"Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable" Leila Mae, also known as LMTWEET" on Instagram, has shit to say: Artist, Comedian, Visual Activist. Her personality literally shines through every video and post she makes. She is uplifting and honest about the behind the scenes of her craft. She does everything by hand; the painting, printing, order taking and shipping, all while finding time to create pieces of art that are freezing the chaos in the world around us today for all to see for years to come.
A play on pixels, vibrant colors, typography, social activism, layers, you name it, she has it.
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Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wisdombydesignpod
Wisdom by Design Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisdombydesign/
Jess: https://www.instagram.com/unrulyblooms/
Kam: https://www.instagram.com/pwr.design/
Time Stamps:
2:26 Leila’s personal intro: She just graduated college, 23 years old, full time artist
6:10 Leila says her parents told her that most people don’t do what they go to college for so you might as well study something you like.
7:40 Kam talks about how what you do in college doesn’t transfer to real world application.
11:20 What is a zine? The one rule about zines is their are no rules!
15:00 Leila talks about her art style, analyzing typography and colors and their meanings. How taking design classes and combining social activism all combined to create her art style. And how those design classes informed her art style.
19:12 An artist’s support starts with family and friends but social media allows you to reach out to a larger audience. Leila says: “I’ve always made my work because I felt like I needed it”
21:00 Leila speaks about her inspirations: Going to Art Basel, The MOMA, always consuming art whenever she could. She cites Glenn Ligon (a black, queer artist who focuses on typography) as a major inspiration.
26:22 We ask how does creating and mental health intersect? Leila wants to work more when she’s upset and less when she’s happy.
29:00 We ask how was it taking art from a hobby to a business? Leila doesn’t sell her paintings so she has to find other ways to create an income, so more time has to go where she can make money, and social media has a big impact on her ability to make money.
34:10 We ask How does being a content creator impact your work? Tiktok mutuals have helped her navigate creating content. Tiktok doesn’t have to be so professional and they can really be insights into your life. She suggest you film everything you do. Not just ‘picture perfect’ parts of your life.
40:45 We talk about how to be an artist you have to create your own style and that can cause us to feel alone. Reaching out to others is so important to build the necessary community.
47:40 Leila explains the origins of her username, about some of her product profits being dontated to various non profits, and where you can find her!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/lmtweet
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lmtweet/?hl=en
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lmtweet?lang=en
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeA3gTh5XEiV_O3Zhuc6hXg
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lmtweet32
Website: https://www.lmtweet.com/home
