Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Brian Mock. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Brian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve always loved creating art, and I think I’d always dreamed of a creative profession, but the course of life steered me towards following my father’s footsteps into the printing industry. I didn’t jump into the professional world of art until I was in my thirties. I think I realized that my creative itch still hadn’t been scratched, and my passion certainly hadn’t been fulfilled, so maybe it was like my version of a midlife crisis, but after having some success selling my art as a hobby, I decided, in my forties, to try doing it full-time. Luckily my partner (who is now my wife) was 100% supportive, and we came up with a 5 year plan to see if we could really do this thing. Between weekends at the local art market, retail wholesale, and commissions, we slowly but steadily built a business that has sustained us both ever since. I constantly feel like pinching myself when I consider that I get to make art for a living.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I create sculptures made from 100% recycled/reclaimed materials. The primary medium is scrap metal, but over the years I’ve been adding other materials- plastic, wood, ceramic, etc. I’ve always been a resourceful person, so when I started sculpting, it was pretty natural for me to gravitate towards these materials. Used items are also so interesting to work with– they’ve had a purpose, or a story, before becoming something entirely new in a sculpture. By design, my sculptures ask us to evaluate the waste created by our consumer culture, and ask ourselves how we can do a better job at reusing items we’ve been quick to throw out. When scrap metal ends up in landfills, it can leak chemicals into nearby soil and water supplies, which is damaging to the natural habitats of the animals that de
pend on those resources. Over the course of 20 years, I’ve probably kept about 20–30 tons of metal out of landfills.

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

It’s extremely rewarding to witness the joy that my art brings to others. The positive feedback and intrigue are really what keep me going. And getting to do what I love is the biggest reward of all.

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

I really had to unlearn that art can’t be a profession. I never thought it would be possible to create for a living, so for so many years, I didn’t even try. I think if I’d considered that it could be a profession, rather than just a hobby, I would have pursued it more seriously earlier on.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brianmock.com
• Instagram: @brianmockart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brianmockart/

Image Credits
Brian Mock