Who needs higher education when you’ve got the collected works of Mr Jim Carrey? For Mr Jake Armstrong, the New York City-based film editor, illustrator, and musician by way of Brighton in the UK, the Mr Carrey cannon served as a kind of alternative to attending university, with comedy being the foundation and fuel for a career in the creative field.  “I always knew I wanted to do something creative,” Mr Armstrong says. “I didn’t want to get a pointless degree that would land me in a job I hated. So, I stuck with music, a bit of drawing, anything that I could put myself forward in a creative way and work alongside creative people.”

Mr Armstrong isn’t a comedian by trade, but his work in film and art has been shaped by a lifetime of consuming slapstick cartoons (Tom And Jerry to be precise) and repeated viewings of classics like Dumb And Dumber, The Mask, and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective. After all, the key ingredient to comedy is timing, something editors work their entire lives to master. And there’s really no better source of inspiration for an illustrator than an actor who happens to be a living, breathing animated character, complete with zany antics and unnaturally elastic facial expressions.

An academic upbringing of this nature has undoubtedly led to an unconventional career trajectory for Mr Armstrong. Following an idyllic childhood in the countryside, Mr Armstrong was eager to flex his creative muscles any way he could. Once secondary school was over and done with, he decided to commit to his band full time. His role went well beyond the stage, acting as the de facto creative director, producing gig flyers, album artwork, and music videos. There was something about shooting and editing videos that struck a chord with Mr Armstrong, so as the band started to wind down, he decided to pursue film editing full time. “I got myself a new camera, a laptop, editing software and filmed whatever I could,” he says. “I loved gathering all that footage and making a story out of nothing.”

Gathering happens to be a crucial aspect of Mr Armstrong’s creative process day in and day out. He moved to Brooklyn just a few months ago, but the city has already become a wellspring of inspiration and source material. For some, a place like New York is synonymous with urban chaos. For Mr Armstrong, it’s an oasis. “Sometimes, I’ll take a walk for a little bit of serenity, a break from the hustle and bustle, but I’ll end up picking up a ton of inspiration along the way.” With so many textures, layers and fleeting moments around him on a daily basis, it’s crucial to have a device on hand that can document everything in all its stunning glory.

The Samsung Galaxy Note10 has proven to be one of Mr Armstrong’s most powerful and dynamic tools in his artist’s kit, a device that is equal parts camera, mood board, canvas, and creative engine. “Little ideas come and go, but it’s the perfect device for capturing those moments straight away,” he says. “Anyone can take a photo, but with the Galaxy, you can draw on it as you’re going so you don’t lose anything.” There are quite a few other standout features that Mr Armstrong typically uses for his work, chief among them being the massive cinema-grade screen and the S Pen, an advanced stylus with intuitive air actions, natural dexterity, and a finesse that gives a whole new dimension to Mr Armstrong’s illustrations.  “I love having a pen in my hands,” he says. “I use a stylus to edit, so it goes hand in hand with drawing.”

Though an avid illustrator at this point in his career, drawing didn’t really become a passion until much later on in life. Last year, Mr Armstrong was in the throes of an annus horribilis when a friend suggested he compile a list of 30 tasks to accomplish in the year ahead. Nothing too ambitious, just small, achievable things to keep his mind turning in a more positive direction. One of those tasks was to attend a life drawing class (another was to visit New York City, which turned out quite well). “I used to draw a lot when I was younger,” he recalls. “I hadn’t done it in so long, since I had picked up editing. As soon as I took that class, I completely fell back in love with drawing and haven’t stopped since.” Now he finds himself doodling on his phone well into the early morning hours.

The resulting body of work can only be described as a radiant spectrum of pop culture motifs that are bursting with bold colour, energy, humour, and Mr Armstrong’s distinct interpretation of the zeitgeist’s most iconoclastic figures, from Mr Stan Lee to Cardi B. The city has inevitably crept into his more recent illustrations, a welcome evolution powered in part by the Galaxy Note 10’s contributions to his artistic vision.

Recurring elements from around the city that pop up in these pieces include the intricate iron lattice-work of New York’s bridges, vibrant graffiti adorning buildings or Subway cars, and even street vendors selling hot dogs. It could also be something as simple as seeing a colour. Whatever it is that catches Mr Armstrong’s eye, he remains confident in the Galaxy Note10’s ability to capture that lightning strike of inspiration. “The camera on that phone is absolutely amazing, especially in lowlight or at night,” he says. “On the Samsung, everything looks exactly how you see it in real life.”

For such a unique, multi-faceted approach to his professional life, it should be no surprise that a “typical” day in the life of Mr Jake Armstrong really doesn’t exist. Every new morning, evening, or spontaneous stroll through the city offers a bounty of inspiration as an editor and illustrator.  “In the grand scheme of things, a good day is when I get to be creative,” he says. So, as long as he has a blank canvas – or screen, rather – in front of him and a story to tell, it’s safe to say there will be plenty of good days ahead.