. Talking openly about my mental health, my mistakes, and the dark parts of my path allows me to show people that they can overcome their own challenges and chase what they love too. That’s one of the greatest rewards of this whole journey.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I think i touched a bit on this earlier but i would definitely have to say my experience with bipolar depression and the self medicating part of my life. I was just in a really dark place in my life and i never dreamed i could be a full time artist back then. Between the addiction and depression and an attempt at suicide, i never thought i was ever going to have a stable life let alone a flourishing art career. But if you want something bad enough…youll do what you have to do.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I think for me, i. always have the thought of my daughter possibly developing bipolar (its genetic if im not mistaken) and alcoholism. They both run in my. family. i just want to be living proof that we can recover and we can be productive in. society. i want her to know my. story. and see all the good and big things her daddy does so she knows it can. be done

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikecomp/