We were lucky to catch up with Jax recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jax thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?

As Artificial Intelligence rocks the world of artists, it is hard to stay positive about this career path and the direction it is moving in. Feeling stuck between every designer’s differing opinion, I have decided to roll with the punches. I take on a rare and interesting opinion of AI — I love it.
When I was in college, AI wasn’t of this world yet, but we had many a history lesson on the artists who panicked during every large-scale change. In the end, they are the ones who were left behind to write angry reviews in the New York Times about the “end of art as we know it”. When the industrial revolution arrived, mass production made art affordable and attainable to those in the middle class society, and artists revolted. Art became less about perfection and more about competitive pricing, and any artist who didn’t take advantage of that was out of business.
When the Macintosh computer introduced Adobe Illustrator in 1987, the generation of artists who classically used an X-Acto knife and good ol’ fashioned paper were disgusted by the “cheating scam artists” who learned and worked with digital media as a tool for creating. There are many artists today who deem digital mediums like Canva, Procreate, and Fresco “fake art”. I believe that while there will always be a great respect for classical art, those who cannot swim with the current will be swept downstream, and I am choosing to not be one of them.
AI is scary because it is new, but I tend to believe that fear of the unknown causes a lot more issues than learning everything you can about the things you fear. Shedding a light on the issues of AI helps me to understand how to use it as a tool while also seeing the weakness in it. Those who believe in art will keep art alive, just as we have since the dawn of time. Artists have always needed to be versatile, it is part of the job. This is no different.

Jax, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Black Adder is a graphic design business based in Salt Lake City, UT and provides upstart businesses with branding designed to outshine the corporations.
My mission with Black Adder is to provide everyone with access to great design. As a university student in a struggling economy, trying to start a business was a terrifying prospect. Having the understanding of what it takes to get ahead is what inspires me to share that power with others. I root for the underdogs and the little guys.
Through a bold, contemporary design style, the goal is to create brand identities through logos, web design, marketing materials, and most of all, through a mindset.
Because a brand is not a business card, or a sign with a logo on the front door. A brand represents you as a person. Your ideals, your goals and aspirations. Business owner, or not, we all have one. Think of the girl you know who will come to change your tire in the middle of the night; that’s her brand. Think of the guy you know who can cook like nobody’s business; that’s his brand. Our brands define us to those around us. It is in the way we speak; the way we hold ourselves; our opinions and values and morals. What you believe in enough to show up for is your brand. Putting that into imagery for those who don’t get the pleasure of meeting you, that’s what I do. I put the human back into the brand, because the world deserves to see what you can do.

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

My life has been full of pivots. Since I was four years old, I wanted more than anything to be a pilot. I was accepted to my university under a flight degree, but when my scholarship fell through and the tuition statement of $160,000 was handed to me, I had to choose a new career path. I had moved to Utah on my own with no plan B. I was moving into my dorms at school when I had to reroute my entire career path. Sitting on my floor with my brand new roommates and wondering what I should do with my new life, I was reminded that my mother had always told me the best way to find your peace was to create. The little paper I had in my hand stated in rainbow colored crayons that I wanted to become a pilot when I grew up. It was a coloring book page. I looked around me at the dorm I had decorated, and it’s walls that were lined with my paintings. I looked to the magazines I had stacked along the walls for collage, and the hand-built easel standing in the corner that I had covered in daisies. I was an artist, and I had every opportunity to throw myself into a field that I loved on my way to following my dreams. This wasn’t the end of my aspiration, it was just another step on the way there. Now I had a new goal: to be so good at creating my art that I could make a business of it and use it to fly myself around the world.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I had a job running the Art Department for a safety apparel company, and every so often I would accompany the sales team to trade shows in the area. Surprisingly, I really fell for the ambiance of being surrounded by those in my field, learning from them and making connections (I say surprisingly because I really am quite an introvert). There is a certain rush that comes with being able to talk technically with those who work in the same or similar fields and have the same amount of passion and the same grievances and celebratory moments. Trade shows have become a great source for new clientele, through the shows themselves, and also just through the connections I have made with others. The great thing about being an artist, is there are no two artists that are alike. We all have different proficiencies and styles, so it is very common in this field to pass clients on to other designers who more fit their bills. There is a trust there that builds with these kind of relationships, and it has opened a surprising amount of doorways. These kinds of events are easy to find, and well worth becoming involved in. I think social media is a wonderful way to make connections, but for me, nothing beats being able to build lasting friendships with the strangers you spend a day with.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://blackaddergraphics.com
• Instagram: @blackaddergraphics
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jax-patterson-gentry-65924427a/

Image Credits

Images by: Stevie Photo Co.; Umber Photo Co.; Bailey Crawford Media