We were lucky to catch up with Brandon Young recently and have shared our conversation below.

Brandon, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I am very happy as a creative person. Especially that I have been able to create a living for my family be doing what I love. Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to have a standard Salaried 9 to 5 job. There are great benefits to working for someone else, but in my opinion the the perks can be much more rewarding when working for one’s self.

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

My wife and I were teachers. She taught English and I taught sculpture and drawing. Although the act of teaching itself is one of the most fulfilling things in the world, all of the other politics and garbage that came with it was not so great. My wife chose to stay home with our second child rather than having her entire salary go towards day care. I was serving table to make extra money and I started making home décor signs to pick up a little extra cash too. As we started taking on more and more clients for custom work, I was quickly able to leave serving tables, and within a year I had retired from teaching to pursue work with our design company.

As the company started to rapidly grow, we took on the philosophy of if someone asked if we could do it, we said yes, and then we made sure me studied and practiced enough to deliver a product that they would love. This mentality laid the foundation of hard work and drive. many sleepless nights were spent grinding, studying, designing, and creating, all to ensure our clients would be happy with the end result. We primarily receive work by word of mouth and a good reputation, so I feel our work ethic was crucial in helping us grow at a fast rate.

One of the things that sets our company apart from other companies is that we help our clients build new and unique product from the ground up. This allows us to partner with our clients to create new and exciting products that the person receiving the gift will cherish and actually use. We do all the design work and manufacturing in house so we have the ability to adapt and react to clients needs. we also try to maintain our own style and voice in the project as to showcase our personal style that sets us apart from others.

We have organically grown our company without compromising our standards. Our clients are the best, they are loyal, and they help lift us to another level so that we can all grow together.

As we near our 10 year anniversary, we can’t help but feel like we have built something that will last for years to come as we hustle and grind to give our clients product that helps them stand out above the rest.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Human Beings have always been drawn to the beauty that goes along with Creation. As we transition from one generation to the next, creativity is quite literally in our DNA. This question isn’t about what society can do for artists, we are not parasites. it is a two way street, a symbiotic relationship, a valued relationship that provides enrichment to both parties. I feel that so often the narrative is either “oh we have to help support these poor lowly struggling artists” or ” I wouldn’t pay that much for that… my child could make that.” I find value in both of those arguments and I think the answer is somewhere in the middle. Artists have a responsibility to themselves and the the people for whom they are making the art. we live in a world where almost every aspect of life has been touched by an artist or designer. from the sleek and stylish look of your mobile phone, to the television show we watch, even to the clothes we wear; every color is intentional, every texture is chosen, ever little detail is created by an artist. The real question is why is it so difficult for the arts to be taken seriously when we have infiltrated every aspect of daily living. As Long as designers responsibly creating artwork that is of interest and available to the public and the buyers find value in their purchase whether it is a pair of designer clothes, a painting, or something you think just looks cool. the only thing I will say to the buyers in this ecosystem is DON’T SETTLE. don’t hang artwork in your house because you need to “fill a space” or because its “okay”. That doesn’t mean that everyone will be hanging Rembrandts and Warhol’s on their walls. Find Artists you like. Often hand touched screen prints and other artists prints that are actually made by the artists hands are similar in cost to what these big corporations produce unlimited numbers of prints my machine. Don’t ever buy artwork because you feel bad for the artist. hang artwork you love, and The rest will sort out itself.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

With every artist these days the big elephant in the room is “what’s your view on NFTs?” I love them! I prefer to view NFT’s as an art movement or period. The impressionists had their time, the French had the Rococo, modern art was a thing; and hell, even interpretive dance seems to have more credibility than NFTs. Not every brush that gets pressed to canvas will end up in the Louvre. Traditional arts have a wide range of talent, some are beautiful and transcendent while others are not even worth the linen they are painted on. Just Like with NFT’s everyone has a computer or a phone on which they can make digital images. Some of the artists are much better at captivating an audience than others. the only thing different is the crazy amount of monies that some of these seeming very average art pieces are being sold for. To understand the prices better you just have to realize that this is a “new money” thing. Some people moved up the financial ranks by making small investments that turned into huge corporations, others invested in crypto currency when it was brand new. If I would have invested about $100 in bitcoin 12 years ago, that investment would be worth about 8 billion dollars today. Its still such a new thing that people are still playing with fantasy type money they earned off their investment. It’s like the Wild Wes, is it a little unstable… yes, are their people trying to take advantage of others… yes. is there still a lot of money to be made by making the right investments… yes. that is part of what makes it exciting. lastly if you were to go back in time an ask da Vinci if he could have is artwork interact with his other paintings and even other artists work to create new works and different spaces, I think he would be excited about those prospects. In the end History will remember the ones who pushed the limits, created unique things first, and established a community that supported their love for the arts whether digital or analog.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.letter-craft.com
• Instagram: lettercraft

Image Credits
Brandon Young photo credit