INSPIRING STORIES FEBRUARY 2, 2025
Conversations with Joshua Mount
Today, we'd like to introduce you to Joshua Mount.
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Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today?
​Gladly!​
My artistic journey began, as far as I can recall, with a natural quality of acute wonder. I have memories of just sitting and watching. Listening. As a small child, I developed a tendency to obsess over the details of really mundane and random objects. This behavior progressed into my adolescent years where I'd plop onto the carpeted floor of my family's modest home in South Louisiana and attempt to replicate and perfect illustrations of various things. They could be cartoon characters, animals (lots of sharks), the shapes of North American states. I'd try my hand at getting the shape and scale just right. I could do it for hours without a break. My mother would have to peel me away from that pencil and paper.​
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I realized early on that I was decent at drawing. In elementary school, I gravitated toward some of the other kids who seemed to share this same artistic inclination. I remember being intimidated sometimes because a couple of them were really good! Once I hit junior high, it'd become an integral part of my identity. During class, I'd caricaturize portraits of some of the other students in a very less-than-flattering light and pass it around (not cool, by the way). My classmates loved it! By that point, the image of being an artist had definitely been solidified in my mind as how I saw myself in society and what I might become as I approached adulthood.
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Even though I continued to create things at home and through my classwork (Art I thru Art IV/ Gifted & Talented Art), a lot was changing. High School life was happening. I had kind of lost it for a while there. Then in 2006, following a falling out with my roommate at the time, I stuffed what I could into my car and headed for Baton Rouge. My two younger sisters had just moved there, so I went to shack up with them. I felt worthless. I was disoriented. I was jobless. Then, after a week of riding around filling out applications, I stumbled into a sign shop. They gave me a job on the spot. That's when I officially discovered Graphic Design.
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It's been nearly two decades now since that unnerving, confusing, whirly September and I've since built a career as a Graphic Artist. I've had no formal schooling or training. I've had the privilege of working with some marvelously talented individuals. I’ve learned so much. I love what I do.
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Now, at this point on my journey, all bets are off. There are no questions or doubts about what it is I want to do. I don't even choose the art anymore. The creative lifestyle chooses me. And I give myself openly and whole-hearted to it. It's been very generous to me. I am extremely thankful.
Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We might say that the road has been smooth but it has by no means been straight. I'll tell you why! I think the road has been smooth because I have been unfathomably lucky! From a very young age I've kind of unsuspectingly known what my "thing" is. I've always had my art. I mean, it's not "mine" but I've always seen it as something that I can embrace with the confidence that it will respond with equal and unconditional reciprocity. There are lots of folks who journey a lifetime and never quite discover what that "thing" is for them.
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​Now, while the surface of the road has been faithful and forgiving, I cannot say the same about its path. There has been very little, if any, certainty in the direction it has provided. I didn't know my unwitting talents would translate to any specific niche or industry. I simply trusted that as long as I did this thing, the fruits of the voyage would serve me righteously. And they have. Again, I am extremely thankful.
We’d love to learn more about your work.
What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
In my work, I'm a Graphic Artist. I specialize in Logo Design and Branding. I create experiences using images, shapes, words, and other visual elements. It's great. There's an 'Undo' button, no paint-mixing, and there's no mess to clean up (except in my head sometimes).
I am known for my ability to make my collaborators feel comfortable and connected to the organic process of establishing an identity and building imagery that supports it.
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I am most proud of the way I make my clients feel about themselves and the work. What sets me apart is my openness. It takes a very stoic, thick-skinned individual to facilitate collaboration without becoming emotionally attached to his or her own ideas and letting the project grow in it's natural direction. I think it's really hard for some artists to share their opinions and expertise (or what they believe to be expert counsel) without being affected when those opinions are rejected or opposed.
Can you talk to us about your view on risk taking? Regardless of whether you view yourself as a risk-taker or not, we’d love to hear your perspective.
I can! While I’ve never really thought of myself as much of a risk-taker, that has changed significantly in the weeks and months preceding this interview.
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And, so, here it is...it can be terrifying! And I'd imagine you'd be told much of the same from anyone else who speaks on the subject. It's scary. You don't know what's going to happen. And you won't. At least not initially. Maybe you gather insight as you go and things become clearer, but not at first.​
You must take the leap, as they say.
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I came across a quote last night by Alan Watts that brought me a great deal of joy and relief. It said "Don't be afraid. You're going to make it, but it's always going to feel as if you're not. That's the fun, you see!"
"Fun," he says. I love that!
