Conversations with Liv Garber

Hi Liv, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started drawing from as early as I can remember, and in late high school I started to get serious about my art and began to think about starting a life (career) in the arts. I then applied to art school and got a degree in illustration at Parsons School of Design. When I graduated in 2021, it was a weird time in the world, and all I wanted to do was draw. I was able to land some of my very first illustration gigs at that time and built a portfolio from there.

Something at that time after college really ignited in me, and I began to find my own style. In school, I was very experimental, but it wasn’t until the moment after college where I felt like I really found something steadily unique within my work.

Since then I’ve been working as a freelance illustrator. It’s been really exciting to work on so many different kinds of projects over the years, and that has helped me develop my portfolio and a way of thinking where I can imagine my illustrations as being a part of many unexpected environments.

The creative community around me has deeply inspired my own practice and I constantly feel motivated by my peers. Over the years, I have developed a style that feels like home to me. I have been largely inspired by folk art, little slices of nature, and attempting to capture and understand my own sensitivities.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?I wouldn’t really say the road was smooth or rough, it was more unpredictable. I hadn’t really found my identity as an artist until after years of experimentation. Experimentation ended up being the most necessary thing for me to discover what I actually liked to do. I was once pretty stressed about not being able to find my voice immediately and not being able to see into the future about where my art would go. It was stressful to start on a path that wasn’t very clear-cut. That changed a lot when I ultimately decided to relax and lean into how unpredictable being an artist can be and that’s also when I started to discover my personal voice. The road ahead is still very unpredictable and I think it always will be, but I’m learning to have fun with that aspect and to try not to be afraid of the future.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I really love creating visual narratives that delve into daydreamy inner worlds and self-discovery. My work is woven from elements like gentle mythical creatures, intimate glimpses of nature, and largely inspired by folk art. In my drawings, I try to capture a specific feeling of magic, nostalgia, and a universe where gentleness is rewarded.

In addition to my illustrations, I also run a small risograph printing press called Pen Pal Riso. Risograph printing is another passion of mine. The name spawned from another project called Pen Pal Club, which began as a small project that spiraled out from my love of penpaling. Over the pandemic, I took to sending letters to feel closer to my loved ones during a sad and isolated time. It then snowballed into a hobby, and then into something bigger as I made it a part of my job. Pen Pal Club is a growing community of snail mail enthusiasts that receive surprise risograph prints, stickers, hand-drawn illustrations, and other surprises from me each month. I am really proud and excited with how much it has grown.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
The nicest lesson I have learned is that most people are really reachable and generous. I would say that if you like someone’s work and want to talk, it can’t hurt to reach out. It is easy these days to contact someone via Instagram or Email, and most artists are happy to give advice or just have a conversation.