Meet Michael Talbot | Freelance Illustrator, Artist, and Visual Story-Teller

We had the good fortune of connecting with Michael Talbot and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
With the decision to go into freelance full-time came the understanding that at some point I would expect to be successful enough to the point that my craft and work is no longer considered a side-hustle or a hobby. As such, it only made sense to allow myself the space to prepare for this growth and evolution.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In everything that I do, I try to tell a story; sometimes with words, often through actions, most times through visual art. Through stories, people are able to connect and place themselves in situations that are both familiar and foreign. In the art that I create, I aim to do just that.

Being an immigrant, what I now call “home” was once foreign to me, and the way that I was able to overcome this transition was through the use of my art. I was able to tell a story of who I was, who I aspire to be, and the joys yet fears of what the world around me had to offer. My art gave me the courage to write my own story and tell it the way I wanted it to go, connecting with people along the way. With that mindset and seeing the impact I had already had on the people around me, I made it my mission to explore simply that. Now, I’m excited about all the new connections I can and will eventually make through my art, intrigued by the “stories” that would ultimately stem from them.

Getting to where I am now professionally, I can easily say could be attributed heavily to the network I’ve sought to build over the years. Each person I’m able to connect with adds to a well of opportunities, information, and possibilities, and keeping that well filled I’ve found has been one of the most helpful resources someone in my field can have. It was not without it’s own challenges and roadblocks, but I’ve learnt over the years that developing that network of like-minded individuals, colleagues, and friends, allows for not just support and growth professionally, but also personally.

Everyone has a story; my art is mine.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In 3 words: art, food, dancing.

Boston is a very old, yet vibrant and rich city with a litany of things to do and see. Both my best friend and I are very interested in the arts and the art world, so even our vacation is, and will always be a networking opportunity. We’d visit a number of local art-haunts and murals around the city such as Graffiti Alley in Central Square, Artists for Humanity in South Boston, the Museum of Fine Arts (especially for one of their Late Nite events) as well as the Institute of Contemporary Art. Additionally, there seem to always be a new mural popping up somewhere in the city so creating a plan for a “mural tour” throughout the city would be great (some of the hotspots being East Somerville, Roxbury, and the Greenway in Downtown Boston).

For food, one of the first places I’d carry my best friend to is my favorite Jamaican spot called “Flames” in Mission Hill for a taste of home, and for both a culinary and inspirational experience of a lifetime, my favorite ramen shop in Porter Square called Yume Wo Katare. Depending on what we’re feeling for, I’d say everything else is variable, but those 2 spots are a must.

Dancing and going out at night is also a top priority, and although the night-life in Boston ends at 2am, there are often a number of places to go depending on the day: Royale, Memoire, Venu, Icon, Tunnel, La Fabrica and Zuzu, just to name a few. But the diamond in the rough I feel is Tavern in the Square in Allston. Though primarily a restaurant/bar, this particular branch location transforms into a nightclub on the weekends, attracting mostly the college crowd and young professionals.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
If there’s anyone who knows about me and my art journey, they know about my best friend and art-rival/arch nemesis, Richard Nattoo. Since high school we have both been not just great friends, but the biggest source of motivation, encouragement, and inspiration for each other. Having someone who genuinely wishes the best for you and assists you in any way they can to see that wish fulfilled, yet doesn’t allow you to settle for less than what you deserve or become complacent, I would say, is a necessary and vital part of one’s artistic and personal development; Nattoo provides that for me.

Website: https://www.talbotsart.com

Instagram: @talbotsart

Other: Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/talbotsart

Image Credits
Headshot by Devon Moos