We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Andrew Puccio. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Andrew below.

Alright, Andrew thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I’m here to help creatives Feel Less Lonely.

I remember discovering my favorite artists as a kid. Mesmerized by their talent, charisma, and dedication to their craft. I would say to myself “One day, that will be me!” So I set out to start my creative journey believing that I could do everything on my own. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Rewind a bit, my creative journey started when I was around 16 years old in the form of music. I was relentless in my efforts to “make it” Just like my friends who were in sports I was practicing day in and day out with a one-track mind. This focus and drive led me to pursue a degree in music and then ultimately I was able to find a job directly out of college.

When I was 27 I hit one of the hardest roadblocks in my life. The career I had been pursuing in music had come to an abrupt end, anxiety and depression had finally caught up to me, and I was, for the first time in my adult life, starting over. The love I had for music as a creative outlet and a career path faded. I became jaded, hurt, and resentful. I left it all.

It didn’t take long for me to find a new creative outlet through photography and videography. And as I took those first awkward steps into learning a new craft I began to dream again. I found those idols, those people who, like road markers, would serve as a guide for me on my creative journey. And as I looked at their abilities, accomplishments, and success I began to ask the question “How in the world do they do this.”

And that’s what leads us to my mission and passion to help creatives Feel Less Lonely. As I looked around I saw so many successful creatives celebrating their wins, displaying their proficiencies, and at times even teaching others how to do what they did. But as I watched I couldn’t help but feel the disconnect in their delivery. It all felt so lonely. From learning on the internet through a computer screen, to sharing work that received very little attention thoughts and feelings would start to creep up. I would question myself, question my path, and wonder if I should just give up or focus on a “real job.” I had failed once, and I knew that failing, again and again, may just be part of the process. So why wasn’t anyone addressing these thoughts? Why was it all hype and good vibes only? Where were the people sharing the REAL creative journeys?

So I took it upon myself to be what I needed for others. A creative who wasn’t afraid to show their work. To speak honestly about the creative process, share the losses just as much as the wins. I chose the photo and video niche because that’s what I was focusing on. And I knew that if I was feeling this way then others must be feeling the same.

The mission is simple: I”m here to help creatives feel less lonely on their journey by sharing my experience, speaking honestly, peeling back the facade of hype, and practicing inclusion in creative spaces. So lets get creative together and feel Less Lonely

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.

Since I answered some of these questions in my mission I’ll dive into a little more detail about craft & discipline

Craft:

So my craft is twofold: For personal work, it’s Photography and Content creation on youtube and Tiktok. For client work, it is traditional video production and content creation.

Personally, I focus on photography and content because it became my new creative outlet after I left music. In regard to what I provide online, I focus on film and digital photography all while trying to incorporate 5 act storytelling elements into my videos. Alongside photo content, I also discuss creative philosophy as well as some filmmaking. My goals with every video are always the same: 1. Have fun 2. Don’t take any of this too seriously 3. Inform, inspire, or challenge the viewer 4. provide context and nuance 5. Treat everyone as equal

I post videos once a week on youtube, photos on Instagram, and a mix of stuff on Tiktok. Come hang out with me on one of those channels if any of this stuff sounds interesting :)

Client-facing, my business Casa Creative is essentially a boutique video production company. We are a small team of creatives with varying skill sets and a wide array of experiences. Our specialty is in developing videos and content that ooze character and connect to our client’s audience. We’ve had a few great wins over the past few years with one of our favorite achievements being the CXFFEEBLACK To Africa Documentary that won best film in coffee in 2021 and has been seen all across the globe. Pretty damn cool.

Discipline: I’m gonna riff on this a little differently if that’s ok?
Discipline is something that I’ve always struggled with which is why I’m so hard on myself when it comes to it now as a full-time creative. I think it becomes a little easier to start taking discipline seriously when your paychecks are directly affected by your ability to bring in work or sell your art.

I’ve followed a lot of creative gurus who have mantras like “the reward for hard work is more hard work” or “keep your head down and don’t worry about any achievements.” I believe that these ideas are solid, but like any stubborn creative I’ve adapted them and molded them to my own mode of operation.

1. The reward for hard work is more hard work. And sometimes rest, and sometimes reflection, and sometimes nothing.
2. Celebrate every once and a while, if you don’t you’ll get depressed
3. Don’t wait for inspiration, inspiration is a drug.
4. Create something daily even if no one sees it
5. Be extremely kind and supportive of other creatives
6. There will always be someone better, but there is only one you

all of these disciplines help me stay sharp in my craft. Especially in a world where everyone has access to what I do. I used to think success would come when you were the best but I’ve learned that success comes when you focus on what you believe at your core. If you express your art and creativity through this lens than the opportunities eventually find you.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Failure is the way forward. What I mean by this is that things that are worth it in anyone’s journey usually take risk. The goal may be large and the challenge difficult but without this risk then we may never reach our new potential. I used to try and fail proof every decision I would make. Planning and calculating possible outcomes so that I could achieve my goals as fast as possible. I did this because I wanted to control my outcomes, avoid failure, and ultimately get what I wanted.

I’ve learned over the years that the risks we need to take may lead us down paths we never would have gone down ourselves. Sometimes those paths are filled with failures. But without these failures, I never would have been able to grow to where I am today.

The things I’ve learned and gained through failure may not always manifest in physical possessions or notoriety for my craft. But the internal benefit they’ve provided is priceless.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I’d say the most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is that I get to do what I belive I am hardwired to do. I think that’s often missed out on by so many people because of pressures that are put onto us by ourselves, family and friends, or other external forces. If you have an itch, scratch it, well, As long as it’s not harming others or yourself. For me that itch is creativity. I must get it out of me.

And when I finally do I feel the most connected to myself in every aspect of mind, heart, and body. I’ve made art that’s been seen by no one and art that’s been seen across the world and both have rewarded me with the feeling of fulfillment.

Contact Info:

• Website: andrewpuccio.com
• Instagram: a_puccio
• Youtube: youtube.com/lesslonely
• Tiktok: @lesslonely

Image Credits
Andrew Puccio