We recently connected with Farzad Golpayegani and have shared our conversation below.
Farzad, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
Yes, I’ve been fortunate to earn my living solely through my creative work. Throughout my career, I have engaged in freelance, contract, and full-time positions. However, I believe I achieved financial success only when working full-time jobs, and for the past ten years, I have adhered to that plan with rewarding results. I consider myself a multi-disciplinary professional, as I am a designer, visual artist, and musician. My strategy for sustaining myself has been to concentrate on design and art direction.
During my tenure as a freelance designer or while giving private guitar lessons, I enjoyed the flexibility of working during my preferred hours. However, it was always a challenge to secure quality work or have enough students to maintain a consistent income. As mentioned earlier, I have been working full-time for the past ten years, and although my hours are longer, I am pleased to have overcome those previous concerns.
Another advantage of full-time employment is the opportunity for career growth. Besides gaining more experience in the field, I have expanded my design skills, delving into 3D and motion graphics, UI design, and honing my ability to manage teams and projects. Achieving such progress would have been challenging in freelance or teaching roles, given the inherent limitations of those professions.
Another point worth mentioning is that I made a conscious effort not to remain confined to my comfort zone solely as a graphic designer. I challenged myself to broaden my knowledge and skills. Approximately six years ago, upon my return to Los Angeles, despite having numerous years of graphic design experience, I encountered difficulty securing a desirable position. It was during this period that I explored fields in which I had less experience, dedicating a significant amount of time to self-teaching and acquiring additional design skills. I explored working with applications with which I had limited or zero experience, essentially striving to cover any design-related areas where my knowledge was lacking. Though I searched for jobs for about six months, once I enhanced my abilities, I began to see positive results. Over the next few years, I found myself more experienced, confident, and securing much better-paying positions.
Currently, in my role as an art director, I manage projects related to web and app design, web development, digital and print advertisement, photo and videography, 3D modeling, motion graphics, packaging, video production, as well as overseeing design teams and projects, among other responsibilities.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I simultaneously engage in the music field as a musician and producer, work as a visual artist involved in both traditional and digital media, and have built a career as an art director over the years.
My followers predominantly recognize me for my artistic endeavors, particularly in music, painting, and drawings. These are the focal points of my online presence and social media promotion. I have released nine solo albums and a few EPs, occasionally performing my music live. As a multi-instrumentalist, my primary instrument is the electric guitar, but I also play acoustic guitar, bass guitar, and violin. My musical style leans towards progressive metal, infused with a Middle Eastern and fusion twist.
In terms of visual art, I create digital and traditional paintings, employing mediums such as acrylics and oil. My artistic style is characterized by elements of surrealism and expressionism. For the last few collections, I have crafted artwork corresponding to each track on my recent albums. Currently, I am working on a collection inspired by my album “Nine”. I have showcased my paintings in several international exhibitions.
Apart from what I mentions earlier, I hold a degree in graphic design and serve as an art director in the marketing department of our company on a full-time basis. I’ve achieved a balance by ensuring a stable income through my design career while passionately creating art and music for the love of the craft. Although my colleagues might be aware of my dual roles, I maintain a professional distinction by not highlighting my artistic endeavors. I don’t mention my art and music activities on my art director CV. This approach allows me to seamlessly continue both aspects of my creative activities.
What I wish my followers to understand about me is the originality inherent in my creations and my dedication to continuously improving my work. Perhaps more significantly, I have come to realize that, in order to produce the finest music and art that my followers would appreciate, I must first create them for myself, in the best way possible and solely for the sake of art. Only after that personal satisfaction is achieved I consider publishing or sharing my creations with everyone. When crafting music and paintings, I am entirely indifferent to whether they may be commercially successful or not. My primary concern is the sense of fulfillment I derive from the creative process. If that satisfaction is attained, I consider my work successful, irrespective of its exposure or financial outcomes.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I believe that focusing on the art itself and disregarding the noise and gossip surrounding it would significantly benefit the art industry. I don’t entirely blame the majority of society for this issue, though. A large part of the media and those who benefit from this distraction contribute to the problem. Many talented artists and musicians remain underrated because they don’t conform to the system’s expectations.
However, artists themselves play a crucial role. Creatives need a clear understanding of their objective in creating art, whether as amateurs or professionals. I personally believe artists should free their minds from these concerns. It’s not that they shouldn’t do anything for exposure and financial success, but they should comprehend their target audience and the scale of their reach. They need to understand how much they want to be influenced by popular expectations.
Another crucial factor is that success shouldn’t be measured solely by the number of followers and income. These are entirely different aspects and do not determine the value of artwork.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Fourteen years ago, I made a bold decision to leave my birth country, Iran. At that time, I had already cultivated an audience for my music, regularly performing to sold-out shows, and finding galleries to showcase my art was relatively easy. However, the extensive censorship and limitations imposed a sense of risk and unease on the entire experience. Recognizing the need for a more open environment, I chose to relocate to a different country, first moving to Istanbul, Turkey, and eventually settling in the United States. I anticipated a contrasting atmosphere with a significantly smaller audience compared to Iran, but one that would allow me to pursue my music and art freely.
Upon my relocation, I faced the challenge of rebuilding my audience multiple times, performing at much smaller shows. In many aspects, it felt like starting from scratch. Not being as young, the experience of facing rejection became a bit more challenging to digest. Nevertheless, I persevered and consider the decision successful. Along the way, my priorities shifted, and I found myself developing new preferences compared to my time in Iran. What I’m trying to say is that while that younger version of me in Iran may have been successful, it was on a much smaller scale compared to my present situation. The bold move of abandoning contacts and audience there ultimately led to gain a priceless experience and a much better view to the whole picture.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.farzadonline.com/
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/farzadonline
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/farzadonline
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/farzadonline
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/farzadart
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/farzadonline
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6BDEfxWlzHxp6eQDtXrx10 Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/farzad-golpayegani/442117517 Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Farzad+Golpayegani