We were lucky to catch up with Len Peralta recently and have shared our conversation below.
Len, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
This is such a loaded question! There are days when I am working and I think to myself “Boy, it’s a good thing I know how to draw because I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t.” I’m very happy to have this talent, but I’d be lying if I said this career path wasn’t filled with pitfalls and drama.
I’ve consider myself very lucky to do the work I love to do, but also be able to support my family on an artists income. I don’t say this lightly because my wife and I have raised (and continue raising) 7 children. Would our lives have been easier if I just go t a solid 9-5? Perhaps it would have. But I wouldn’t have traded it for the time I was able to spend with the kids and the unique opportunities that have presented themselves to me during the course of my career.
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 have been a freelance creative for the past 20+ years based right here in Cleveland, Ohio. Over that time, I have been able to do design and marketing for a variety of clients both domestically and internationally. I have taught graphic design and illustration at the Cleveland Institute of Art. I am also the Lead Graphic Recorder for the Atlanta based company The Sketch Effect.
I’m a recurring artist on the tabletop game Munchkin from Steve Jackson Games. I’ve worked on TV campaigns, websites, capital campaigns, advertisements and my own commissioned illustrations over that time as well. I pride myself on the ability to look at a. client problem, and come up with quick creative solutions that engage and entertain.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My main goal is to create thoughtful, engaging creative pieces whether it be my art and caricature work or my advertising and marketing work. My brand has always been about stopping the viewer in their tracks and I’ve been really lucky to work on a variety of projects that allow me the freedom to do that.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I recently had a conversation with a fellow artist that explained that NFTS may be the key for artists to battle against AI. I can see NFTs being used to verify that a human made a piece of art instead of a computer. I think NFTs will allow artists to rebound back to traditional art and also keep real digital artists working. I guess the future will see!
Contact Info:
- Website: lenperalta.com
- Instagram: @lenperalta
- Facebook: @LenPeraltaArt
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenperalta/
- Twitter: @lenperalta
- Youtube: @jawboneradio