We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brian Tan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Brian, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
The most recent big, life changing risk I have taken has been moving. I was born and raised in New Jersey, attended college in Vermont, and post grad moved to Brooklyn, NY. I’ve never lived anywhere outside the Northeast and I had never imagined I would, at least in the near future. I was very comfortable with my surroundings especially with my family and friends all relatively close by and just the general familiarity of growing up outside of NYC. I had a great job and my art practice was just beginning and evolving year after year. I was prepared to keep growing in NYC and to continue building relationships in my personal and professional life, establishing roots for my life in NYC. But then the pandemic happened. As most people, I imagined it would blow over in a week or two and we would be back to normal in no time. My fiance, Grace, worked in a salon, so when they closed shop, she decided to take this time to go visit her parents and return to work once the city reopened, I stayed behind as I was still able to work at my job and just continued life as usual but with a facemask, gloves, and pocket sanitizer. One week turned to two, then three, and a few months later I was still working alone in a lifeless city, unable to pay rent let alone live a normal life. So now I had to make a decision, move to Jersey to live with my parents and commute to work in Brooklyn OR leave my comfort zone, pack up everything, and move to where my fiance and her family were-Mobile, Alabama. As drastic of a decision it may have seemed I honestly didn’t think too hard about it. The idea of leaving what I already knew for somewhere completely unknown was actually an exciting prospect. I accepted that the city would take a while to come back to what it was and that I couldn’t continue to waste time for when it would. But one of my biggest worries was what would become of my life as an artist. I had no knowledge of the art or art community in Alabama and I imagined having to pivot in my art style or to give it up completely. Once I arrived I already knew I wasn’t going to stop making art but instead I felt reinvigorated to introduce my art to Alabama. I started researching local galleries, art markets, and festivals; reaching out to other artists and local businesses to showcase my art; and participated in the local art community as much as I could. The effort was more rewarding than I could have imagined. The art community here has graciously welcomed me and I am thrilled to still be making my art and finding a place for it in Alabama and the greater Gulf Coast. Looking back I believe I took the risk because I was ready for some change in my life and putting myself in new surroundings and challenging what it meant to be comforable has turned out to be well worth the risk. This move has been a priceless and life enriching journey and I am forever grateful to have had to opportunity to make such a change and been so well received.
Brian, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a Filipino-American artist born in New Jersey and currently living in Alabama. I’ve been creating my art since I graduated college in 2015. I create artworks that I sell online and at galleries and showcase my art doing live painting at events and working on murals and large scale work for local businesses. I provide my clients with a creative solution to decorating their spaces with a unique style of work. What sets me apart from other artists in the area is the general look of the art and what it does for the space it occupies. Wheras most local artwork is geared toward the softer beach and farm aesthetic my work involves mostly black and white bold line work generally not found in this area. I am most proud of sticking to my art style and letting the community decide if they enjoy what I create. The main things I would want potential clients to know about me and my work is that sometimes introducing yourself to something different and new can lead you to where you need to be. Don’t get so caught up in things that make you feel comfortable that you risk missing out on a fully realized life. Everything is embarassing and nobody has all the answers.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is getting to meet new people. Whether or not they are artists or creative themselves, I love having the privledge to be able to share what I do with others and getting to hear and learn about other perspectives.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My goal/mission driving my creative journey is just to make my family and friends proud, bring the people who’ve supported me along on this journey, and have some fun on the way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.btanart.com
- Instagram: @btanart