Unleashing Creativity: Exclusive Interview with Greg Mike on Art, Inspiration, and Success

Greg Mike is a contemporary artist known for his signature characters, bold street art, mural paintings, and the Loudmouf icon that blends colorful designs with pop culture. His iconic characters exude energy and movement, inspiring viewers to feel a sense of nostalgia and happiness.

Greg has painted murals in cities such as Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and even the Swiss Alps. His studio work is exhibited in galleries and museums around the world.

Some of his notable clients include Nike, Coca-Cola, Facebook, Google, Spotify, BMW, and the Atlanta Braves. Greg has also collaborated with artists like DeadMau5, NGHTMRE, and Big Gigantic. Additionally, Greg Mike’s work has been collected by celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Diplo, Scooter Braun, Swizz Beats, and Nina Dobrev. In this interview, he shares insights into his creative process and inspirations.

Can you tell our readers about your childhood, family, and the environment you grew up in? Were you an artistic child? What inspired you to become an artist?

I grew up in Danbury, Connecticut and got introduced to the arts at a very young age through my family. My father works in the scenic film industry and I was surrounded by massive sets as a child.

I would sit at his shop and draw for hours to entertain myself while being inspired by everything I was seeing. Large format printing of theatre backdrops wasn’t a thing yet, so everything had to be hand painted. Seeing scenic artists go large and paint using the grid systems was something really incredible to witness.

As I grew older I started after school art classes while other kids were out playing sports with their friends. My art became my therapy during my teenage years and still is to this day.

How would you describe your art style, and how long did it take you to master it?

I’d describe my style as colorful, bold, surrealistic with a touch of nostalgia. I think my style is always evolving and it’s something that I’ll never fully master.

I’ve been developing it my whole life as it’s a culmination of everything I have experienced. I am often referencing retro elements for inspiration in my work which I may have seen 15 years ago while at the same time mixing it with elements from the present day.

What materials do you use, and how long does it take for you to create an artwork on average?

It really depends on the project. If it’s a mural, it’ll be mostly spray paint due to the speed at which I can paint and the vibrancy of the colors.

Most large scale murals take about 3-5 days to complete depending on factors like weather and the complexity of the art. When I am in the studio working on a canvas it’s mostly acrylic and oil based paint. These types of paintings can take anywhere from a week to a month to finish.

I always say, “by any medium necessary” which refers to utilizing all tools available to create work with. Whether it’s digitally in illustrator or with spray paint on a wall, I am constantly trying to create with anything and everything possible.

Was it difficult to become a full-time artist, and what risks, challenges, or setbacks did you have to face in your art career?

Nothing worthwhile in life comes easy. I’ve risked it all to be able to create full time. It’s been a lifelong journey, but something I knew I wanted to do as a career. There were years of struggle where I had to work multiple non-creative jobs to pay the bills just so I could come home and paint late into the evening.

That’s how I knew it was my calling, as it was something inside of me that I needed to get out to stay sane. As with anything, the more time you put in, the more you get out. I’ve always had a very DIY mentality and have been a risk taker. I learned early on that if you put your mind to something, it’ll come to fruition if you put the hours in and work the plan.

Were there any significant events during your art career that influenced your artistic development?

I think the biggest turning point in my career was when I did my first traveling solo exhibition that toured to San Francisco, Miami and Atlanta. I put over a year’s work of time into that show and the exhibitions featured everything from canvases, mural installations, sculptures, prints, merch, skate decks, and more.

I invested everything I made from my shows back into my studio and building out my design agency and gallery (ABV Agency and Art Gallery) in Atlanta, GA. This allowed me to build a strong team to help execute some of my wild ideas larger and faster while growing my network which has led to collaborations with artists, musicians and brands.

How long did it take you to achieve financial success as an artist, and what lessons did you learn along the way?

It took a good 5-10 years to go full time as an artist and I’ve been painting professionally for about 15 years now. There’s been so many lessons learned along the way. One is to keep going and never give up. If you’re truly passionate about something it will work out if it’s your true calling as long as you put in the hours.

I’ve also learned to really lean into the things that scare me, as that’s how I know I am evolving and growing. Most of the times the things you think are going to be difficult are not as tough once you get going. The hardest part is just getting started.

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