An Interview With Amy Shimoshige
Interview by: Emi Tamaru
ABC: Tell us a little bit about what you do.
AS: I make magic happen in the form of “graphic design.”
ABC: What was the worst critique/review/feedback you were ever given and how did it make you feel?
AS: Digging deep within my past, I’m not even sure which one is the worst, as I’ve had a lot of discouraging crits. One that does stand out is one project I was working on during my senior year, I was told that it “looked like sophomore work, at best”, that I was really far behind, and that I didn’t understand my references. Basically I was failing and getting confused and making ugly crap. My reaction was, “Shit, i gotta step up my game.” Also, every crit after an all-nighter seems like a terrible crit (am I right, people???).
ABC: How did that experience change or not change the way you feel/felt about your art?
AS: I learned to embrace my references and it feels gooooood.
ABC: What did you do about it?
AS: After I stopped crying, I swam out of my pond of tears and just started making things intuitively. I think I was over-thinking it before and so I thought I should just let go. It helped.
ABC: Humor seems to play a big part in some of your works. Do you intentionally try to make people laugh, or is it something natural? (I still laugh hysterically when I see your SEXY TYPE work) .
AS: Well thank you! I think it’s a little from column A, a little from column B. Laughter + Humor is HUGE in my life, and I like making people (& myself) laugh. It’s important for me to keep a sense of humor in just about everything I do. As my good friend Suzanarchist said, “taking yourself seriously is seriously boring.”
ABC: You seem to have some side-projects going on too, DGAF being one of them. Tell us a little bit about DGAF, what it stands for, and what it entails.
AS: DGAF stands for Don’t Give A Fuck and it’s a way of life. My friend and I (CMYK (Coolest Motherfuckers You Know (if you know us (more parentheses!)))) keep a blog called DGAF (cmykdgaf.blogspot.com) and we like to write about things and places and people we think are DGAF in a badass and/or hilarious way.
ABC: Could you say that music is a source of inspiration for you? It seems like you’re quite active in the music scene, looking at the DGAF posts.
AS: Absolutely. Music is art, too. And I kinda like art.
ABC: What are other sources of inspirations for you?
AS: CHEESEBALL ALERT: my family and friends. OTHERS: comedy, theater, other artists, designers, illustrators, DGAF people.
ABC: Do you have any other projects/secret plans coming out of your sleeve any time soon?
AS: Besides working on music with CMYK… idk, quest to find the grail?
ABC: Please give us a message for all those underdogs out there!
AS: Stop giving a fuck and just go for it.
To see more of Amy’s work visit:
