Adam J. Kurtz

Chances are, you’ve already seen Adam J. Kurtz’s eye-catching work—either on Instagram, where his following has grown to nearly 320,000—or on some merchandise (his web store features, for example, an empty jar marked “Feelings” and a ceramic trophy that reads “You Tried”). The Hawaii-based artist specializes in illustrative work that feels optimistic and funny, while also refreshingly honest and a little bit dark. This unique creative mix has won him legions of fans on social media, as well as featured work in The New Yorker, VICE, Adweek, and more. 

Kurtz’s books—including 1 Page at a Time: A Daily Creative Companion and Things Are What You Make of Them—have been translated into over a dozen languages, and his ADAMJK® art and stationary brand is sold everywhere from Urban Outfitters to MoMA Design Store. You can check out Kurtz’s latest projects on Creatively here.

What is the first creative project you remember?

We did a lot of drawing and glitter glue crafting growing up. No specific memories, but I definitely had the infamous RoseArt folio art kit that so many of us remember. Big Mr. Sketch fan too.

Describe your aesthetic in three words.

Simple. Direct. Colorful.

A pack of Kurtz-designed balloons currently for sale on his web store.

What was the most fulfilling collaboration you’ve worked on?

My Then & Now rainbow artwork began as a Post-It note drawing that I got tattooed for myself. It’s gone on to represent for and with LGBTQ people, as merchandise, as a neon sculpture installed at the Leslie Lohman Museum in NYC (produced with Lite Brite Neon), and then last year as a series of massive parade balloons for Atlanta Pride with Mailchimp. Something simple and personal that has continued to grow (both in reach and physical size) in unexpected ways. It’s really special.

Kurtz’s “Then & Now” rainbow as a neon sculpture in the Leslie Lohman Museum, produced by Lite Brite Neon.

What’s one creative project that taught you something fundamental about yourself?

My 1 Page at a Time art therapy journal taught me that actually, half a million people worldwide are a little bit f*cked up inside too! Thank you capitalism for making me feel less alone in my weirdo brain and in my art.

Kurtz’s 1 Page at a Time is a journal, scrapbook, and anything else. 

Do you think creativity is something you’re born with or something you’re taught?

Everyone is creative, but it manifests in different ways. You can absolutely learn new ways to grant yourself permission or explore, or you can embrace the things you already do that are rooted in creativity. I believe that creativity itself can be magical, but it’s not magic. We all have it.

What’s the last dream you had?

I very rarely remember my dreams but might remember the mood or tone. I was stressed out about something last night—might have been something I needed to do, a task or challenge to complete? Gone now!

One hundred years from now, what do you hope people write about your work?

I’m barely relevant right now, lmao. There is not a single part of me that expects to be remembered in 100 years, but I do think of my accessible art products as tiny little vessels out there in the world for others to imbue with emotional value. A keychain can be an heirloom. Maybe someone will still have one somewhere because it meant a lot to someone they loved.

Follow @AdamJK on Creatively.

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