Illustrator Timothy Goodman on the art of being one's voice

The world of Timothy Goodman is characterised by feelings, text, more feelings and more text - and if you are one of his 165, 000 followers on Instagram, you probably know what I mean. The New York-based artist, illustrator, muralist and author is known to have populated walls, packaging and clothing with catchy phrases in fluid fonts, which at times also muse at length on his relationships, work, and life in general.

An avid traveller, Goodman loves experimenting and has a profuse roster of works that speak volumes of the artist’s idea of spreading his voice far and wide, making sure the voice is not just mere words but has an impact on a deeper, more profound level.

04 min watch

His '12 Kinds of Kindness' project, created in collaboration with fellow designer Jessica Welsh, was a 12-step experiment to become more kinder, more empathetic people. From smiling at New Yorkers for eight hours straight to talking to random strangers asking them if they need help, the project concluded with building a kindness ‘wall’, bringing 100 volunteers that stood for three hours outside the Trump Tower in the city with 40” x 60” boards that spelled out an important message: Build Kindness Not Walls

The thing about Goodman is that no matter how personal his work appears to be, it connects with everybody – and that is what he thinks is the key. While sharing personal stories where typography integrates with common objects and traverses a slick yet fun landscape, his messages often extend beyond the canvas or the many walls they are put on and become a strong voice of activism – one that is too hard not to fall for.

(Watch out for more design contrarians in the series, 'Conversations on the Contrary')