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

Dan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

When I decided to pursue work as a full time artist, I didn’t anticipate the challenge it would be to maintain love for the creative process.

I was drawn to art initially because of the joy I felt in playful exploration, but as it grew into an occupation, I found myself feeling more and more responsible to create what others would consider a ‘quality’ piece and slowly became more convinced that I couldn’t afford the luxury of experimentation and failure.

My processes became less playful and more mathematical.

Technical ability can be a beautiful thing, and I admire it in so many other artists. Unfortunately, my own drive for growth created a sort of poverty mindset that took all the joy out of what I was doing. Every creation became a checklist task. Every commission became a job. I was afraid to try new things.

To be completely honest, I’m not out of the woods on this yet, but I’ve come to learn better the value and necessity of life-giving creative exercises.- Trying and failing and having fun.

I’ve spent the past year prioritizing these exercises, and I’m more excited than ever about the work I’m producing.

Dan, 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 began my art career primarily as a muralist.

My first medium was Spraypaint, and because large surfaces are much easier and faster to paint with rattle-cans, it felt like the perfect path. Over the past 15 years, I’ve expanded my work into acrylic and oil painting on canvas, wood carving and built installations, and most recently ceramic figure sculpture. Combining these interests, I’ve been able to create vivid, interactive environments for clients wanting to give identity and distinction to their space,

My work today exists in the dichotomy of client commissions and collectable creative work.

When commissioned to create murals or art installations for a space, city or business, I usually prioritize the vision and identity of the client in the design, to create something that they can feel a strong sense of ownership in. Commissions are often a marriage of my artistic instincts and the client’s vision. I love to start with an objective feeling they hope to create in the viewer and build the design out of that.

When creating collectable work for a gallery space or show, I just try to consider the world that presents itself to me and create honestly from my own experience. I like to then see what aspects of the art connect with the viewer and relate to the world they see. I think art is the best way for us to understand ourselves and each other.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I want to discover what’s right in front of me that I can’t see yet. Through creative development, I’ve learned to see better the objects and people that make up my environment. I’ve learned to see light and color and form and texture in ways I never knew before. Most recently, I’m learning to see myself better.

I hope the creative journey for me will be a journey of constant discovery and delight.

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

I think it would be helpful both to society and to artists if we could disassociate the value of art from a utilitarian purpose.

Art can be helpful when we want to sell products or promote an ideology, but i think it’s best purposes are not manipulative. Sometimes art helps you by answering a question, but most of the time it helps best by creating more questions inside you.

Art is something that happens to the artist, then happens to the viewer, and for some reason we feel like this happening is important. If we were to be honest, we probably don’t completely know why.

I think that’s cool.

I think it should do things to people that they don’t understand….yet.

Artists need financial support in order to live and spend time creating. If ‘add’ art is the only thing they can sell, they might never get the chance to explore more abstract contributions. I’m biased for sure, but I think we gotta have some confidence in the virtue of creative mystery.- arts virtue is tied to the human soul.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.danblack.work
• Instagram: @danblack_who
• Facebook: Dan Black Art
• Linkedin: Dan Black