Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mike Habs. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mike, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

My style and methods have been self taught and developed over the past 10 years. It had always been a goal of mine to always challenge myself and to improve or change some aspect / element in every piece I completed. I suppose it was this iterative approach towards painting that kept it exciting and invigorating to keep pushing my craft into what it’s become today.

That probably ties into the skills piece as well. There are so many technical methods and aspects of painting and art to fall into, but a willingness to keep learning and taking these risks helped not only shape the work but also prepare me for some of the ups and downs of becoming an artist.

Listening to feedback, learning from and valuing my peers, patience, and challenging myself stand out as some of the main skills that come to mind.

Mike, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe we can take a quick moment to introduce you to our readers.

Mike Habs is a contemporary visual artist originally from Chicago’s south side. Now based in Los Angeles, CA, his work leverages color and contrast to analyze and interpret punk rock music with his vibrant abstract graffiti.

Each series of Mike’s explores how various techniques and approaches can transcribe the lyrical and conceptual aspects of the music he draws his inspiration from. Layers of color, encrypted graffiti lyrics, and a compositional battle between order and chaos all combine to form his powerful aesthetic. Each of his works’ titles is attributed to the songs which he allows to become the driving force behind his artwork.

Mike’s work has been archived in the National Stonewall Museum, shown on NBC’s “Will & Grace”, commissioned by Gilly’s American Lager for the LA Giltinis Major League Rugby team, can be seen filling the entirety of Precinct DTLA’s 40ft stairwell, and is shown in many galleries across the United States.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I really appreciate how creating artwork can bring people together and bring out the joy within themselves. When I first started doing shows, I loved seeing the enthusiasm and excitement from so many different kinds of people.

Seeing my work bring a smile or change of expression to someone’s face or just helping someone enjoy a brief break from their everyday life makes a lot of the effort worth it. It’s even more exciting now that there are more opportunities every day to reach new audiences digitally. I do my best to try and ensure that the digital experiences I produce can continue to catalyze and spread that enthusiasm and positivity as much as possible.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Absolutely – I started out building my social media presence by just starting to put pictures and videos of my pieces online. When I saw how much people liked the work it encouraged me to make more pieces and keep finding new ways to keep everyone connected into the process. From there I was more focused on documenting and sharing the artwork and these experiences as opposed to trying to create any perfect posts or virality.

I also prioritized having my work physically present and connecting with people I resonated with over any particular social or digital landscapes. It helped me find similar minds and others who had similar aspirations. From there documenting and sharing these experiences seemed to become much more fluid, and more importantly it enabled me to meet, befriend, and work with so many amazing people.

Overall in terms of advice for newcomers I would recommend to simply start, be patient, be consistent, participate, and get out there!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.mikehabs.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mike_habs

Image Credits
Mike Habs, Donato Sepulveda, Efrain Romo, John Cotter