Meet J Caleb Clark

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful J Caleb Clark a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

J Caleb, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Overcome? I’m not sure I have overcome it. I don’t think I’ll ever silence that voice in my head that says “I don’t belong here.” As I am near forty, it’s been about accepting and using it as a catalyst. Do I have to trust that voice when I hear it? No. In fact, I’ve discovered it’s a green flag. It means I’m doing something that is uncomfortable but it’s in those situations where we can grow the most. So I’m right where I should be.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a freelance book cover artist who specializes in fantasy and sci-fi art. I’ve been designing covers for near eleven years and currently have some two thousand covers under my belt. I get to sit down every day and draw stuff I think is pretty cool: dudes with swords and ships with lasers. I’m focused on creating dynamic cover art for my clients that not only hits the market its created for but looks awesome hanging on a wall.

Ten years out of college, I was working for a business in my small town and had just had twin daughters. I knew I would tell them one day to chase their dreams and what kind of father would I be if I didn’t follow mine even if it failed. I had been working as a part time cover artist for three years prior to, scraping jobs through reddit or crowd sourced websites. I took the plunge and never looked back.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. I learned to accomplish most in our lives it simply takes the courage to start and the discipline to keep doing it.

2. While my artistic talent is the nexus of my career, treating people with dignity and respect is a value asset that most overlook in today’s world.

3. If you’re a creative who works alone most days, a strong group of friends whether physical or online who will challenge you is imperative.

To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?

“Yes.”

My parents told me, “Yes” when it mattered. My dad was going to repaint my room when I was twelve. “Mom, can I draw on it first?” “Yes.” This lead to me drawing a gigantic Incredible Hulk on the wall which my mom eventually painted and left on the wall.

Both of my parents were small town factory workers all their lives. When I told them I wanted to pursue graphic design as my career path and there were no job prospects within a thirty mile radius, they said, “Yes.”

When I told my dad I wanted to try to start my own book cover business and wanted to know what he thought he said “Yes.”

I hope I can say Yes at the right time for my daughters.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://jcalebdesign.com
• Instagram: jcalebdesign
• Facebook: jcalebdesign
• Linkedin: jcalebdesign
• Twitter: jcalebdesign
• Youtube: jcalebdesign
• Other: https://artstation.com/jcalebdesign

Image Credits

I’m the copyright holder for all of the portfolio pieces.