Meet Mike Colbert | Artist / Designer

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

Hi Mike, what’s your definition for success?
How do I define success? The way I define success is by the things I’m able to achieve on a daily basis. To me success is not some distant point of time in the future but a daily path I set for myself once the blessing of a new day is given to me. The questions I ask myself every day; How can I build upon the skills I have? Where do I devote my energy to become better in all aspects of my life? Yes, by nature I think I am an artist, a creative being but how do I use my creative talent to maximize my success every day? Simply put, I want to be better than the previous day of successes. I want to build upon the steps I have taken to become a better human being, a spouse, an artist and a friend.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is a blend of influences. Graffiti, Anime and Traditional Animation. My artwork is a reflection of experiences that have shaped my life – from the moments of triumph to the embarrassments of my failures. Each piece is a testimony of my personal journey and reflects the way I see the world in which we live.
Everything I create is very emotional and personal, My hope is to lure viewers with timeless elements that help them live in the moments I depict. Ultimately, I want to inspire people to acknowledge and achieve their true potential, regardless of what obstacles life may put in their path.

My path has been a non traditional one. After intense arts training at a prestigious Art and Performing Arts School I enrolled in Art school only to drop out after one semester. My junior high school Art teacher hired me to work in her elementary school as an instructor assistant. After 5 years I decided it was time to get back to work on my artistic career. My new educational journey started at Kentucky State University, a HBCU where I attended for one semester on an Art Scholarship. The following semester I enrolled at Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia but soon withdrew from my classes. Returning to Ohio I enrolled at The University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning College to major in Industrial Design. My experience studying Design opened my eyes to the variety of ways to apply my artistic skills and it changed my life. My Design career has afforded me the opportunity to work in the fields of Theme Park Design, Automotive Design, Toy Design and Game Design. The lesson I learned along the way is PERSISTENCE. In the face of difficult situations stay true to yourself, keep moving forward. There are so many ways to get to where you want to go. The path may not be clear at the start but if you stay on the path you will end up in places you can’t imagine.

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?
– Early Morning walk in Eden Park into the hills of Mt. Adams. (3+ miles)

– Breakfast at 6′ N The Mornin’ in the Walnut Hills neighborhood

– Grab a Danish from Cafe Mochiko across the street for later

– Late Morning walk through Krohn Conservatory in Eden Park to reset our oxygen levels

– Noon Tacos for Lunch at Bakersfield in the OTR Neighborhood in Downtown Cincinnati

– Early Afternoon a trip to The Cincinnati Art Museum to ignite our Visual senses

– Late Afternoon Yoga with YouTube Instructor Arianna Elizabeth or Fitness with YouTube Instructor Sydney Cummings

– Evening Dinner at Lucius Q in the Historic Pendleton Neighborhood in Downtown Cincinnati

– Evening take a short walk over to Pendleton Arts Center for Open Art studio tours (The Final Friday of each month)

– Late Evening Wine, Jazz and Spoken word at Nostalgia Wine and Jazz Lounge in the OTR Neighborhood in Downtown Cincinnati.

– Night Cap Slots at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Willis Baker – He identified my artistic gift early in my childhood and convinced my mom to allow me to pursue it.

Theresa Henderson – She once told me that an artist can’t be temperamental and she told me to lean in and be myself.

Ron Beckham – He showed me the connection between Art and Design, recalibrating my mind and my toolbox for success.

Charles Morse – My GM dad, he showed me the power of a calm and mature mind.

Todd Arrington, Jude Johnson, Kevin Manuel-Scott, Victor Chaney, Abdul Halim-Ali (RIP) – My brothers, along the way when I could have fallen off the tracks, they made sure I stayed on course and that I had everything I needed.

Michelle Colbert – My wife, she supports every idea, good or bad. She believes in me like NO OTHER.

Annie Colbert – My MOM, a divorced parent raising 2 children, SHE ALWAYS MADE A WAY.

Website: https://www.michaelcolbert.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drawn2mike/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcolbert/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@drawn2mike