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

Alright, Howard thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

Well, this is the fountainhead of my life actually. I have been painting since I’m five years old and by the time I was a young adolescent I had studied at the Art Students League of New York during the heyday of abstract expressionist art. But being a middle class kid in the city all I wanted to do was play basketball and I was already inculcated with the directive to be a ‘professional’ so off to law school, no more painting. I became a successful businessman raised a family got divorced and realized I had lost the real part of who I was. So, about 10 years ago I started to paint again and recently committed myself to it. Scary? You bet but I am now producing the work I should have and while more than a little a tightrope walk, my organic self, if I can describe it that way, is resurrected and vibrant. Hopefully, the business end of this, which I am so familiar with from my other life, will follow.

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.

As I said above, I have been an artist all my life but another life took me in a different direction and I let my true calling be replaced by it. Now that I am living as I must, my main goal is to make art that has depth, authenticity, beauty and meaning to myself and hopefully to as many art lovers and collectors as I can reach. I am most proud, after having the courage to make this life change, that my work is consistent and can be relied upon by potential acquirers to be relevant regardless of any particular school that may appear.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Most of the question choices on this dropdown are relevant to me such as building/buying/selling companies which I have done as a businessman several times as an investor, board member, owner etc. as I hope I have illuminated so far. But for this question the key is the “pivot.” In simple terms, I’ve had to make a giant leap to fully commit to my new life. Put the suit away but still figure out how to make a living at the same time I am making art in a world that is now itself as commercial and capital driven as manufacturing or any other category of commercial work. Talk about bootstrapping a business!

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I believe I just did. There is an enormous amount of art and artists out there and most of them spend so much of their time trying to pay the bills. Art is not like selling widgets or toothpaste. It is not a necessity and because of that every artist, and I admire them all, has to have courage and resilience. Again, this is what I am so far most proud of for myself

Contact Info:

• Website: https://howardziffartist.com
• Instagram: @howardziff_artist
• Facebook: howardziffartist
• Linkedin: Howard Ziff

Image Credits

All images are the sole ownership of Howard Ziff