Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Shoemaker
Hi Eric, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I discovered my artistic interest at a pretty young age. My Dad is a photographer, all around maker and woodworker. I spent a lot of time in his workshops, always “tinkering” with tools and attempting to learn how to use them. While there were probably way more failures than success; the early foundation definitely set the stage for approaching problem solving, being curious, and ok with failure.
At age 4, I also discovered skateboarding. It completely redefined and shaped my perspective on the way I view the world.
I remember watching a show on TV about “wiz kids” which featured a young Rodney Mullen. He launched out on stage doing freestyle and I could not believe what I was seeing. How was this possible?
They also had a short segment about the Bones Brigade which was a Powell Peralta skate team. I was amazed with the art direction and visual design of their skateboard graphics, which set the tone of what was to come from that era. Skateboarding is such a unique individualistic, and artistic art form. I immediately and deeply connected with what it stood for and had to be a part of it.
From age 4 to 19, skateboarding was the narrative of my life. It encompassed everything that I was most interested in. “DIY” wasn’t a term in those days. If you wanted a ramp to skate, you’d design and build it. If you wanted to be a part of a scene, you’d create it.
I was surrounded by so many creative and like minded people. In fact, most of my old crew from that era were also artists. Everything from painters, b-boys, graffiti writers, musicians, muralists, etc. It was a perfect melting pot of a unique subculture that I was so humbled to be a part of. Being that I also came from a broken and dysfunctional home, they were all my family. As I’ve reconnected with my old crew over the years, some end up in tears talking about the special bond we all had at that time.
Fast forward, I was skateboarding a lot around the Southeast. Traveling some, and sponsored on a local level. Thinking back, the path most of my friends wanted was to become a professional skater and make it out to CA. Those early years were filled with innovation and creativity.
With skating, if I could conceptualize it and see something in my head, I felt I could do anything.
As years went on, I was working as an assistant manager in the industry at a local skate shop. I enjoyed it, but also felt the social pressures to go to start college and “get a real job.” After some research, I thought a degree in Computer Science could be a fit.
I was a year into a program and couldn’t be more unhappy. Not only did I not enjoy the curriculum, the complex math was even more of a challenge for my interest and brain wiring.
I remember in one of the lectures, the instructor was writing a complex equation and explaining the solution. All I could see was shapes and didn’t understand any of it. Depression soon followed.
As I tried to figure things out, I found that a local art school had a fairly new design program. It was called “new media” which combined traditional graphic & visual design with this new thing that was growing called the internet. Being that I had taken a lot of vocational design classes in high school, this truly felt like it could be a perfect fit. Without any hesitation, I transferred to The Art Institute of Atlanta. My Dad was a bit nervous about my new path, but given his own creative interest believed that I could be successful.
It was in fact the right choice and I had found the perfect place to focus on what I was most interested in. Friends that knew me at that time probably thought I was obsessed with learning. I was always the first to the labs, lectures and the last to leave. I had some really great teachers that also worked in the design industry as Creative Directors. They taught the importance of conceptual work, ideas and a solid foundation in design.
Near the end of my education at AIA, I also had a really amazing internship at a brand firm called Iconologic. A designer named Nando Costa had just left, and I really admired his motion work and explorations he did for their brand. Ben Friedman, who was a partner there at the time, brought me in because of my interest in motion design. Also, my friend Alex Pilson from my skate shop days brought me to Planet Studio for a while. I’m grateful for everyone in that era that believed in me and gave me a chance to be creative.
I graduated from The Art Institute with perfect attendance and a good enough portfolio to begin working in the creative industry as a visual & motion designer. It was an amazing moment to try to have an impact because digital design was very much in its infancy stages. As mentioned earlier, from skateboarding and learning in my Dad’s shop, I had the idea in my head of, “if I could think of it, I could build it.”
After working for a while, I went through my first agency layoff which was really tough to absorb, especially so early in my career.
Having gained some friends in the industry, I interviewed quickly and found my next opportunity. I took a full time job at a company called Razorfish doing both visual and motion design. In addition, being an instructor at a graduate level portfolio school called The Creative Circus. I actually met my wife Amanda during this time as she was working as a developer at another agency. She’s always been such a supporter of my creative pursuits and interests. Coast to coast. She’s also an artist – photographer & painter.
A pivotal moment to my narrative also happened during this time. My Grandpa gave me our family 1967 Volkswagen Beetle that he purchased new in December of 1966. It sparked an interest in industrial design. I was drawn to its simplicity and beauty. I didn’t know at the time but the VW Beetle is the most iconic car on the planet.
The next opportunity presented itself. We were relocated to San Francisco, CA for another design agency; AKQA. The pressure was on.
Over time, I had a strong desire to get more into product UI work. A few years in, eBay reached out for me to possibly be a part of their “pre viz” team. It was a conceptual role that shaped the “what if” possibility of where the company could go. Being that had a potentially global impact, I jumped on the opportunity.
Fast forward, moving on from there, I was a part of an internal product creative team at Google called Brand Studio. This consisted of a small group of designers, strategists, producers and engineers who worked together to make things that had a positive impact for Google. There was also a mini ramp to skate at lunch.
At the same time my wife gave birth to our twins. Life was changing, evolving, and so was my interest to explore other mediums.
I had the desire to create something on the side that wasn’t a part of my 9-5 design job. Something tangible that I could do for fun and see where it went. It came to me. “How could design fit into vintage Volkswagens? Was there even a need?”
Lucky, there is and in fact the demand is global. With the encouragement of my wife, and good Bay Area friend, Mike Cheung of Tinkering Monkey, I first started by illustrating period correct vintage VW decals to ease into it. The idea at first was, “The finishing touches for your vintage VW.” Imagine you’re doing a restoration and you really want the same special engine decal that the car left the factory with. The attention to detail was perfect, given the work I was already doing professionally.
Coming from my career background, building an online presence was an easy next step. Before you knew it, we registered as an LLC and created Air-Cooled Artifacts. My wife and I came up with the name while driving back from a road trip.
She was also so supportive. I came home one day and she had made and organized a small box in my workspace to store the items I was selling online. It had a tiny sticker on it labeled, “Beetle Shop.” It was the start of something bigger. All sparked from my Grandpa’s old Vintage VW that sat in his carport for years unattended and forgotten.
I have to also mention, vintage VW owners are some of the most genuine people on the planet. #VWBH. You know who you are.
Through the years, I have humbly enjoyed success working in the design industry with some of the biggest brands in the world, granted there have been so many ups and downs.
Since starting our business, I really wanted a creative space to learn more. I had finished the restoration of our ‘67 Beetle in our tiny Alameda, CA garage. Could I build VW engines? Could I scale beyond the tiny box filled with decals and other small items I had illustrated?
Anyone living in the San Francisco Bay area knows that space is very limited. Having an actual shop for exploration of these new ideas proved to be a real challenge. I continued to be curious on the side and tinker with vintage Volkswagens in between being a new Dad of twins and a full time career.
Over time, I did start to get more interested in the mechanical side of problem solving as it relates to air-cooled engines. I studied original vintage Volkswagen literature and learned a good understanding of the basics. There was a lot of failure, but the curiosity and passion was there. Vintage Volkswagens are brilliantly designed, and so simple to work on as intended by German engineers. It seemed to pair perfectly with my interest.
The hustle culture of working in the Bay Area was wearing down my mental health to the point where I didn’t feel creative in my work anymore. Oftentimes, I was working until 4 AM, only to be back in the office the next day at 9 AM. I was burning out and needed change. My wife and I thought, “what if we moved back to Atlanta and settled in Decatur,” which was an in-town neighborhood that we always enjoyed. And, what if we could build a shop on our property to pursue these other growing creative interests?
Leaving the San Francisco Bay area was bittersweet. I remember feeling really sad when we crossed over the Bay Bridge for the last time. We had formed lasting friendships and fell in love with the creative energy of the city. Also, the weather is amazing.
The entrepreneur mindset had definitely set in. Onward. We packed up and began our journey back across the US.
Fast forward, we’ve now been back in Decatur for almost 10 years.
I’m still working as a visual designer. Our small business has grown and shifted more into correctly building German engine components. It’s very niche, and we ship parts all over the world. The same principles of visual design apply which is problem solving. I’m self taught with this work, and learn daily better methods on how to approach making a 50+ year old component work again as designed and look like the day they left the factory in Germany.
We did build a small shop on our property that’s packed with many tools for making, and more custom machinery specific to engine restoration. It’s like I’ve come full circle in that I’m that little kid back in my Dad’s shop.
Growing up, I didn’t fit social norms and I’m proud of it. I created my own path, and the way I see the world as mentioned is still today through the lens of being a skateboarder.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
A few things come to mind. The biggest struggle for me early on in life was letting go of the idea that I needed to follow a traditional path. I could be a skateboarder, an artist, a woodworker, a photographer, etc. During these formative years, these interests were not so socially acceptable.
In terms of my early career, gaining confidence which from what I know is pretty common amongst other artists and designers. I’ve always been introverted and have really learned to embrace that being quiet is ok.
In terms of our business owner, always being empathetic when dealing with customers and the things I build for them. Good customer service goes a long way, bad customer service goes a lot further.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a visual designer that specializes in digital experiences.
(https://ericshoemaker.com)
I also co-own a small business restoring vintage Volkswagen engine components.
(https://aircooledartifacts.com)
In general, I’m a creative person that simply enjoys making and I’ve been doing it my whole life. Depending on who you ask through the years, I’m known as a skateboarder. To others, a designer. To the most important people, I’m a husband and Dad.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
Being that I’m an Atlanta native, and especially after moving back from many years on the West Coast, I’m proud to see how much the city has grown up. Art in general is much more in public space.
I also like that each in-town neighborhood has its own vibe.
What do I like the least? Well, I don’t care too much for the hot, sticky summers. That was especially a challenge during my early skateboarding years.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://aircooledartifacts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aircooledartifacts
- Other: https://ericshoemaker.com
Image Credits
Amanda Shoemaker
