Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sean Mack. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Sean, appreciate you joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
I unfortunately can’t say it was my FIRST dollar but it definitely was one of the first real kind of major freelance gigs that I can remember. Back in my college days at College for Creative Studies in Detroit, MI, I had drawn event and party posters for a few folks in town. One of them happened to connect with an up and coming rapper who needed art for his first mixtape. We met at the Wayne State library where we realized we were both members of the Sean Club, and where he mentioned that he had recently signed a deal with Kanye West. And that’s how I ended doing an illustration for Big Sean’s Finally Famous tape. It being my first real big gig, I would’ve gone about it differently knowing what I know now from experience, but I will always appreciate the journey it took me on.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I was born and raised in Saginaw, MI. I don’t wanna say the cliché “I’ve been drawing all my life,” but I HAVE been drawing a good portion of it – starting with doodles of Ghostbusters, Mario, and Ninja Turtles. I don’t think I truly got into my industry until well after college. By then I had been doing the freelance thing for musicians and event promoters looking for illustrators.
I think around that time was when I really started getting more major deals, such as working with R&B star Musiq Soulchild on a few of his side projects (and eventually I did the full art for his album Feel The Real). I think that’s one of the works I’m most proud of. That and the mural I did for HBO Max’s Fresh Prince Reunion. That was honestly a full circle moment for me since I was a huge fan of the show growing up.
Even at the age I am now, I’m still figuring myself out, still trying to find out what about me does set me apart from other artists. I feel like most of my peers roamed the same DeviantArt streets I had, so it’s more so what influences us and our motivations that make us all different in our own unique ways.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
More focus on the arts in general. I think society has kind of moved away from the importance of arts of all kinds, especially now during this whole new wave of artificial intelligence being used in place of actual creatives. Sometimes it just feels like the world outside of artists doesn’t really see a value in what we do. If there were more focus on the creatives earlier in life, like in the schools and whatnot, I feel like people would get the chance to see just how important an artist is to society. I was lucky enough to experience a focused art program both in my high school days in Saginaw and also in college (College for Creative Studies)., but I don’t believe that’s something everybody has the opportunity to experience. Art being such a freeing and expressive medium in every form, I think anyone (even if they don’t have a desire TO be an artist) could benefit from the culture of it.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I think my current job is the most I’ve had to pivot as far my career path. After college, I was adamant about continuing with illustration and comics. Working on art for myself during insomniac hours and just trying to push and push. But finding art gigs, especially at the time when I was living back in my childhood home, were difficult to come across. The life of an artist can really be either extremely fulfilling or extremely frustrating.
I remember when I finally moved a bit closer to Detroit, I had to get a job at a home improvement store just to make ends meet. I remember it making me feel like bit of a disappointment because – what do you mean I can’t make a profitable living with just drawing cartoons all day? It was heartbreaking. But it was also during that time that I was able to make that Fresh Prince mural, which I honestly think helped make my way to working with CNN. Being purely an illustrator, pivoting over to more of a graphic design style took a lot of time to grasp. But also, I really do think it’s helped me become a much stronger artist than I was before. Also I know about… 95% more of the news now that I ever have before, which has its ups and downs sometimes haha.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://smackillustrations.weebly.com/
- Instagram: silentsmack
- Other: https://smackred.weebly.com/ – My art book series called “RED” that celebrates the feminine form with the help of many amazing women and non-binary friends. https://www.therevtimes.com/ – “The Revolutionary Times,” a comic that I and my childhood friend Brandon Howard had started during the college days.