We recently connected with Jeffrey Czum and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jeffrey, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I’d like to think that I have always been a creative individual. For as long as I can remember, I was always drawn to the arts and never felt fully fulfilled unless I was creating something.
I spent my 20s creating music and kind of dabbing into the photography here and there but never really let myself become fully immersed until I hit 30.
I always held myself back as I was surrounded by very talented people and what should have been a motivator for me, became a set back. Something about me; I overthink. A lot. I always assumed that no matter how much work I put into my photography, I would never be as good as the next photographer/artist.
I had to force myself out of that mindset and when I hit 30, I completely revamped my life (early mid life crisis?) and put all of my focus into my creative realm. I started solely shooting film and once I became comfortable with my camera, I moved into digital photography and began making digital collages in Photoshop/Lightroom.
It took me a while to find my “vision” but one thing I wanted to do was not necessarily re-invent the wheel, but to make something that had a fairly unique touch. It’s hard to stand out in the age of social media so I kept thinking, ‘how can I create something that doesn’t get lost in the feed?’
I started incorporating my digital collage work with my photography to create these scenes that seemingly idealized alternate reality, frequently using satire and text to spark a conversation or just aim to stop someone in the feed (for lack of a better word).
Looking back, I think one of the most essential skills I learned was started off with analog photography/film – It really forced me to learn the fundamentals of photography / light / framing at a quick rate. I learned what works and especially what doesn’t work and overtime, it helped me develop a style that I’m comfortable to say works for me.
If I could do again – I wish I took creative risks sooner in my career. For a while, I played it safe and only created what I thought people wanted to see which led to sloppy work on my part.
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 a Buffalo, NY based digital artist capturing a range of landscapes and monuments from around world, frequently influenced by various cinematic styles and incorporating pop culture references.
I never started out thinking I would make this a business but after receiving an overwhelming amount in commission requests from other artists, musicians, business owners, I decided to give it a go.
My main focus over the last year has been fine art / gallery prints which is my primary source of sales but I’ve also opened myself up to working with various brands/companies to create visual promotion pieces, textiles, content, etc.
I pride myself on creating high quality work that’s often a little more unconventional that what you may be used to. In my mind, that’s what makes artwork worthy.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My goal is simply to start a conversation with my work. If I can creative something to provoke a thought or even just an extra glance in the Instagram feed, I know I did my job well.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Something I never really thought about until I began as an artist – Art is everywhere. Everything you buy and every business you drive by has been a part of a carefully curated process of graphic designers, creative directors, etc to select the best imagery/aesthetics/logos for their brand.
Business is art and without it we just have an empty corporate feel that is anything but relatable.
I would like to prevent society from taking art for granted and understand the endless opportunities and inspiration it provides.
Contact Info:
- Website: jeffreyczum.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffreyczum/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyCzumPhotography/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyczum
- Other: Jeffreyczumeditions.com