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

Lucas, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

My parents always encouraged me in any pursuit I found meaningful, and they never did it blindly.

They taught me how to work hard, this is especially true for my Dad, he always told us to be early to anything we choose to do, give everything your best effort no matter the time or if the task is enjoyable or not, and be helpful wherever you can. And these weren’t just empty words, I watched him leave at 3 AM everyday for work, never on time, never late, always early. I watched him come home from 10 hour shifts and fix up our house when things broke, no complaining, he just went and fixed the issue. I watched him help our family and friends fix any issues that arose, even if he was overwhelmed with things he had to do himself, he always would help others no matter what.

They also were my biggest cheerleaders, especially my Mom, she encouraged me in all my pursuits, she taught me to be unyielding when it came to my pursuit of something, and most importantly she taught me to never limit myself. Whenever I told her I wanted to do something wether it be studying, wrestling, learning to draw, becoming an engineer, she always said if I put my mind towards a task something will come from it. Whenever an obstacle arose when it came to my pursuits, I learned from her to always look for solutions, and if failure came never let that be a reason to quit, push through it and let nothing stand in my way. And finally I learned to never limit myself, whenever I failed my engineering classes or whenever I didn’t think my dreams of being an artist would come true, and I was entertaining leaving one of those two passions behind, she would be right there, telling me to think big, and push myself past any limitation that I thought I had.

They never sugarcoated reality, they always explained that you need to work hard, be unyielding, and earn everything you want in life, and for that I’m grateful.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am originally from Southern California, I came to Arizona to attend ASU where I got my bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering with a focus in Power and Energy Systems, as well as a Studio Art Minor. I currently work as an electrical engineer at a utility company here in Arizona, while simultaneously trying to grow my artistic practice on the side. A lot of my artistic work centers around drawing and painting, my favorite subject is anything to do with nature. I really enjoy drawing portraits and figures as well as animals, plant life, and landscapes. I am most proud of how well rounded I am in my hobbies, I am an Electrical Engineer, I am an Artist, I am a purple belt in Brazilian Juijitsu, I am a Hunter, I am a Fisherman, I am a reader, and I am a writer. All of these passions collectively, I think, are what sets me apart from most people. The thing I want people to know me, is that I constantly pushing myself to be better, and shoot for even higher heights, I want them to know my aim is towards the pinnacle and I’m willing to do the work to earn my way there.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Having a lifelong goal that you will never achieve. I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten better and better at art, the goals that I had at the beginning of my journey changed as I put more work and effort into my pursuit. Drawings I could only wish to create in the beginning became the status quo, and before I could even think about it, my goal was set even higher.
Now this may sound daunting and trust me it is, but its also very comforting to know that I will always have room to improve in art for the rest of my life. It will always be with me even when I reach my goals, areas to improve will always manifest themselves.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Understand that for those who are serious and work hard at their craft, this isn’t just a hobby. It’s a language, it’s a way of interacting with the world, and it’s a way to put beauty into the world. Understand that a professional artist, which is what I aspire to be one day, is a technician of the highest caliber in their respective field. Understand for those who are serious, art is not something that is simply enjoyable, there is a deep rooted love for it, and with any kind of love, comes pain, frustration, fear, purpose, happiness, and beauty.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.luc-smith.com/
• Instagram: luc_smith_00
• Youtube: Codename-S.T.U.D.E.N.T

Image Credits

Personal photo taken by Mindy Tanimoto