We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matt Busch a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Matt thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
The opportunity to be able to do what I love and get paid for it is incredible. I’m just so grateful.
I knew when I was first starting out how important it would be to stick to my guns and not settle. For me, I knew that I’d rather be poor doing what I love, than to be wealthy and not being passionate about my job.
I think that determination took me far and paved the way to success. Early on, many tried to sway me from my dreams, but I’m so glad I listened to my heart and stayed with it.
Matt, 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?
In short, I’m a visual storyteller. But the vast opportunities I’ve been fortunate enough to have professionally include illustrator, writer, filmmaker, among others.
I’ve worked with Hollywood properties like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Stranger Things, Lord of the Rings, and more. I’ve also produced art for top music acts like Foo Fighters, Billy Joel, Mötley Crüe, Poison, Beastie Boys, and Ozzy Osbourne, to name a few.
In recent years, I’ve been writing and directing a trilogy of live-action sci-fi films called Aladdin 3477. It’s loosely based on the Arabian Nights tale, but set in Asia 1,500 years in the future. The first film, which is titled “The Jinn of Wisdom”, will be released next year!
I feel very lucky. My career is basically living all of my 12-year-old fantasies.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
You know, visual artists are at the bottom of the creative fame and fortune totem pole. Which is weird, because in the grand scope of creatives, artists are often the most talented or skilled at their craft.
So it’s always been interesting to me. When you have an actor or actress at the top of their game, we praise them as “Movie Stars”. In music we have “Rock Stars”. Anyone can name famous writers and movie directors as well.
But why don’t we have “Art Stars”? Many people can’t even name a famous artist that’s living today.
And that’s a shame. We bring so much joy to projects, creating the posters, book covers, and concept art for the movies and video games that everyone loves.
But I do see it changing with the younger generations. I think social media being so visual has really opened the eyes of the masses to start following artists they admire and appreciating the work we do on a grander level.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My road has really just been following my bliss, creating the work that inspires me and following my heart in every crazy direction it goes. So I want to continue to explore and play in different sandboxes.
I think I’ve learned that visual storytelling is the backbone of what I love to do. Early in my career, that was done with comic books. Now I do it with film. I may experiment with animation next.
I just love telling stories and I love doing it by “showing” rather than “telling”.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.MattBusch.com
- Instagram: www.Instagram.com/Matt_Busch_Instagram
- Facebook: www.Facebook.com/MattBuschArt
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/matt-busch-57057b5/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Matt_Busch
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/mattbusch
- Other: Aladdin 3477 Official Website: www.Aladdin3477.com
Image Credits
Photos by Paul Michael Kane and Frank Lombardo.