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

Hi Phobik, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I was always told that art was a hobby growing up so my ambition and motivation to be an artist was never encouraged. It was embedded that Work was meant to be hard and tiring but safe . Make a living and have a dependable income. As I worked in my early 20’s I ran through jobs. I was a barista, a court clerk, stock room employee, sales, retail you name it … i’ve most likely done it.
Throughout these jobs and “career opportunities” one thing stood out.
My never ending hunger/need to draw paint and create. I drew sketches of all my coworkers and would insert myself in conversations my superiors would have about creative ideas and design concepts. There were several signs life gave me that i was meant to be an artist. One of which was getting written up for drawing on the job. I quit. I decided to go all in and do what ive always wanted to do. When my art transcended from doing it for myself to getting a reply and having people have a connection with it $ , thats when i knew i had to go pro.

Phobik, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am PHOBIK. Self taught artist native to Hollywood, CA. I paint, illustrate and create. My work ranges from murals to animation and design.
My illustrations and murals currently revolve around cartoon inspired cats that interact with the city and events I attend, giving the viewers an insight (POV) into the way I personally witness my life.
Recently my work has evolved into animation giving me the opportunity to collaborate with photographers and musical artists.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Creating something out of nothing. Depending on what you do as a form of art, several things happen that reward you in different ways.

When painting a piece of art the reward is getting that idea thats been drilling and imprinted in your head out into the open. Turning that white blank space into something that comes to life. A relief takes place. Something you can finally let go. You would think it stops there but it evolves. Takes on a life of its own. When people see it they feel things, They might hate it or they might relate to it. It has a meaning that gives you thought. The expression transcends and becomes a momentary topic for the viewer. And thats a pretty amazing thing to witness.

When doing public art depending on how you go about it, it makes a similar impact on a larger scale. It invades a neighborhood. It makes people feel different things. It says things about the local community. It sometimes even becomes a landmark or a check point. The reward is knowing you are seen without you physically being there to witness the eyes and admiration of something you placed on public space. When it’s accepted and it rides time. Thats another feeling that’s quite addicting and again truly amazing.

Being inspired and inspiring through art work is the most rewarding aspect of being an artist.

Contact Info:

• Website: WWW.PHOBIKART.COM
• Instagram: @phobikgod

Image Credits
@ogv.photography