We recently connected with Bryce Cobbs and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Bryce thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with 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.

I learned a lot about my own creative process through trial and error. Just experimenting with different tools and materials really helped me learn what i was most comfortable with and what i wasn’t. I think it was a blessing that i had such an interest in more than one style of art as it really opened me up to educating myself on numerous techniques. I think patience was the most important “skill” i could learn at that time. Just knowing and understanding that i was relatively new to what i was trying to do, and being okay with that and learning along the way. That allowed me to constantly have fun with the process and just enjoy my time making art. On the other hand, I think as i began to get better and find my favorite style and materials to use, my expectations for my work began to rise as well which halted my progress in a way. I would say that was my biggest struggle were the challenges i faced with my own expectations when i reached a certain level with my work.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I was born and raised in Roanoke, Virginia. I began doing art at a very young age. I was always a creative person but I really began to further my interest during my later years in high school. After studying art at VCU, i knew then that i wanted to be a professional artist so i guess i could say my career started then. During my time in college i worked on many commissions and sold prints to help fund whatever small expenses i may have needed to cover. That, in a way, trained me for what i would be doing in the following years as i now am a full time artist doing mostly the same type of work. I do a lot of custom work for clients designing logos, taking on illustration projects like cover art or help with apparel designs, or even just painting family portraits and things of that nature. I think my ability to do a lot of different types of art and design like logos and family portraits allows me to be versatile and always on my toes learning new things.

I am most proud of the opportunities my art has awarded me. From doing projects with major companies and music artists, it shows me that the work i make is catching attention and that is the most humbling thing i as an artist could ask for. I would like it if my potential clients would understand that when working with me, they should expect high quality work and know that i will put every ounce of creativity i ave to bring their ideas to life.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

As i stated before i went to college at VCU to study art. However, i never fully completed my undergrad and ended up leaving school for what i thought would only be a short while. During this time i was lost as an artist, not sure what i would do in the time i wasn’t at school. I felt like i let a lot of people down including myself mostly. I was worried my creativity would fall off and i would begin losing the passion for art. However, the exact opposite happened, I began to work more and experiment with different things creatively as i had years before. I took the time to hone my skills and was blessed with the opportunity to help design music artist, Wale’s album cover in 2019. Only a year after leaving school. This felt like i was being rewarded for trusting God and trusting his plan for me even when i was doubting whether or not my decisions would cost me. Probably my favorite moment to think back on when thinking of resilience.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

In my journey i have always made decisions mostly based on emotions. I will think hard on the pros and cons but ultimately choose what i feel my heart is leaning more towards, despite anyone else’s opinion or thoughts on the matter. I believe a lot of people on the outside looking in at that type of mindset, dont understand the willingness to be so risky. Some things I’ve decided to do regarding my career and what i felt was best for it, was done with no safety net in place and done against the advice of close friends and family members. However, i believed in my heart and soul that in order to get certain results you have to do things differently than those around you. I quit two jobs to become a full time artist, something a lot of my friends and people around thought i was crazy for. However, i just knew that art was something that if i put my all into, would be fruitful for me in the end.

Contact Info:

• Website: ArtByBryce.com
• Instagram: Art By Bryce
• Facebook: Bryce Cobbs
• Twitter: @BryceCobbs
• Youtube: Art By Bryce