Lunchtime Lecture: Lilly May

Lilly May graduated from MLWGS in 2019, and went to MICA for 2 years before dropping out. He mainly works in comics and poetry, doing both personal and professional work. It has accumulated over 30k followers on social media, and there would be more if he didn't remake his social media annually. It's main medium is ink and watercolor, and it's comics focus on love, family, and horror.

I found this talk really interesting and inspiring. Lilly managed to find an audience and work based on his personal art, not his education. For me, it shows that I don't have to be a child prodigy, get accepted into the best art school, and get hired at a major studio to be a real artist. I've fallen down the YouTube hole of people showing their CalArts applications, with sketchbooks and portfolios and dreams of working at Disney or Pixar. It's nice to have a role model who didn't follow this plan. I know art won't be my main career and that I won't go to art school. But, as long as my work speaks to people, I can find a following.