Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh LaFayette.
Josh, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a commercial artist, so I work on projects from illustration to design to art direction. I studied Graphic Design at Auburn University’s College of Architecture, Design, and Construction, and worked as a graphic designer for several years before going full-time freelance as an illustrator in 2011. I moved to Boston in 2012, where I worked with clients like Harvard University, New Balance, Oscar Mayer, Atlantic Records, vitamin water, and Tumblr, and taught a University course at Lesley College of Art and Design. In 2015, I moved to ATL and have since worked with Atlanta Magazine, MA!, PBR, and more. In February 2016, I had my first work published by Chronicle Books—a cheeky take on tarot that helps you decide what to eat called “Food Fortunes.” In July 2016, I earned my MFA in Illustration from the Hartford Art School’s Low Residency MFA in Illustration program. Since moving to Atlanta, I have started an online shop where I sell my art. I now live in Decatur with my partner, Lou, and our two kids. I like to work and I do it all the time.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has certainly not been a smooth road! I have moved around a lot and worked a lot of different jobs to try to acquaint myself fully with the industry. Any freelancer can tell you that being independent is a feast or famine situation. Sometimes the work is really good and I’m really busy, sometimes I’m, um, not busy at all. There are ups and downs, but I really love the freedom that comes along with being independent.
Who, or what, deserves a lot of credit for where you are today?
My closest friend and mentor, Chris Piascik, has probably done more for me than I have done for myself. I was an intern at a boutique branding firm where he worked in 2008, and we’ve remained close since then. We bounce ideas off of each other daily and help with feedback and critique on everything from technique to pricing. I owe so much to him. He introduced me to the MFA program at Hartford Art School (where he also attended and now teaches), and that program has done so much for me.
I have gotten so many big projects by posting work to Instagram—I got my first project with Nike through Instagram, and I got my publishing deal with Chronicle Books through Instagram. I love that platform.
After moving to Atlanta, I got hooked up with the Elevator Factory in Grant Park, and it was like hitting warp speed on my introduction into the Atlanta creative community. I shared a studio with Tim Lampe, but all the people I met there and the friends I made are too many to list. I stepped away from the Elevator Factory for a bit while my daughter is still a newborn, but I’ve remained close with many people connected to it, and I plan to return there regularly in 2017.
What type of clients or projects do you look forward to most?
I did a lot of digital/social advertisement in 2016 and I really love doing that, but my first and truest love is work for print—editorial, packaging, album art, building out physical, branded materials, etc. A majority of my work has been with national brands and I always want to do that because it’s a lot of fun. Additionally, I am currently seeking local clients in an effort to be a part of this community and its growth.
What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were just starting out?
I would have started contacting Art Directors right when I graduated undergrad instead of just sitting at my desk and hoping people found me. I think the idea of “going viral” is so prevalent in recent graduates. It’s like living your life by saying “I’m not going to work for money, I’m just going to play the lottery.” It *might* work out for you, but it’s not likely. If you want to get work, the best thing to do is make stuff and show it to people directly. The second best thing is posting work to Instagram 🙂
Pricing:
- Food Fortunes — $12.95
- Enamel Pins — $9
- Embroidered Patches — $8
Contact Info:
- Website: joshlafayette.com
- Email: josh@joshlafayette.com
- Instagram: @joshlafayette
- Facebook: facebook.com/joshlafayette.biz
- Other: tumblr: joshlafayette.tumblr.com twitter: @joshlafayette
Image Credit:
All pieces and photos were created by me. The photo of me with my kids was taken my partner, Lou LaFayette.
