Michael Rich's art practice has largely been informed by his humble beginnings. During his childhood, he traveled to various coal mining encampments in West Virginia and Southern Pennsylvania with his mother who was the front woman of a Loretta Lynn cover band. The family lived in their car from 1989-1990, and relied on relief services in the area for basic needs. During this rough period, Michael began a friendship with a local craftsman, Chet Williamson, who taught him to carve wooden totems, piquing the impressionable young man's interest in creative work. Michael consistently credits Williamson with saving him from his battles with substance abuse and encouraging him to apply to art school despite his family's wishes that he join a local union.