Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Laurent Pinabel. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Laurent, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I don’t know if this syndrome can disappear completely… Thanks to the recognition I’ve received from my peers and the public over the years, I’m now able to overcome this syndrome in certain situations and at certain stages of my work. But like everyone else, I want to move forward and sometimes step out of my confidence zone to try things out, and that’s when the syndrome comes back. It’s a bit like climbing a staircase. We end up looking at the bottom steps with confidence, but each new one we climb makes us feverish. But I still try. The main thing is to remain sincere and honest with your work, I think.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
For a long time, I was a graphic designer and art director working for agencies and freelancers in Paris (France) and Montreal (Canada). I’m still a graphic designer, but I’m mainly developing my work as an illustrator. I create visuals for all kinds of things: branding, packaging, murals, books, textbooks, magazines, museums, TV, posters, stores, exhibitions, skateboards… I’m published by Les 400 Coups (Canada) and Motus (France) as an illustrator and author. My work, whether in graphic design or image conception (single or series) often starts with a black visual impact to catch eye, then from there, a balance is created with more fragile lines. I try to create impact, but also fragility, to create a visual with humor or poetry. Currently, apart from customer commissions, I’m working on a new illustrated book and i’m painting skateboards. I really like this medium. They’re all skates used by local people. They’re one-offs (like canvases) to hang on the wall. I’m planning an exhibition for spring or summer 2024 in Montreal.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Curiosity, honesty, naivety. You could add many others, such as work, chance, talent, modesty, courage…
But I love these three.
You have to be curious to fill your head and let it digest, transform, erase and retain. Unconsciously, you’re going to be inspired or motivated by things. You can’t just look at what others are doing in the same field. On the contrary, you need to look elsewhere to enrich your imagination and come up with something different.
You have to be honest with yourself, your work and others (customers, readers, the public…). My working philosophy is that “the best service you can give a client is not to give him exactly what he wants”. It works for you too. In short, try to go beyond the first idea and find a different angle.
And naivety. I think that’s what helped me the most (lol)… “As long as you don’t know it’s impossible, you do it”. As much in creation as in life’s encounters and serendipity.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
It’s always good to want to expand your knowledge and skills. When I was a young graphic designer, I tried to be as versatile as possible and I did a little bit of everything with very different techniques and approaches. But for the past few years, I’ve been doing the opposite process. I don’t think you can be good at everything. I, for one, am not a good technician. So, I focus on what I like to do and what I want to develop, and when I have a technical problem or if the project requires different skills that I don’t have (set design, TV animation, web programming, advertising writing, etc.), I collaborate with people whose job it is and who have therefore developed their strengths. If you want to know how to do everything, I don’t think you have time to focus on what you really love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.pinabel-illustrations.com/
- Instagram: laurent pinabel
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pinabel.illustration
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurent-pinabel
- Other: www.pinabel.com
