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

Alright, Brent thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned by doing and I continue to learn by the act of creating. This sounds simple, however, speaking from a creative’s aspect, it is easy to endlessly think and think about projects and possibilities, but the real magic only happens in the act of creating.

A common feeling that has caused so many obstacles in my career and, I am assuming, in many others is fear. Fear of creating something that does not live up to our standards, fear of wasting time and concentration on a project that does not have the emotional and/or financial impact we intend, fear others will not like it, fear we are not good enough… all of these are the antithesis of the magic of creation.

Through a lot of mindfulness and meditation practices, I have learned that 99.9% of these fears are unfounded in reality and that by conquering these feelings, infinite positive possibilities exist… they are just waiting for us to act.

I acknowledge that the creative process is, and forever will be, mysterious, periodically elusive and, at times, difficult however, I have learned to embrace the adventure and the present moment of creation. The real masters in art are not the ones who have perfected the technical skills but rather the ones that have chosen to pursue mastery of their mindsets :)

Brent, 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 was always into art… my earliest memories are of drawing and creating almost daily… I was blessed with an interest in Creativity. I was also blessed with an amazing mom and dad who recognized my love for Creativity and put me in extra art classes outside of school.

Long story short, I graduated dental school in 2014 and said, screw that, I am going to follow my passion in art… I did not work a day of dentistry. Once I made the decision to leave dentistry I, for all intents and purposes, created and continue to create every single day of my life. Many would call this discipline but in reality, it is just pure passion and love for the amazing creative journey I am on.

I create joy and Inspiration… this is my service to the World. My big Mission in life is to inspire others, young and old, to follow their creative passions through joyous and playful art. My hope is that my art gives people/Collectors/art appreciators the inspiration to approach life with a more playful and creative mindset.

Another way I further spread joy and inspiration is that I work directly with Indivisible Arts, a 501(c)(3) that teaches kids mindfulness through Creativity.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

Creating is not easy. Only creatives truly understand the feelings and emotions behind the act of creating. I often tell people, when I am creating a painting, it often feels like the most monumental moment of my entire life, and I mean this with no hyperbole. To a lot of creatives, the act/process/moments of making a piece of art can become the most important thing in their lives… above their health, above their relationships, above everything! These profound feelings can be both beneficial towards the art and the artist however, and if I had to guess a majority of the time, this can be very personally damaging to the artists mental, emotional and physical well-being. This internal struggle of Creativity is something only true creatives will ever fully understand and it does not follow any current western scientific explanation. This is part of the great mystery of Creativity and art and one of the very profound reasons that human-made art will Always resonate and connect with humans far beyond anything AI will ever be able to “create”.

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

Human Creativity is capital! We need to foster a society that appreciates the true magic of human Creativity and honors Creatives and the beauty they bring to this World. As AI takes over more and more jobs, we as humans will always value great human created art, music, movies, experiences, stories, etc… Human Creativity will Never go out of fashion and I believe we should heavily emphasize and compensate creative pursuit in societies all over the World. I believe that true creativity comes from a place of pure positivity and that this positivity is one of the great healing forces of the World. We must seriously start reallocating resources to support and nurture Creativity!… maybe less bombs and bullets and more art museums and concert venues.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brentestabrook.com/
• Instagram: @brentestabrook
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brentestabrookart/
• Other: https://www.indivisiblearts.org/

  https://www.instagram.com/indivisible_arts

Image Credits

Michelle Mosqueda (photo of me in all of the plushies)