When I was growing up I always tapped into my creative side. My Mum is a great artist and taught me the ability to put my thoughts and imagination onto paper be it by drawing or writing.
As I got older I quickly learnt that trade based skills and the more analytical subjects at school weren't really my cup of noodles. I have always been drawn back into creating things.
Local lads, Mitch Revs and Shaun Wood have recently launched Art Talk, a podcast all about their journey as artists from amateur to pro. I just listened to Episode 2 in my backyard as I finished up painting one of our new bikes for Newy Rides.
It is all about 'the subtle art of becoming a playful adult' and not letting your creativity die to the pressures of adult life. As I listened with a rattle-can in hand finishing off the bike frame, it resonated with me the importance of tapping back into the playful side of life and creating, looking back at my relationship with art.
I'm definitely not a pro but all throughout my life I've come back to this creative streak time and time again. It's been extremely important to me.
My early journey as a creative goes something like this:
I loved art at school, drawing, paint and clay. My wife still makes fun of some of my weird clay pieces in my Dad's house
In primary school I was big into photography and even took out a swag of awards during my early years
I downloaded a pirated version of Paint Shop Pro and taught myself the software, creating weird stencils painted all around town and on the bottom of skateboards.
I bought a Mini DV video camera and taught myself video editing. My Year 12 major work was a short action movie (probably more of a comedy these days). I still continue to chop together bits of footage.
I learn bass guitar from the O.G bass player from the Split Endz bands and turned music into a job throughout high school and uni
At uni I got big into painting on canvas. Some good, others terrible.
All of these skills have helped me in my corporate life, also helping me put a brand behind plenty of my projects.
The point is, life is meant to be fun, similarly creating things should be an absolute pleasure and it's important to indulge in it when you have an urge.
I created Newy Rides in my backyard, mid 2020, with a stripped-down bike, painting it layer by layer, masking, stencilling and eventually finishing with a piece of art I loved. I needed an outlet during the 2020 lockdowns and this was it.
Newy Rides is still in its infancy, but without tapping into the creative urge it simply wouldn't exist.
Cheers for the inspo Shaun and Mitch. Legends.