We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Fin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Fin, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
The learning process is why I talk so crazy about all that I do. I wasn’t a child prodigy. My parents don’t have political affiliations or industry connections. The only thing I might’ve. been a natural at was being funny. Everything else was alot practicing and hard work.
I would watch cartoons and draw the characters as I watched. I ended up being decent at that then that led to me drawing on my jeans.
Emulation was how I learned at first, but then I got into studying and research. I really become a nerd about the things I’m into, mad scientist even. I put the 10,000 hrs in at least 3 or 4 times.
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.
My parents named me Charles and I named myself Fin. I’m originally from Chicago IL, but I’m basically a honorary LA native at this point. I’ve been in California for almost a decade now and I’ve grown magnitudes since we last chopped it.
I’m an artist with many mediums just tryna do it big on this vast rock we’re all spinning on. I’m somewhere between Hov and Walt Disney but my Mom would probably say “You just you, baby” So yeah, I’m just Fin.
I’m a recording artist, actor, fashion designer, illustrator, manager, producer and creative director. I move and speak fluently through all of these modes, and its always been that way even if I tried to fight it in the past. My brand is Fincoland, and that encompasses everything that I’m passionate about included what I mentioned above. My goal with Fincoland is/was to have fun. What could I do to make my inner child happy? My character Sham is a guardian for that inner child and all of the child-like inspiration and excitement I feel when I create.
Throughout my journey what I’m proud of most is my resiliency. Pursuit of your passion is not easy and I’ve just stayed the course. The creative is unprotected out here. The industry will punk you if you let it. I’m proud to say that it just made me a monster of the best kind, but I’m still kind. Kind, but not a bitch if I can use colorful language. It’s funny, I’m just grateful for it all. There was no easy way, I stayed solid and I improved. The path not linear, it might even look like u going in circles, but stay the course and don’t be afraid to transform.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Don’t play us, PAY us. If we were always being compensated properly we wouldn’t feel so pressured to always create for monetary gain. Artist get so much disrespect, not me though; my favorite combo starts with a lead hook and a straight. My point is society tends to treat beautiful things poorly and as a artist we create beautiful things, so it’s no suprise that we get treated poorly. Arts as a whole needs too be treated with more respect and I think that would trickle down to the treatment of the artist
You got people being able to type in prompts in AI and calling themselves artist. That’s disrespectful to the kid that was practicing for 10 plus years. Art is a process in a instant gratification society.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
NFT’s still exist? To be honest, people aren’t going to stop liking tangible art so I don’t have a view on NFT’s. I literally don’t even look at them. I wonder how much them chimp pictures worth now. Naw, now that I think about it , I was hating. Felt like one big play for people that aren’t creatives to put themselves in spaces like they were.
I knew it was a play when everybody kept telling me how much I would kill it but these are they same people the wouldn’t buy anything physical from me. Like something you can actually touch. I’m supposed to believe you’re gonna buy a digital sweater from me? That’s crazy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Fincoland.com
- Instagram: Finstervelli
- Twitter: Finstervelli
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/fincoland
Image Credits
@Hulli__
@lefilmmm