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

Alright, Michal thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I am asked almost daily if I went to art school or have had some sort of professional training. Truth be told, I am self-taught and I’ve found that most of art is experimenting and trying new things. I started drawing in 2018 with some simple doodles and bought my first set of graphite pencils in 2019. I immediately went home after purchasing them and tried drawing my very first portrait. After that, I was hooked. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t draw or sketch. I feel like the actual act of creating and figuring things out for yourself- what works, what doesn’t work- is the most effective teacher of all. I find I really need to be able to throw myself into my work. I’m not sure if that’s a skill or not, but the hours I spend completely lost in my work are the hours I feel myself growing and evolving as an artist. I draw and I think drawing is a skill that can be learned, honed, and sharpened. Looking back through my body of work has helped me understand the areas I need to practice more, the subjects I enjoy drawing most, and a more thorough knowledge of myself. Art is, after all, and extension of the artist.
I wish I could go back and tell myself right when I started that it’s ok to mess up. It’s ok to fail. It’s ok to start projects over, or even walk away from them. Sometimes, especially in art, the biggest obstacle is yourself. Grant yourself a little peace and dust yourself off and try again.

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

My name is Michal Overholts and I’m a full-time artist. I specialize primarily in bold, dramatic pencil pieces in black and grey, but have started using color in more of my work. I’ve been told I’m a realism artist, but I prefer to think of myself as a dabbler in stylized realism. I’ve always wanted my drawings to look like drawings, not photographs. I draw live online on many different platforms and have found a large audience on Tik Tok and Facebook. My live drawing sessions are super relaxed sessions where I give the audience an over-the-shoulder view of my process in real time: I’ve also managed to garner the support of an amazing group of people- many of whom are artists themselves. I invite my audience to ask questions and really interact with me while I’m drawing- questions range from technical queries all the way to where I get my inspiration and motivation. My time lapse videos are probably what I’m most known for: they detail my work from start to finish and have garnered millions of views.
I’m most proud of my evolution as an artist. Looking back through my portfolio offers me a look at how my technical skills have progressed, yes, but more importantly, I believe it shows a gradual confidence that matches my passion. I love creating. Each piece is something I’ve poured hours into and I hope my work shows how much I love what I do.
I travel around the country doing in-person shows and conventions, and hope to broaden my scope and travel more in the future.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My audience on social media has come as somewhat of a surprise to me. I initially started posting my art on my personal social media pages, and then to a larger audience at the suggestion of my family. My time lapse videos are the main draw for most viewers: they offer a close-up look at the entire process of drawing…from the initial sketch to the finished piece. I’ve also helped this audience grow through regular use of live features on certain platforms. I usually go live for at least an hour a day and will work on whatever piece I have going on at the moment. These live sessions are very relaxed (many of my viewers tune in to de-stress on a break at work) and people tune in all around the world to ask questions and chill with me while I draw.
My biggest piece of advice for those wanting to start building a social media presence is a two-parter. One: stay regular. I try to plan out content in advance to make sure I can post regularly. Two: let the negative comments roll off. Too often in this age of social media are people that will write awful things in the comments from the safety of behind their computer/phone. Try to always stay focused on what’s important to you, and let the negativity roll off.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I was created to create. The absolute most rewarding aspect of being an artist is knowing that I have this incredible outlet for all of my emotions and feelings, and I’m lucky enough to have found an audience that enjoys looking at that outlet. It’s an incredible feeling handing over a personal commission to a happy client, or selling an original drawing to a collector.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MichalOverholts.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/_@geishaninja
• Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MichalOverholts
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/@_GeishaNinja_
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC3b7K6VrSG88zpDLjrxh9A
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@_geishaninja_

Image Credits
Rebecca L Photography (headshots) Michal Overholts (others)