Hustle VS Passion… or both (@acrylicalchemist)
If you saw what your future could be, but knew the only way to get to the picture in your head was to sacrifice most of your free time “now” for the next 10 years, would you do it? It’s about knowing that it’s not permanent. Or is it? Is life going to be this busy forever? Would it be that bad to bring the traits of grinding 24/7 into something that you are truly passionate about?
I believe Brett Chell knows what its all about. After interviewing this man, I walked away with a few tips of my own about what it takes to make it. So here’s a little info about Brett… He’s a Serial Entrepreneur with a need for speed and an eye for art that draws attention in any room. What he’s doing in oil and gas is ground breaking, pushes the limits on innovation and technology, but what he’s doing in art is personal. It’s a part of him. It puts him on a new level. But even better, he doesn’t give a shit if you like it or not because the way he expresses his art is his way of channeling his creative energy. Just a heads up though, his art is amazing, so you will like it... Catch him on his instagram @acrylicalchemist for a peak.
When I asked Brett how he got into art his story resembled that of a modern day rain man. Obviously not to the extent of the mental health issue Dustin Hoffman faces in the movie but as a kid he seemed to be drawn towards drawing more than school work and his parents may have been concerned at the time. If he had it his way he would have taken art 40 times over in school. His post secondary school consisted of a scholarship at Emily Carr School of Fine Arts in Vancouver. He would have stayed in and quite possibly been on a different track had it not been for the lust to keep up with his friends and join the rat race. All though art seemed to take a back seat in his life at that point in time he didn’t completely lose his dream. But he definitely went a different direction.
With his passion on hold until the unfortunate passing of his beloved sister, Brett was a busy man and was going only in one direction. Up. Up the ladder of success in entrepreneurship and networking. However, it wasn’t until his sister's passing that he really questioned it all. He questioned if he was doing what he loved to do in life. His answer to his own question left him with only one answer. Pick up where he left off and begin to get lost in his own world again.
Since he started back up he has been creating intricate “modern day graffiti meets gallery art” style pieces. His use of bright colors reflect his brains wave lengths. A way of replicating the contrast between chaos and structure.
Though Brett now works hard at both his passion and his 3 start ups he finds the biggest difference between the 2 to be functionality. Here’s a quick run down between the two in his eyes.
Day Job- More of a function, work hard, work steady, 15-18 hours days and has an end goal in sight. Smash goals and make money.
Art- Time just passes by, a whole day can pass and you wouldn’t even know it. The creation process is one of the coolest aspects, as you learn about yourself in the moment. It uses a different part of the brain and connects you to a new world.
To be mentally clear and empowered is almost like having a Jedi skill. To have this type of feeling when doing any thing your passionate about is a key ingredient to a happy life. If there’s one thing that has stuck with me the most after my interview with Brett is this… When persuing your dreams and creating content for the world to see you need to “Make your own value!” Put a price on what it is you care about. Whatever you think your piece is worth is what you make. Never sell for anything less than what you value it to be. If you never sell a piece then maybe you lack in other areas or maybe you need to brush up on your skills, but the bottom line is this. Don’t sell yourself short because then the whole world will as well.
Some important findings to Brett’s early success in the game is the fact that he identifies with his audience. “Know what content they want and make it tie along with what you feel creative about.” Brand your art properly!!! Create designs and art based on how you sell it. One cool thing I’ve seen come from Brett recently is a promo video he did with Jake Mcleod. Jake’s a young videographer from Utah. His work with Brett is impressive and I look forward to seeing more content come from him.
As Brett definitely has a busy year building an empire and continuing to create masterpieces he is also aiming to get into the Miami Art Show next year. Keep an eye out for new stuff in the works and if you would like to buy prints or some of his pieces you can follow his instagram for more info.
As the title state’s "Hustle vs Passion.. Or Both" I find it suiting to reiterate the fact that no matter what your situation may be in life. Whether your succeeding or not. Use your current experience to shape how you will get to your end goal and if you lack current experience then there’s only one thing you can do isn’t there…
