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

Hi Cj, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I don’t have any conventionally, practical skills. Additionally, I share a birthday with Shakespeare and George Lopez so I think that has played a cosmic influence on my life.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I draw what I feel, even when I don’t feel like it. That’s been the impetus behind what I do even when it’s a paid gig. In all honesty, I have a chronic case of imposter syndrome so I don’t consider myself to be a pro or even remotely mature within this industry. But, my main conviction with everything is authenticity which is always challenging, especially when it’s so easy to doctor literally everything around you to be whatever. I’m proud of myself, anytime I can evoke some form of joy in someone through my work/ideas. Also, if I managed to not implode from self-doubt…that’s always a proud moment. I’m very dumb so I’m learning, relearning, and unlearning things daily. Unlearning is much more difficult than learning, is one thing I’m learning.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well I live in Tucson, AZ which is a very cool bohemian city combined with a very obnoxious college town dynamic. It’s kind of like an oil and water combo which is very funny. I’m an introverted hermit, but I’d definitely go to a show at Hotel Congress with them, walk around the main drag of 4th ave for bar hopping and people watching, We’d probably go to Wooden Tooth Records/Bookmans/Savers for thrifting, I love the MOCA gallery and the museums at the university, and there’s a really nice hotel pool you can sneak into which is a blast, there’s always skating around, giving stick and poke tattoos, seeing a movie at The Loft, Gates Pass is a gorgeous desert scape to visit, Sabino Canyon has waterfalls and natural springs after hiking. Tucson is very cool.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mom is, undoubtedly, the reason for why I’m anything at all. I have to say though, as far as drawing is concerned, I started because of a kid named Hunter. I met him when I was in 3rd grade at summer camp and he had an innate ability for drawing. I thought he was the epitome of cool and, although I haven’t seen him in over a decade, I’m sure he’d be just as effortlessly cool now.

Website: www.lundbad.com

Instagram: @el_lundbad

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-lundblad-2130031a3/

Image Credits
All art by: Cj Lundbad Photographs: Ashely Jaxel

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