We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Al Bowman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Al, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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 attended fashion shows, watched YouTube videos, and gained some skills from previous employers in areas of retail and art gallery operations/ event management/ marketing. To speed up my learning process, I wish I would’ve applied some of my knowledge sooner. It took me years to get started and I think I could’ve been further along had I actually possessed the confidence to try enter the creative realm sooner. I believe the most essential skill in creative spaces is the ability to communicate and network. Often times as a creative, you have to be able to promote yourself and your product/ services. You also have to be able to speak to other artists/ creatives whether it’s to collaborate or articulate an idea. An obstacle that stood in the way of learning more was me. I would often get in my own way by not showing up to events and not promoting myself. Another obstacle was money. Creativity does cost time and money, I had to make sacrifices at times to be able to show up as well as invest in myself.

Al, 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 am a fashion artist & creative based out of North Carolina. I am a big and tall model represented by TRUE Model Management (Brooklyn, NY) as well as a big and tall fashion influencer. I have been featured/published in over 12 publications and have worked on campaigns with companies such as Coach, Champion, and Strong Size. I also run my own creative agency, Al Bowman Creative Company, where we focus on custom branding items, event management/ curation, and serve as a lifestyle brand for artists/creatives. I also curated my own creative market & link up event called D.O.P.E. Pop-Up Market.

My love for art, fashion, and culture is what propelled me to start something of my own. I wanted to do some things my way, so I created my own platform to do that. I am most proud of my humble approach to my work and the relatability that my platform and I possess. I want potential clients/followers/fans to know that I put my heart into my work. Everything that I do means something to me and when someone wears a piece of mine, I am truly grateful that my message holds value to others.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I believe that the best way to support artists/creatives is to share their work. It costs $0 to support someone with a shared post on social media and it doesn’t require much time or effort. We want to share our work with the world and it means everything to us, to see someone other than ourself telling their followers about our work.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist/creative is having the ability to inspire others. Being able to connect with others through my art is still shocking. You never know how you can impact someone else’s life by simply creating and sharing your work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://albowmancreative.co
• Instagram: albowmanofficial / albowmancreative
• Facebook: Al Bowman Creative
• Linkedin: Narciso “Al” Bowman

Image Credits

Mela Jay Photography
J Low Visionz (Joshua Marshall)