Meet Embodie Campbell | Illustrative artist & Muralist

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

Hi Embodie, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
A “work life balance” is where a lump sum of my challenges come from. Being someone who is pursuing art while still needing to pay the bills, I feel as though I have two full time jobs. A big change I’ve been embracing is that it’s not just a work/life balance anymore, its work/life/career balance. I have made a big effort in making sure my typical “work” doesn’t follow me home, and doesn’t cloud the effort I put into my art work. I find that having a daily schedule for myself, and making a space for my art work helps a lot with this. Watching the time, being communicative with loved ones, and making sure that I am taken care of, helps everything else fall into place. I love being productive, and I have a hard time not having a project to work on, which has been a great motivator and has kept me moving. My fiancé has affectionally called me a “workaholic”, while unwaveringly being my biggest supporter.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is always an extension of me, I have a difficult time separating the two. I have never been able to create a piece that I don’t put all of my care and passion into. I’m choosing art as a career because I want my art to say something and mean something; I want it to outlast me.
I got where I am currently due to being able to receive a college education in art; I don’t think being successful in art requires that, but it definitely opened up a lot of doors for me. I was told early into my career that it is all about connections and networking, and that’s extremely accurate. I am a very social person, and I have found it so fulfilling to visit local businesses and create connections and relationships. A lot of my opportunities have come from other people reaching out to me about them, or creating an idea with someone else and making it a community project.
I think being kind, neighborly, and showing up for people is one of the best things an artist can do for themselves. I truly believe you will not receive support as an artist if you are not supporting other artists, we all need each other.
I think the only difficult thing I’ve run into is learning when to say no to ideas or projects. There are always going to be projects you want to do, but realistically aren’t beneficial or healthy for you to pursue, finding that boundary is always going to be difficult.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I always introduce my friends to each other, I love making everything a group activity, so a lot of the places I would enjoy going to are always good for bigger groups.

I would probably show off the community garden in my neighborhood.

One of my obsessions right now is shopping at Zabhaz, some of the best thrift finds I have come from there. As well as the 12th House.

I also always encourage a visit to Black Dog Books, a lot of my friends are big readers, but their vinyl collection is just as good.

Vinyl Alchemy is also a must-see if you’re visiting.

Food and drink-wise, it’d be a lot of Black Napkin, Lotus Brew, Morning Ritual, As well as the obligated Meanwhile bar trip.

My list is mostly made up of local queer friendly or queer owned businesses that I have had really good experiences with, and I consistently want to support. All of them deserve every praise they have ever received.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to use this space to talk about my fiancé, Valerie. She’s been my best friend and my biggest supporter, I could not picture a successful life without her. The life we have built together and the chosen family we have found ourselves in is a huge inspiration. I’m surrounded by queer and trans people who do everything they can to support each other and more importantly, are fun to be around. I owe so much of who I am to the local queer and trans community and those who came before me.
I also have to mention Devin DuMond, a muralist who I was lucky enough to have as a professor and mentor. They gave me the tools and skills to learn how to effectively create large scale paintings and murals, which is something I have become confident in and have been focusing on as a career.
I also owe a lot to my family, they always supported an artistic career. Finding success in it was never a question, and I’m extremely grateful that I was raised with that kind of support.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embosie/?hl=en

Other: email: [email protected]