Adam J. Kurtz (aka @adamjk) is an artist and author whose illustrative work is rooted in honesty, humor and a little darkness. His books have been translated into over a dozen languages and his “very personal” work for clients like Strand Bookstore and Urban Outfitters has been featured in the New Yorker, VICE, Adweek and more.

His latest book, Things Are What You Make of Them is a handwritten essay collection that tackles the creative process and realities of entrepreneurship. 

Here is a fun video by Adam for Brooklyn Magazine "30 under 30."

He is quoted as someone who 'blurs the lines between artist and therapist.' You have to follow his Twitter and Instagram accounts to know what that means! Enjoy Adam's honest answers.

If you could be rich with one thing, what would it be?

Love. Because that’s the only thing that matters.

What do you have that you think the world should too?

A sense of fearlessness. Confidence to share work despite its imperfections. I am not concerned with perfection. There’s no pressure. It doesn’t really matter. Nothing really matters. No one is waiting to capture your mistakes. We are not so important. We are not Beyonce.

If you could give more of one thing that you have, what would it be and why?

I would just encourage people to be exactly who they are. I think lot of us spend a lot of time trying to subscribe to the mould of what society tells us to be which like usually results in us following the lead of a straight white man. And it's like all the rules are broken. Everything that was once important is not anymore. And more than ever our specific identities that separate us make us unique and desirable.

So lean in to yourself.

Own who you are and stop trying to pretend to be someone else. Because everyone else can see you. You're not fooling anyone. We're never fooling anyone. So really really embrace that who you are makes you right for the thing you're doing.