Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Gage Layne. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Gage, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.
Corporate America gets plenty of things wrong such as the way outsourcing is pursued, choice of material, waste products, as well as labor sweatshops to produce something at minimal risk and high returns.
Gage, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I have always been interested in the choices of craft i follow. I’ve just matured as i did in age with my styles and techniques. I am more drawn to painting portraits but don’t confine myself to that. I also am a fashion designer and choose very carefully where i source my products. I prefer using stuff that’s considered waste like a couch being thrown on the street and gutting it for leather. I’ve recently curated a new fragrance as well as hand crafting the bottles to spray and mixing my own formula of wax to lay a physical plane of design rather than choose to use something like vinyl. Im experienced in digital graphic designing as well as illustrative works. Im a jack of all trades. A master of none. I don’t like to set myself apart from others because we are all one and the same if u take away choices that are made by individual. We all have potential to achieve greatness and always the student. Im most proud of never folding and always honing on my craft. Everything new i do is beyond more beautiful than the last creation. My brand and LLC are under the name “You Can Leave Your Body INC.” and it is to make you think harder when observing works of my own as well as see the bigger picture.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My story is that of my entire life. Growing up with out a father and a drug abusive mother. I moved out at 14 and lived with my brother after years of purgatory, mental hell and massive instability. My brother ended up choosing to kick me out while in high school at 18 and forcing me to live in my friends basement while working on graduating. I finished earlier and moved to inner city Columbus where id find myself becoming homeless and couch surfing many of times while all at the same time i continued to skate, make art, and push myself. None of this would have been possible without the people who have and still do support me and my journey. Im still at it except this time i have my own place where my 2 and a half car garage is my studio i share with one of my best friends. So being dependent on an outsource to externalize my emotions i dove head first in everything i do and thats where my artistic energy burns from. It’s all I have.
How did you build your audience on social media?
The way i was able to build an audience for myself through social media was by being nothing but myself and not hiding it. Over time i grew followers through my skate boarding and eventually gained followers solely for the other artistic endeavors i embark on. Social media is a tricky echo chamber that swallows everything you post and sits dormant eternally silent waiting for a random human or AI to stumble along and grasp it. In other words, as long as what your posting doesn’t hurt others or yourself, then have no shame and be authentic with how you represent yourself or your brand.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.instagram.com/nocapdaddi
Image Credits
Product shots of my fragrance and models go to Kai Gordon.