The Becoming series started in 2019. We wanted to hear from women in different walks of life and how they were approaching creativity, career goals, and more–mostly the WHY and HOW beneath it all. It’s been amazing to conduct these interviews and get a “behind the scenes” look at so many inspirational women! You can see them all here.
I’m thrilled to share an interview with frequent Lars contributor and one of my nearest and dearest, illustrator and designer Michéle Brummer Everett. She’s quite possibly the funniest person I know in real life–I wish you all could know her too. She’s the kind of friend who remembers what you said that one time years ago and surprises you with it years later. Reading over her answers gave me a big dose of the LOLZ and reminded me of how much I value her, her unique story, and endless talent.
One of the most gifted story tellers, if you ever get to experience it, sit down and get comfy (plus it comes with her disarmingly charming South African dialect). We are all lucky to be able to experience her mind and talent through some of the books she illustrates and products she designs and I’m encouraged that she wants to develop her writing because we all deserve to hear more! She knows that I like to pressure her into doing this or that because much like Veruca Salt “I want it all!” Without further ado…
Where did you grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have influenced what you do now?
I grew up near Johannesburg in South Africa. My childhood and my early experiences are very vivid and they inform so much of how I see myself and the world around me. I’m not sure my interests have changed very much since I was little. I always loved to draw and I had several adults in my life who took me very seriously and never diminished my interests. My father worked at a university and would use their giant industrial stapler to make me sketchbooks from the paper calendars discarded each month. He’d put different colour cardstock covers on them and I would go through several sketchbooks a day. You could say I was an early adopter of “up cycling”.
What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?
Honestly, I was convinced that I’d be an artist who also happened to moonlight as an archeologist in my spare time. I found an arrowhead on a hike once and then when my parents built a swimming pool I found a little ivory box filled with carved ivory rings and that captured my imagination.
What sparked your interest in illustrating?
Most of my work thus far has been illustrating and designing for children. I was a nanny in college and some of my happiest memories of that time in my life were drawing with “my” kids, listening to their stories and reading what felt like millions of books. Children aren’t constrained by real life and anything is possible and acceptable so I’ve been very happy to stay in that world.
What are three words to describe your style?
Colourful, minimal, playful.
What is your educational background and how has it shaped or changed your current career?
I got my BFA at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I loved my time there and was able to test and try so many different ways of making art (printmaking, fiber art, animation, sculpture & mold making). Perhaps the lasting gift from that experience I’ve never felt boxed into what a designer/illustrator should be doing and I just do what I want and am happy to find different ways to accomplish that.
What inspired you to become an illustrator?
When I was at school many of my teachers would give me the same critique: “This looks more like design or illustration than art”. This troubled me at the time but I realized that that is exactly what I liked making and what I am drawn to and there’s nothing wrong with that. After I graduated, my husband Daniel got a job as a professor in Utah and I was a little heartbroken. I felt like I had become an adult in Chicago and the idea of leaving a place and people I loved scared me. He left Chicago about a month before I did and my sister helped me pack up my life and drive across America. When I arrived, Daniel had set up one of the rooms in our new house as a studio just for me and that was a huge turning point. It was a very good sort of pressure to do something I’d always wanted to do.
Did you have any mentors that helped you along your path? What piece of advice have you taken with you?
This is such a big question. I’ve had so many mentors and cheerleaders in my life. When I was young my parents and grandparents treated me like I was already an artist. In high school I had a teacher who pushed me to apply to art school. In college I had professors, especially a Franciscan monk fibers teacher who really guided me through a sea of what felt like overwhelming options. I’m not sure I remember specific advice but I remember how they made me feel and that pushed me in the right direction.
What is one project that you are especially proud of and why?
A few years ago I illustrated 2 books, “My First Book of Feminism for Boys” and “My First Book of Feminism”. Even though I didn’t write the words–the author is Julie Merberg–I feel really proud about putting that out into the world.
Where do you find inspiration?
My parents travelled with us quite a bit when I was a kid and I still have some of the sketchbooks where I hurriedly tried to capture all the new things that caught my eye. I’ve been very lucky to still travel a lot as an adult and being able to leave my life for a bit and have a tiny peak into different places is very inspirational for me. Even going to a local grocery store in a different country and marveling at the packaging is something I love. I have family that lives in Japan and my husband works there every year so I’ve spent a month or two there each year for almost 15 years. I spend a lot of time in bookshops, grocery stores, pharmacies and thrift stores when we go. I’ve very grateful for an iphone so I can now snap a million photos instead of drawing in a little sketchbook.
How do you make social connections in the creative realm?
I’m actually quite a solitary creature so I feel like it’s rather miraculous that I have a group of dear friends who are extremely talented and are superstars in their respective fields. I love being able to talk about life and work and being able to bounce ideas off them when I need help, I feel very lucky! How this happened…I’m not sure. They’re probably just really good and coaxing me out of my house.
How has social media influenced your work?
Social media is tricky for me. Do I love sending my sister ridiculous memes late at night like it’s my job? YES! However, I definitely feel that for me, personally, I am more creative when I spend less time around social media. I deleted Instagram on my phone months ago and now check it on my ipad sometimes in the evenings. It works for me.
What artists and creatives do you look up to, both historical and present?
Artists: Sol Lewitt, Layla Ali, Rineke Dijkstra, Marcel Dzama and the Royal Art Lodge, Margaret Kilgalen and Barry McGee, Anne Truit.
Illustrators: Carson Ellis, Dick Bruna, Rebecca Green, Marc Boutevant, Jon Klassen, Taro Gomi, Christian Robinson, Beatrix Potter, Richard Scarry, Quentin Blake.
What books, movies, shows, or music are making you excited these days?
I just finished reading “Cutting for Stone” “The Covenant of Water” and “The island of Missing Trees”. I also spend time reading complete drivel…if you’re an old lady protagonist from the South who is going to solve murders I’m in!
Movies I’ve really loved recently are “After Yang”, “Fire of Love”, and “Luxor”
We just finished watching “Summer Camp Island” and “Wolf Boy and the Everything Factory” with our kids and it was magical. I want to go live on Summer Camp Island ASAP.
What is your workspace like?
I have an office/studio in my house. It has a desk, computer and a flat file that I store all sorts of nonsense in. Becoming a parent has really shifted how and where I work. Where I used to work exclusively in my office I now work all over my house often surrounded by tiny half dressed pizza eating little kids (see below).
Describe some habits that keep you motivated and productive. How do you climb out of a creative slump?
Planning ahead is key for me. I have a planner and I write out everything I need to do weekly and then check things off every night before I go to bed. It’s the only way I can think clearly and get things done.
I often have slumps and the only thing that boots me out of it is making time for personal projects that have nothing to do with work. The freedom to experiment with only my own feedback has pulled me out of the inevitable moments.
What is a typical day like for you?
-Curse the heavens and promise that today will be different and that I will go to bed early for once!!!
-Snuggle my family
-We get my oldest ready for school and get him out the door
-Eat breakfast with my youngest
-Exercise
-Get ready for the day
-Run errands/day to day stuff around the house
-Lunch
-Take my youngest to preschool
-Work
-One of us fetches kids
-Snack/Read books/quiet time
– We do the nighttime routine: Supper/bath/bed
-If we need groceries I love going late at night. It’s empty and quiet and kind of eerie.
-*Work
-Daniel and I hang out/watch a program
-Go to bed
-Decide I’m too awake to sleep and **party it up until 1 am or later.
(* If I’m working I’ll do that all night)
(**By party I mean make a cup of rooibos tea and watch architecture videos on YouTube)
What advice would you give to someone who wants to self-teach a new hobby or skill?
Failure is how we learn. I tell my kids this all the time and am desperately trying to drum it into myself as well. There is never going to be a “right” time to learn or do something you’ve always wanted to. Take those first steps and know that in the beginning it’s not going to feel easy and might even be a little scary. There’s enormous growth to be had when diving into something new and unknowable. Trust yourself.
Nobody likes to talk about it, but can you share any advice regarding financing your business?
I think it’s important to be transparent with something like this. I have a partner who is an artist and is also a professor at a University, which provides big things like a steady income and health insurance for our family. I work freelance, which makes for an income that ebbs and flows. I fully realize that I am in a very privileged position.
I will say that having an accountant who is familiar with outside income (from me and Daniel) has helped enormously!
Is there anything more you would like to “become?”
Writing! I’m much more comfortable doing the drawing part of stories and wish I could wiggle out of my comfort zone and practice writing more.
What do you hope to accomplish within the next 10 years?
I want to travel to places I’ve never been before and especially want to take my husband and children to South Africa where I’m from. I’d also love to illustrate more children’s books. Mostly I want to take my own advice from a few questions ago and leap into the dark of some projects I’ve been wanting to start.
You can find Michele
Over on her Instagram @mlbeprojects