Meet Erik Roadfeldt Caricature Artist

 

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erik Roadfeldt Caricature Artist a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Erik Roadfeldt, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I worked for 15 years as a caricature artist doing the occasional gig at private parties like birthdays, weddings and company picnics. I worked for one agent, and they only had a couple other artists that were all burnt out and sick of the job. I liked the job, but their negative attitudes couldn’t help but rub off on me sometimes. Then I learned that there were other agents in town, and I started working many more gigs and meeting other artists who were much more enthusiastic. One such artist named Robin Schwartzman (robinschwartzman.com) told me about the International Society of Caricature Artists, or ISCA (yes, that’s a thing!). She convinced me join (at caricature.org) and to go to the next yearly conference in November of 2015. My mind was blown. It was a hotel ballroom full of 250 other caricature artists from around the world who LOVED the art of caricature, and they were all a bunch of weirdos….just like me!!!! I had found my people, and a new sense of purpose. I went back home and committed fully to being a live caricature artist. I eventually joined the board of directors of ISCA, as did Robin, and she is now the current president of the organization (as of 2024). Every job has pluses and minuses, and that’s true of live caricature. But at the end of the day, I’m getting paid to draw silly pictures, and I make people happy, if just for a moment.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

Twin Cities Caricatures is located in Minnesota, but we have travelled all across the country to provide caricature services through various avenues. We draw caricatures anywhere! Collectively, our artists have drawn at a wide variety of events, such as:
• Parties (Corporate, Birthday, Product Release, Grand Openings, Graduation, Retirement, Private)
• Events (Weddings, Post-Prom, Graduation, Training Seminars, Conferences, Conventions)
• Schools (Colleges, Family Fun Night, Spring Fling, School Dances, Homecoming, Orientation)
• Festivals, County Fairs, Tradeshows

Erik, Co-Owner of Twin Cities Caricatures, has been drawing caricatures since 2000 and officially started this company in 2016. In 2018, his wife and Twin Cities Caricatures Co-Owner, Kelsey, began to dedicate more of her time to the company. With her help, Twin Cities Caricatures has been able to expand its services, improve customer care, and accommodate a high volume of client requests. Twin Cities Caricatures is also extraordinarily lucky to work with an excellent group of artists that have a passion for drawing, making people laugh, and sharing their art and creativity.
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In 2018, we made it a goal of ours to give back to our community and developed a fundraising program called Caricatures for a Cause. We have a passion for helping organizations raise funds and spread smiles through our artwork at the same time.
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Our Mission Statement
Twin Cities Caricatures is dedicated to capturing life’s moments in a unique and memorable way. We take pride in creating art while entertaining at events, or working from photos in studio. Our success is measured in smiles and laughter.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Say Yes
When I worked with those other caricature artists that had negative attitudes, they would always turn down special requests. Things like, drawing pets, drawing from a photo, adding something silly in the background, etc. I would always say yes. It made the gig more fun! It was always a challenge, and my drawings almost never turned out that great. But I always learned something every time I did it. AND the clients were happy!

2. Try It
Building from number 1, I branched out into setting up retail booths at fairs and festivals, and I started my own booking agency. I didn’t know what I was doing! But I just went for it and tried it. I certainly learned a lot at those first few fairs! I’ve got a much better system now, and I’m so glad I just dove in and gave it a try.

3. Buy It
And building on number 2, every time I tried something new, I would need new equipment or supplies that were NOT cheap. But I knew I would be making money with this stuff, so I took the chance and purchased the equipment. I’ve learned over time now, that getting the best quality, even though it may be more expensive, is the better investment. If something makes your job easier and you can work faster, BUY IT. Time is money, and the more time you spend dealing with crappy supplies, the less time you are making money. Make your life easier, buy the good stuff, be happier while you’re working, your clients will be happier, everybody wins.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Take a break, take some deep breaths, and do something that helps you relax. You can NOT think when your brain is freaking out and stressed. Once you are calm, come back and look at your problems again. Start chipping away at the smaller tasks that are easy and quick. Then pick a time limit, even if it’s just 10 minutes, and start on the big daunting task that is stressing you out. Just work on it for that pre-determined amount of time. With any luck, you’ll get sucked in and zoned out and you won’t even notice that you just spent a couple hours working on it. But if not, that’s okay!! You got 10 minutes done! Take another break, come back later, or the next day, but make sure you get a little bit done every day.

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