We recently connected with Alfredo Ott III and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Alfredo 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.

As an artist, there are so many ways to express yourself. I think that artists choose the medium that feels right to them at the moment or one they have come to feel comfortable with. With me, I tend to stick to a few that I know I can express my thoughts clearly with.

One thing that will always be true is that the learning never ends. I’ve had teachers, books, and other artists that I’ve learned from. Today with digital media and the easily accessible and ready-to-go knowledge at your fingertips; people are learning at an alarming rate. I consider myself old school in a way, (even though I may not be considered that old haha) because I enjoy books, the younger version of myself not so much. I’ve come to appreciate taking my time to read and learn different things that interest me and also help with my art. Of course, I still will watch videos on art and use other platforms to gain knowledge and inspiration. As long as I have been creating art I have never gotten to a point where I felt I knew everything. I take pride in continuing to learn and grow as an artist, in whatever medium that may be. My life experiences give me inspiration and the books and instruction give me the skills I need to express myself artistically.

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

My name is Alfredo J. Ott III and I am a visual artist/designer/illustrator. I was born and raised in New Orleans, LA. After getting married in 2020 I moved to Houston with my wife Lindsey. We have a two-year-old son Alfredo IV that keeps me on my toes at all times. I recently retired from playing professional basketball overseas for 17 years (two in England and 15 in Spain). Basketball was always my number one love and art was its sidekick, but now the tables have turned a bit now that I’m retired. I’ve seen so much over the past years that I feel that I will never run out of content. I do still find time to play basketball in the local rec leagues so that I can release some energy and continue playing the game I love.

I have a B.A. in Visual Art from Dillard University in New Orleans and am pursuing a Master’s degree in Digital Graphic Design from UNIR (Internacional Universidad de La Rioja). My grandfather was an artist and was the person that sparked my interest in art. Most of my free time is spent caring for my kid. In my spare time, I try to create as much as possible. I create all of my art under my LLC Planet Ott. The name comes from me being able to create my own artistic world with my art and I also loved the BBC’s Planet Earth series. So I found it fitting to include my name in the title and go from there. I’ve always had a fondness for the natural world. I love learning about ways to be sustainable by reading books on sustainability. I also have come to have an interest in plants and growing my own food at our home. My family always jokes with me about the number of plants and seeds that I have around the house.

I am a visual artist/ designer. The mediums I work with are oil paints, acrylic paint, watercolor, pen/ink, pencil/graphite/charcoal, and digital art (Procreate, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.) I do some commission work along with creating works that inspire me. I’ve done a mural in Houston as well and may do more in the future if it comes to be. My subject matter varies quite a bit. I tend to create works that deal with nature, sports, history, and abstract art. These works may include portraits, landscapes, animals, and a variety of other things. I also design logos, and book covers and recently have taken on some illustration jobs (books).

I think my overall life experiences are very unique and allow me to have a very different point of view than most artists. I am proud to be able to continue doing something that I love and be able to call it my work no matter the scale.

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

Over the last 10 years or so art has become more prevalent in everyday life. Its incorporated in almost every aspect of our culture. I believe that it is gaining some momentum in recent years because people are beginning to see the emotional responses received from creative projects and collaborations.

I believe that art can enhance almost anything whether it be a clothing brand or a label on a box or bottle. Art allows things to stand out and have a feeling. It also gives a feeling or emotion to its viewer that can change a person’s mood. I think that many entrepreneurs and companies are using art to grow their brands.

I believe we should continue trusting in art and its emotional benefits to our overall existence. Art speaks in many ways, loud/quiet, direct/indirect, and more. It fills in the blanks and finishes thoughts. Art is and always will be the key to our society and its overall health and growth. Without art, I think that the world would be a very gloomy place. So I urge everyone to continue to support artists and find creative ways to incorporate art in your life, business, or whatever it is that you do. I promise the rewards will be extremely fulfilling in many ways you never thought possible.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist has to be, doing it your way. No one can tell you what to create or how to create it. I think that this is the most sacred aspect of being an artist; FREEDOM. To just go out and create what moves you is an amazing feeling in itself. Whether you’re a painter, writer, or performer; the objective is to create. Yes, there are times when art is so free and it’s done just to be done. This type of art can be lacking in emotion and also a connection with its viewer. The best art comes from free self-expression. It’s bold, it’s wild, it’s controlled, it’s organized/unorganized, it’s spontaneous, it’s everything. The thing I find so unique about art is that it speaks to everyone in a different language. That’s why I feel like artists should just create what moves them and not worry so much about who’s going to like it or not. There are billions of people in the world and I know that every work of art will communicate with someone in a particular way that makes them feel free. Our job as artists’ is to give our viewers a sense of the world we are trying to create. We need to connect to them in a way that speaks to their soul; a type of unspoken communication.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://planetott.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planet_ott/?hl=en
• Facebook: Planet Ott, LLC
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alfredo-ott-iii-4182b05a
• Other: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-alfredo-ott/shop