We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Conrad Hunt. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Conrad below.
Conrad, appreciate you joining us today. What’s one of the most important lessons you learned in school?
“JUST DO IT.”
This is easily the first thing that comes to mind when I think about the most important lesson I learned in school. There are many, sure, but this could be considered the foundation. While we’ve all heard this infamous call-to-action from a certain leading athletic brand, this statement was, shall we say, cemented into my psyche in June, 2011.
Let me set the stage for you—quite literally:
The air is buzzing with excitement, spotlights illuminate deep red’s, green’s, and silver fabric. Camera’s flash from the audience as my fellow classmates are being presented by our teacher’s and school staff—high school is finally ending. We’re on stage at the Center for the Arts in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and it’s almost my turn to go up.
Gulp.
I was presented by (at the time) Summit High School’s Art Teacher and current Professional Artist, Michele Farrier, who helped me immensely during such a challenging, confusing and strange time. If I’m not mistaken, she taught throughout the Tetons for nearly 20 years, so as you can imagine, I’m not the only student who can say that. She wholeheartedly encouraged all of my whim’s, however indecisive and scattered they were. I’ve always wanted to do it all, and along with the support of many of the staff, my family, and friends, I felt like I could.
Anyway—back to the story—we’re all awkwardly fidgeting with our graduation cap’s, watching the slideshows and listening to our teacher’s recount all of the times we gave them a hard time… Oh, Michele just said my name (Yup, first-name basis. It was a very progressive school). I join her at the podium; the spotlights now feel like fire. Why are those grad. get-up’s so hot, anyway?! I’ll spare you the ego-stroke, but to my complete surprise, she finishes her speech by unveiling a primary yellow tee with the truest-green lettering you can print. In all cap’s—and with a cheeky smile—she playfully called me out in-front of hundreds of people.
“JUST DO IT,” it read.
And I haven’t stopped.
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.
I’m Conrad Hunt, aka “CRADHX,” the Resident Artist and Owner of Lantern Arts in downtown Driggs, Idaho. We are a local, queer & independently owned private studio gallery that strives for bravery, inclusivity, and safety; dedicated to creation, transformation, and shedding light on the one thing we all share—our darkness.
I create art to help others, as art has helped me. Art and body modification—in all their forms’—are something I highly respect. My senior quote was by Kevyn Aucoin, and I was studying and doing presentations about art, hair & makeup, and tattoo history in college. Maud Wagner, anyone?
Art is my consistency, and it is helping unearth trauma, reclaim my body, and—actually—heal.
I specialize in custom, affirming, creative and empowering projects within fine art, hair, makeup & tattoos, and hope to return the favor.
Lantern is specifically structured to slow down, be thorough, and approach each clients’ needs and project with the time they deserve. Everything is priced upon consultation, and is as individual as the guests’ who walk through the door.
All gender identities, all skin tones, all hair types. Always.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
“Asking for permission.”
Absolutely. You will never get anywhere waiting for someone—or something—to approve your passion. This ties in well with the quote from before, and is how I got to where I am now. Don’t get me wrong, I’m far from perfect; I’ve failed a bunch, but I had to try. You have to try. You have to fail. You have to learn who you are—and most of the time—who you were. You have to trust yourself, because you already know who you are.
I have found that life is cyclical and based on returning to yourself, over and over again. You knew who you are and what you wanted the whole time, just like me.
I had to—and still am—unlearning so many defensive, traumatic responses and self-sabotaging traits. Mental health is something I’ve struggled with my entire life, but as I’ve grown up, I’ve been learning to process and sit with these difficult emotions in an objective, healthy way. My art practice is a massive factor in that recovery, as well as my partner, whom keeps me accountable.
I had to unlearn the need to seek validation; to ask permission, and learn to transmute all of that confusing pain and mystery into power. Action. Art.
If you believe you’ve got something worth pursuing and the stars aren’t quite aligning, it’s time to take a risk!
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Regardless of opportunities ending, being scarce, or nonexistent, after all of the “No’s,” you have to persist, and sometimes, you have to create your own opportunity.
I believe it’s all about consistency, discipline, and—actually, with all of the authenticity you can muster—believing in yourself. Building confidence. Learning and trusting your own repeatable, trained skills to know that—when opportunity strikes—you possess the tools necessary to walk your talk and deliver.
This stuff is scary, there’s nowhere to run if you actually want to succeed.
From freelancing to film and photography set’s, to college, through retail and cosmetology school, galleries, salons, spas, and tattoo & piercing shop’s, and now running my own brick-and-mortar business for 4+ years throughout the pandemic, I’ve learned that—while it’s all the same shit—it’s also all about words like, “Resilience.”
Overcoming the darkness is sort-of the theme of Lantern. Physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, sexual, etc. Maintaining balance. Meditation. Therapy. It’s all connected, it’s all cyclical and symbiotic. It’s a daily practice, and practice makes persistence.
Who needs perfection, anyway?
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cradhx.bigcartel.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cradhx/ | https://www.instagram.com/lanternxarts/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cradhx/ | https://www.facebook.com/lanternxarts/
- Other: E-mail: [email protected] Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/cradhx | https://www.venmo.com/u/lanternxarts PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/cradhx
Image Credits
Patrick Cunningham, Michele Z Farrier, Ben Chapple, Maddison Nielsen