About Josh

Joshua's Story

Joshua Lakes

Hello everyone, my name is Joshua Lakes and I thought I would take some time to share some of my history with you. I was born in Lafayette Indiana in 1974 to Ross and Sandra Lakes. My father was a minister and some of my earliest memories are sitting in the front row of the church with my mother and watching my father in a pin-striped suit delivering powerful sermons from the pulpit. These are also the first memories I have of doodling sketches on the backs of church pamphlets.

We moved around a lot when I was young, to Bay City Michigan, Phoenix Arizona and Austin Texas, and I had become used to being the new kid in school. I remember in third grade there was a cute little girl in the front row of the class that announced to everyone in earshot that she 'loved horses'. Little boys all around her began drawing a picture to impress her, so I drew a horse for her too. One by one the boys handed her their drawings and she accepted them graciously, thanking each of them in turn.

Then I said, 'I drew a horse for you too' and handed the drawing over to her. She immediately dropped the other boys' drawings. 'Oh wow!' She gasped, 'That's so good!' The other boys glared over at me, and I felt a surge of pride and happiness. This is a feeling I chase to this day, making people happy when they see my work.

We finally ended up moving to a small town called Bluffton Indiana where I finished my Middle and High School education, then I attended John Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. I remember one class with a haughty British professor that greatly influenced my thinking. It was an Art History class, and we were previewing the upcoming Modern Art chapter. We discussed the artists that would be studied in the section and at the end of the preview the professor asked if anyone had any questions. I raised my hand and asked, 'Where is Norman Rockwell in this chapter?' The professor said flatly, 'Rockwell was not an artist he was an Illustrator.' I asked the question 'what's the difference?' The professor addressed the class with a grand definition.

"An Artist is a gift to every generation. They give birth to new ideas that challenge social norms and redefine the boundaries of creativity. Their unique self-expression may be provocative and controversial and spark debate, and peoples interpretation may be different from each other's. This is the power of an Artists' work, and it can make such a great impact on the world that it will leave a lasting impression for generations to come."

When he finished his flowery exaltation of the Artist he paused, turned to the class, and added 'Illustrators prostitute their talent'. With that he concluded the chapter preview and ended the class. These statements have stayed with me ever since that class and have made me rethink who I am and what I am striving to become.

After college I married my wife Christine and found a job at a local factory to support my little family. We had two children, Britney and Jacob, and for five years I worked on my drawing skills. I would doodle at my workstation, and my co-workers would encourage me to get my images together and send them out to companies. I traveled to conventions and art shows in Indianapolis, Chicago and Detroit to meet some of my favorite Artists and Illustrators and received invaluable critique and direction. Through this time I never gave up the dream of someday working as a professional.

I finally gathered enough of my work together to make a portfolio of submission packages and sent them all over the country, and one place responded. The Lisa Frank company in Tucson Arizona. My Mother bought my plane ticket, and I interviewed for the in-house Illustrator position and got the job on the spot. I was so excited that I burst into tears in the parking lot and thanked God. Working at the Lisa Frank company gave me the incredible opportunity to work side by side with some of the most talented people I will ever know and provided a worldwide audience to share my creativity with. I will always be grateful for the five years I spent there, and I love the fans of that brand. For more context on that world, Glitter & Greed: The Lisa Frank Story is available on Prime Video.

Since then, I have had opportunities to work with many other creative companies such as JAKKS Pacific; Play Along Toys and Dalmatian Press. These days I have been working in the construction industry so in many ways I have come full circle, but I still have that drive to make people happy and inspired with my images. Just like drawing for that little girl in the front row of that class, my reward will always be your reaction.

Thank you for your time and God bless you and your dreams.

Sincerely,
Joshua Lakes