Meet Joziah Pollard | Illustrator & Story Artist

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

Hi Joziah, what principle do you value most?
As I get closer to my mid-twenties and acclimate to adulthood, I am reminded of the importance of community and the effort to connect to people and create small moments that lead to efficient and fulfilled lives.

I work mostly freelance, illustrating for children’s books, and school curriculums, and storyboarding for production studios. It gives me the opportunity to create vibrant, dynamic stories that reach different audiences from the comfort of my studio. I also work at the Columbus Museum of Art, assisting in workshops for kids and adults, as well as the Museum’s summer art camps.

I find this creates a fulfilling balance of getting to create stories for the companies for which I freelance and also teaching and connecting with guests on how to craft stories, characters, and environments through the different programs at the museum. I have had the honor of meeting exceptionally talented artists whom I will reconnect with at gallery openings or market fairs “That’s the great thing about being an artist in Columbus, you can always spark a friendship at these events. From there, we build a community of people who are diverse but find connection and kinship in bringing people together through our creativity, and learning how our interests and worldviews live through our art.”

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I always knew I wanted to tell stories. Recently, I was rearranging my studio when I came across boxes and folders filled with my art from 1st to 8th grade. Even back when I would draw mittens for hands, I was already thinking of characters and stories to tell. To get from there to where I am at 23, I realized 3 things: I wanted to draw for children’s books, I wanted to somehow work in animation even though I despised the grueling process, and I wanted to work alongside creative people.

Once I got to college, I made sure my classes were intentionally preparing me for the road to becoming a story artist. I majored in illustration and took a variety of different classes, such as character design, storyboarding, video editing, and environmental illustration. I spoke with professors and peers whose passion for storytelling rivaled my own, their insight strengthening my portfolio. These skills took me from being a teenager who loved stories to an illustrator who felt confident enough to begin telling his own.
This past spring, I self-published my first mini-art book, a 52-page collection of three different stories I’ve been developing, containing original sketches, characters, lore, and finished illustrations. It was a daunting task, creating scores of new illustrations, and sketches, and assembling them within a couple of months. After several laborious weeks and the support of family, peers, and mentors, I was able to self-publish The Fantastical Worlds of Jum’z Art: The Art of Joziah Pollard. After the book was featured in the Columbus College of Art of Design’s CHROMA Student Exhibition, I had the opportunity to assist fantasy pop illustrator, Andrew Thompson at DragonCon this past August. There in Atlanta, I was able to showcase Fantastical Worlds to various creators and studios, receiving encouraging feedback to pursue my current endevours into the market and convention scene.

I’m planning on selling art at several markets and conventions in 2024. This past year has allowed me to work on several diverse projects, so getting to participate in selling art after taking a year to freelance feels like a refreshing full-circle moment. I hope I get to see some of you at these events in the coming year and don’t forget to say hi!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

There are so many fun and exciting places to experience here in Columbus that whenever my friends from out-of-state visit, I try to curate activities that fit some of their favorite interests.
For book friends, I recommend a picnic of takeout from Tiger and Lilly in Topiary Park after visiting the Bookloft in German Village and Prologue Bookstore on High Street.
For art friends, a local art market, an art gallery opening from our friends at Blockfort, or a visit to the Columbus Museum of Art after lunch at the Shokko Cafe,
For the film friends: Brunch at Katalina’s, then catching a feature at the Gateway Filmcenter.
For sporty friends: Watch a game at Melt Sandwich Shop before ending the night at Pins Mechanical Company for drinks and games.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have had the honor of having several mentors aid me in this illustrative journey, two in particular are illustrators Thom Glick and Andrew Thompson. Both have helped me find my voice, encouraging me to see my work connect with others and cultivate my personal work to fuel my passion for illustration. Their socials are @thomglick and @schmandrewart, respectively.

Website: https://www.jumzart.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jumzart/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joziah-pollard-711aa3168/

Image Credits
All images are owned by Joziah Pollard.