We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ian Goldwasser. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ian below.
Ian, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
Let’s start off by saying that I love my life and the path that has been laid out for me. I really don’t imagine that another career could have suited me more appropriately. That being said, it doesn’t come without me questioning it.
In my 20s I never once had a single doubt in my mind of my career choice and at times I was even impressed that the former ADHD riddled athlete who never held a job for more then a year, could be so unwaivered and determined to be a successful artist. In part I believe that’s why, along with a lot of other sacrifices that got me to where I am today.
Now entering my thirties, becoming engaged, and getting another dog I can feel my gears shifting. Heavy work weeks hit a little different. It is sometimes a fine dance to find balance between my ambitions and my personal life. I definitely have weeks when I feel like theres just not enough time in the week(even when I use it properly) to balance both. Those are times when I fantasize about having a job where I get to show up to work, get told what to do and then clock out at 5pm and have a weekend to doing whatever me and my partner would like to do. But even then, it doesn’t feel like something I would actually want. It’s just a moment where I entertain the idea of feeling bad for myself… and then I get back to work and try to do it a little bit better the next week lol
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.
My name is Ian Goldwasser but professionally I’m known as GOLDWRKS.
I studied graphic design at the university of Tampa with a focus in printmaking and illustration. Currently my full time career is in tattooing, which I do at bed of roses tattoo in Tampa.
I was never a really gifted artist, I was just creative. I think every artist has a gift and it’s their job to hone that and find a way to exploit that into a full career. For some it’s easier than others but for me it always felt like a game of 10,000 hours. I don’t really have a pivotal entrance into my life as an artist, I just wanted something and kept working at it till I got it. It’s not glorious and most of the time it was just hard.
As of now, tattooing and trying release my first product keeps my plate more then full. I don’t have the time like I used to for personal art pieces which is a blessing and a curse. Tattooing is amazing though; the job is just so demanding, the physical craft itself is challenging, and the ability to spend time with new people every day really makes me feel connected to the community. There’s not many art forms where you directly get to spend time with the community that supports you. It makes tattooing really feel like a gift most days.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
When they first came out I loved the idea of them and really thought they would add value to art in an ever growing digital space, providing authenticity to peoples work. Something that was lacking between the physical and digital art. Unfortunately, that would only work in a vacuum because capitalism and greed found a way to exploit it. I speak from a place of experience. I’ve bought many and there are few that’s value live beyond the “pump and dump” lifespan. All in all, on authentication side it’s great, but as an investment I’d say it’s extremely risky
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Being an artist is like winning the golden ticket to people and they’re not entirely wrong. I feel the reality for most artists isn’t what people who haven’t taken the same career path or worked closely with will understand. Being a creative now, isn’t how it was during the modern art movement or for people represented by prominent galleries. It’s most of the time not glorious work and often were not even working on the thing you’re buying.
For those who don’t fall in that category, you will only really see what we show you. Most of the time it’s the final 2% of our efforts with a dash of BTS. It’s all portrayed in a way that is appetizing. The 98% you don’t see is the true job. We study, we practice, we are our marketing team, our tax person, our accounting dept, our shipping, customer service and the list goes on. It comes off a bit whiny and I don’t want it to feel that way, I just want people to know that there’s many hats to wear, and we’re not one dept. So next time you buy that print that costs $50 or you look at that piece of art and say “I could have done that” just remember that there’s more than just one action that went into that price.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.goldwrks.shop
- Instagram: Goldwrks
