We were lucky to catch up with Ben Walters recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ben, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned to draw when I was very young. When I was in about third grade I had an art teacher that was very influential in the early development of my interest in drawing and painting. She granted me two separate opportunities to take classes at the local art museum and that made a huge impression on me.

Later when I was in my twenties I began working at an Apple retail store and got to experience the rollout of their Today At Apple program, which included a number of very useful learning sessions centered upon the iPad and Apple Pencil with the Procreate App. Since the beginning of that program I took every opportunity to learn as much as I could and attended more than 100 of their free sessions to help myself become proficient with my iPad. I learned a great deal about how to use those tools to create more efficiently and effectively in a digital format. The iPad has become something that I use daily and has fundamentally changed the way that I approach any given creative project. I do still revert back to ink and paper frequently, however. That is a skill that has always been essential. As much as I appreciate the ability to simply tap to undo a line or stroke on my iPad drawing, I also value drawing with ink because I keeps my hand steady and my lines and strokes deliberate. I can’t undo ink.

The biggest obstacle that stands in the way of learning more as it relates to art and creativity is time. I work full time, I’m an architecture student part time, I recently started an apparel design business, and I have a girlfriend to devote my attention to. Finding time to learn more about the creative process can be difficult.

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

As a creative, I got my start professionally with the Pabst Blue Ribbon art can contest. I have entered 36 different designs over the last three years and finally got selected as one of the ten winners this year! That was the first major creative project I’ve completed with a significant payout and that has been a major milestone for me.

That moment helped me to realize that I could turn my skills and interests in art into something that can provide for me. I used the winnings from that contest to launch a clothing design company, WornAll Apparel, centered upon Kansas City focused imagery. Currently apparel is available on my website, wornallapparel.com, and through social media storefronts. I would like to grow to the point where I’ve got some community recognition and get my products into some brick and mortar stores. I also plan to expand the focus of the brand to highlight the greater Midwest even more as it grows, and also want to bring manufacturing and fulfillment in to a local partner. For now, I’m excited to see it grow and evolve as I learn more about what the people want.

I hope to use the spotlight from the Pabst contest to bring some attention and awareness to my new brand that it helped me to get started. I also would like to see more creative projects emerge from that spotlight, aside from what I’m doing with the apparel brand. I don’t want to overwork myself, but commission work in moderation is exciting.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is seeing my art in the wild. I’ve had countless friends, family members, and co-workers send me pictures of my design on Pabst beer cans from across the country and I’m always so grateful for the recognition. I hope to achieve that recognition with my apparel brand as well. I’ve only been in business for a couple of months, but other creatives who follow my brand have reached out to tell me they’ve seen me out and about wearing my designs and recognized me. The thing I look forward to most is seeing my apparel on people around the city. That will be such a validating moment for me.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to create a brand that is recognizable in Kansas City and available at popular local retailers. There is a colloquialism here that Kansas Citians have a tendency to dress like tourists. I find it near impossible to step out to any public space in the city without seeing numerous people wearing something Kansas City adjacent, whether going out for drinks or a trip to the farmer’s market. It’s everywhere and there’s a few brands that have demonstrated staying power with simple recognizable designs that people love. I’m hoping to create that recognition with my brand, but also create some fun unique styles as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: Wornallapparel.com
• Instagram: @WornAll_Apparel
• Facebook: WornAll Apparel
• Twitter: @WornAll_Apparel

Image Credits
Kylie Warner