As an artist, what are some of your favorite things about living and working in New York?

I live in Brooklyn. I love NYC because of the endless parade of visuals, but more importantly because everyone lives in harmony. When a place is so dense you're pressed up against people you don’t know on subways, differences become everyday. Beliefs, tastes, lifestyles, and religions aren't judged; everyone just gets on with their business. Living in a city is an education that petty gripes don't fester because everyone has to focus on what's really important—survival, and relief from survival. I'm thankful such a place exists (and that I'm living in it).

But that said, my number one favorite thing about New York is the people—their positive energy and inspiring output. Runner up reason is the easy accessibility of excellent, simple food everywhere you go. Did I say enough great things about NY yet?

How and when did you first become interested in art and illustration? [or art and design?]

I drew from my earliest encounters with pencils, though around age 10, I wanted to be a psychologist. That explains my attraction to mind/body/science topics in my work. Before age 10, I had a book of paintings by the South American artist, Botero. They were so grotesque, I couldn’t not look.

Food Gifts, for The New York Times.

What is your favorite part of the creative process? 

Once a painting’s background and basic elements are figured out, it's fun to refine the image—choosing colors and values that work with what's existing; and deciding the how of the what, as I paint.

Do you keep a sketchbook? What is the balance between art you create on paper versus In the computer?

I don't keep a sketchbook, but I do have a colorful heap of post-it notes scrawled with ideas. All of my paintings are on paper, then I store digital files of them.

What is your favorite time of day for working? How do you spend the first hour of your work day?

My ideal workday is from 4pm til 1am. Even as a child, I found it very difficult to get up at 7:00 for school. I'd get stomach aches. Those early hours feel so unnatural.

Lisheen, an uncommissioned painting of a house I saw in Maine.

What are you reading?

I just finished the Memory Palace by Mira Bartok. Before that I read Just Kids by Patti Smith. Coincidentally they were both autobiographies about (in part) art school experiences. I like biographies to learn why people made the decisions they made. Getting down to the honest dirt is where things grow from.

Who and what are some of your strongest influences?

When I was starting out, some of my influences were the work of Camille Bombois, Americana of all kinds, and Martin Parr's odd photos. At this point in my career, I am inspired by all kinds of beauty, order, or simplicity: interiors and representations of interiors—from folk art, to the show at the Cooper Hewitt a few years ago called “House Proud;”  Kinukiniya (the Japanese bookstore across from Bryant Park);  psychological films like Mike Leigh’s and mid-career Woody Allen, and anything Steve Buscemi directs; my incredible family I love so much; the drive to our country house; the beauty of flowers; color; Ridley Howard. A friend just sent me a book of work by Charlotte Salamon, a Jewish artist who was killed in Auschwitz at about age 30. The book is in German so I can't read it. But her work is honest, personal, and has an elegant balance of being graphic and allegorical.

What was the biggest mistake you ever made and what did you learn from it?

I wish I had known the joys of dog parenting earlier in life. We got Seamus—my first dog ever—five years ago. He's a sensitive, peaceful, accepting family member with a velvety pink belly like a piglet. He’s a brother to my son and is very loyal to all of us.

What was the last art exhibition you saw and what did you take away from it?

There's a sculpture of a nice little cracker that is actually just a slab of perforated brown clay in the Mouse Museum at the Claes Oldenburg show at MoMA. That, and another piece, a brown blob titled Loaf of Bread, were reminders that not only subject matter can be a simple representation, but the process can be, too. His work is so immediate and playful and refreshing. I also appreciate glorifying mundane stuff.

What are some of your favorite blogs/websites for inspiration?

I don’t have any favorite blogs, but ebay photos with peculiar compositions, and amateur real estate listing photos are pretty good accidental art. Carin Berger's facebook posts of art and artist collections are also wonderful! She is a true public service.

Has social media been a boon for self-promotion? Or do you have methods you’ve always used that still work?

I don’t promote—or use social media—nearly as much as I should! I keep thinking I’ll hatch some new plan, but then when I have a chunk of time in the studio, I’d rather use it to paint.

Above: Portrait of Mary Elizabeth Woodward Nelan, for Carnegie Mellon's Highlands Circle book, for donors who contributed $1million and up.

Have you ever had a creative block with a deadline looming? What do you do to get crackin’?

In terms of concept, something always comes to mind even if it’s not immediate. I live with an artist, so we show each other ideas all the time and talk about our work. If there's a block, it's more in controlling the composition or paint to do what I want it to. Sometimes to get into the right state of mind, it's just a matter of listening to something disco-y or pop-y. A clean work surface always helps, though some might say straightening up is a form of procrastination.

Where do you teach—and what do you like best about teaching?

I’ve taught at Parsons. And last year, I mentored a graduate SVA student, who crafted a beautiful thesis project. Witnessing the trials and errors that lead to a young artist coming closer and closer to their most honest expression, is thrilling.

What advice would you give to a young illustrator who is just getting noticed?

Make friends with taking risks; be honest and open; and don't be lazy!

Juliette Borda has illustrated thousands of articles, stories, web pages, ads, books, brochures, and packages. She is currently working on a graphic novel for middle readers, Misty, as well as picture book with Brian Cronin. Prints of her work can be purchased through Renee Rhyner & Co. Her work was selected for AI32 and she is a member of Picture Mechanics.