We recently connected with Howard Kurtzman and have shared our conversation below.
Howard, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
As an artist, I’m constantly managing my time between painting, being creative, and figuring out the best marketing strategies for my business. So many times when I’m feeling deflated, out of steam, let down, or financially challenged, I think about my choices in life and if maybe I should have chosen another career. I’m surrounded by friends in the corporate world, listening to their daily lives, work experiences, successes and failures. I try to imagine myself in their situations. I fantasize about the steady income, but realistically, I’d be fired before end of day on my first day. The politics, deadlines, stress, pressure, discrimination, favoritism, hypocrisy. I’d go bananas on someone. I’d surely be thrown out of that environment with no way of coming back. That’s when I pick myself up, dust myself off, paint something which I believe is my great masterpiece, and I say thank you universe for giving me my art career.
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 Howard. howardofhoward. In 1986 my friend Denise brought paint to my house and suggested we try our hand at painting. I have been painting ever since. I’ve sold somewhere in the ballpark of 350 paintings since 1986. I combine colors to create each and every color on my canvases. I am self taught, and whatever style of art I paint is the style that came out of my hand, heart, head that very first day. My subject matter changes constantly, and many of my paintings are influenced by the colorful, wild, adventurous, dumb, lucky, scary, life experiences that have chosen to find me, and in indescribable ways. I’ve had multiple near death experiences and many a canvas are here to tell the story. Overall, I’m most proud of my commitment to my art, to paint almost daily for decades. To paint in my style, to stay true to myself. To be able to express myself, earn a living, and to be filled with joy on a regular basis. My howardofhoward is recognizable, constant, it’s a brand without having known what a brand is. I’m just a guy who paints and drinks Tequila and laughs a lot. The rest is just magic.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I’ve had every door slammed on me. One gallery to the next. I’ve had countless opportunities, product manufacturers, designers, architects, and on and on make offers to me regarding my art and ultimately leaving me standing there alone and disappointed. Time and time and time again, I’ve just had to shake it off. Keep moving forward.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
The reality of being an artist full time must have hit me sometime in my 20’s. To supplement my income, I started a landscape business. It was super creative, brutal, exhausting, draining, and instant gratification, which was what kept me going for 30 years. I loved seeing my finished work 60 minutes later. My Clients liked it too, and that’s why my business grew and grew. I was able to incorporate my art into my work, and ultimately sell many paintings to my Clients. Realizing that I might age out of physical labor, I got my real estate license. Again, another outlet to sell art to Clients.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: howardofhoward
- Email: [email protected]