Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Icon303. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Icon303, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
Being an artist and living a creative life is the absolute foundation of my happiness. It gives me purpose and color in a world that can sometimes feel grey. I grew up in some really tough circumstances and have experienced more than my fair share of struggle. For years, I worked an endless line of so-called regular jobs that drained me of energy and passion. Those jobs felt like slow poison for the creative side of me. They might have helped pay the bills or funded small parts of my artistic goals, but the cost was always too high because they stole the one thing I can never get back, my time.
I still remember mornings when I would wake up exhausted, already dreading the day ahead. On my way to work I would think obsessively about a poem I had started or a project that was almost finished. The ideas would loop in my head like a song I could not turn off. I would stand there doing mindless tasks while my imagination ran wild, and that internal conflict would make me sloppy. I would make mistakes, forget things, or zone out completely because my mind was already where I truly wanted to be.
It was during one of those long, silent shifts that I realized something had to change. My outlook on life felt dim, like I was fading into a version of myself that I did not recognize. I decided that I would rather struggle doing what I love than waste away doing something that meant nothing to me. That was the moment I chose to walk away from the ordinary path and chase the creative one. I made a promise to myself to build a life around my art and my passions, no matter how uncertain it looked. I never turned back, and every day since then has been brighter because of that choice.
Icon303, 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?
My creative journey started when I was a child, but due to circumstances outside of my control, I had lost it for a few years. But then, in one of the least artistic places imaginable, behind a bar, it was given new life. I was bartending late nights, working long hours, and trying to make ends meet. After my shifts I would go home, collapse on this squeaky metal framed twin bed, and just write. I would pour everything I had into poetry. It was a way to reconnect with the kid in me who used to dream and imagine without limits. Maybe it was my way of holding onto that spark of joy from my younger years. Maybe it was my way of painting color over the dullness that surrounded me. Whatever it was, it kept me alive.
Eventually, I realized I needed a real change if I wanted to grow. I packed up, moved 1600 miles away with my dog, The Beast, and started a completely new job installing garage floors. It was there, of all places, that the idea for my current art project was born. People told me it would never work, that it was a waste of time and money. I heard every version of “you can’t do that.” But I figured out how to make it happen, how to turn imagination into something tangible, and eventually, into something that made money.
A few years later, my life shifted again. My wife and I were expecting our first child, and I was back working nights in restaurants, managing a bar, and running on fumes. That was when I made one of the biggest decisions of my life. I decided to start my own company. I wanted to take everything I had learned from years in hospitality and creativity and build something that actually helped people. That decision became the foundation of my marketing company. My mission was to bring the same kind of advanced marketing strategies that big corporations use and make them available for small local businesses. I wanted to help local owners compete, to give communities a fighting chance against the massive wave of corporate domination.
What sets me apart is that everything I do, whether it is writing poetry, making art, or running campaigns, is built on authenticity and empathy. I know what it feels like to start from nothing, to scrape by, to be told that what you love is not practical. That connection helps me create from a place that is deeply personal. I am most proud of the fact that I built something from scratch that not only feeds my soul but also helps others succeed.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being an artist, a poet, and a creative entrepreneur is seeing how what I create actually impacts people. There is nothing quite like hearing from someone who says a poem I wrote helped them through a dark time, or watching someone stand in front of one of my art pieces and lose themselves for a moment. That kind of connection is powerful. It reminds me that what I do matters beyond just me.
On the business side, when I sit down with a local business owner and they tell me their revenue has grown, that they are busier than ever, that their dream is finally paying off, it gives me the same feeling. My work has always been about building something that brings joy, hope, and success to others. That is what fuels me. Every story, every message, every moment of gratitude adds a layer of meaning to what I do. It also makes me a better parent because I want my child to grow up seeing what it looks like to chase your purpose and create something that lifts others up.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
A: Without question, yes. Artificial intelligence has been one of the most surprising and useful tools I have discovered. For a long time, I did everything completely on my own. I never had a team. I never asked for help. Every caption, every design, every video edit, every email, every piece of marketing, it was all me. It was exhausting but also deeply personal because it forced me to learn every part of the process.
When AI tools started becoming more accessible, it completely changed how I work. It has not replaced my creativity, but it has given me time back. I can now organize my schedule faster, create marketing content more efficiently, and do deep research in minutes instead of hours. It is like having a quiet assistant that helps clear the noise so I can focus on the parts that truly matter, the art and the writing.
If I had known about tools like this earlier, I would have saved countless nights of no sleep and endless stress. Now, I get to use that time to create more freely, to write new books, make new art, and build better strategies for local businesses that need a voice. It is not about replacing the human element, it is about freeing it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.icon303.com
- Instagram: @icon303
- Youtube: @icon303_
- Other: https://www.iconmarketingmanagement.com
