“I don't rely on creativity”
“I have drawn ever since I was a kid and I never stopped.”
The Swedish artist Bo Lundberg takes nostalgia into contemporary art; his love for the sleek design and vivid palettes of the 60s-80s shines through in his signature retro-cool style. In his early teens he was fascinated with Dalí, followed by being really into Hipgnosis, an English art design group that specialized in creating album cover artworks. Nowadays, he finds himself so exposed to images, that he can’t even pinpoint what inspires his art and not… One thing is sure, though: He doesn’t rely on creativity.
What inspired you to start working with art?
I have drawn ever since I was a kid and I never stopped. But I didn’t really think of it as a career until my girlfriend talked me into studying art. One thing led to the next and I ended up in Stockholm, where I studied graphic design and illustration. After graduation I began working as an Art Director but soon felt that I needed to do try illustration and graphic design to get it out of the system, I wanted to focus more on the craft and less time in meetings.
When do you feel the most creative?
I don’t rely on creativity. For me it is more about having a working methodology. It might sound boring, but if you are to do this day after day, year after year, you need to figure out a way to solve problems without having to trust inspiration. Chasing inspiration is almost impossible, but by being prepared, you create a possibility to succeed. So in a way I am always on the lookout. And keeping me busy is the best inspiration. It keeps me from over complicating things and quite often one idea leads to another.
What inspires your expression?
I always look out for unexpected color combinations and I do my best to document anything interesting that I stumble upon. I am often listening to music when I work, so I guess that inspires me as well.
“I don’t trust creativity. For me it is more about having a working methodology. It might sound boring, but if you are to do this day after day, year after year, you need to figure out a way to solve problems without having to trust inspiration.”
What does a day in your life look like?
I start the day by taking a long walk with the dog and when we come home, we both have breakfast. While she falls back to sleep, I get my news updates. I am working from home so I start working right away after that. As long as I can have a cup of coffee first.
I am on quite a normal schedule with a short lunch break and I then I work as long as I need to in the afternoon but I always try to keep the evenings free. We live in a house with a garden so during the warmer part of the year, I do a lot of gardening in-between. Since I am a freelancer I can plan my time however I want, which is a blessing.
