We recently connected with Max Randolph and have shared our conversation below.

Max, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

There was never a question that I was creative, the real question was how do I put a roof over my head while embracing my full creative self. Of course I wanted to build and make astounding machinations and inspired sculptures, but I had to find clients that were looking for one of a kind custom metal art. Early in my career I connected with an interior designer who introduced me to several clients that valued my work. This lead me towards a commission based art business. I am so grateful to my many clients over the years who have trusted me with their vision. Working with clients took me to places I wouldn’t have gone on my own, and pushed me to become the artist I am today.

Max, 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?

I’ve been an insatiable creative since I was a little kid. I was always drawing, building, and creating fantastic stories in my own little kid world. My imagination was a safe haven in my tumultuous childhood. I first started working with metal as a young teenager. I was drawn to the permanence and difficulty of metal. What started out with welding skills, grew to a fascination with ancient blacksmithing techniques – doing things the old way. It was later revealed to me in my 20s that I come from a long line of blacksmiths, ending with my grandfather who I never met.

Now I create impossibly complex doorways, chandeliers, sculptures, and many other custom creations. I start with hand-drawn designs that are tailored to each client’s vision and needs. Once the design is approved by the client, I enter the forge to start shaping steel to the exact specifications. I am constantly attempting to lure others into my creative realm of fantastic wonder. Unbridled curiosity and a constant urge to create has granted me a collection of unique skills. I feel lucky in this digital age that I now get to share the whole journey with other around the world through social media.

Even though my clients allow me to create pieces of ever growing grandeur, I can’t wait for the day when I won’t be reliant on commissions so that I can express myself freely and wildly – in ways that I can’t even fathom now. I’m proud of my work, every lesson I’ve learned, and I’m excited for what’s to come.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

One of the most rewarding aspects to being an artists is simply the act to create – the rebellion of bringing something new and unexpected into the world. It takes bravery to expose your soul in the creative process. My work is rooted in the elements, using fire to heat and shape refined earth, then quenching it in water. Steel has formidable resistance, it’s a visceral experience to mold and shape this unyielding material by hand. The process is hard, but the reward is when the piece is complete – stepping back to view it as a whole after obsessing over the details, and seeing the joy it brings the client.

A secondary and new reward for me is sharing the journey with other people through social media. Since sharing my work with the world, I’ve been able to see art and the creative process through a new and more joyful lens. I am grateful to my online community for the everlasting support and daily inspiration they provide me.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I was resistant to embrace social media. I’m more of an old school kind of guy, so social media felt overwhelming. I felt uncomfortable on camera, and felt self absorbed. I was encouraged to post by friends, so I pushed out of my comfort zone a little and started my social media journey. After awhile I started to receive inspiring comments and messages from people I had never met before. People would tell that they had been facing hard times and that my work inspired them to dive into their own creativity and passions. These stories brought tears to my eyes, and I started to view social media differently. It’s not about me, it’s about community and connecting with people.

I’ve learned so much about social media over the last few years. People crave authenticity and good story telling. My content hasn’t always been of the best quality, but people enjoyed it all the same because it was real. I’ve learned that the best way to grow your online community is to care about the followers you already have – respond to as many comments as you can, connect with the people already showing up. Overall, I try to keep my social presence positive, warm, and inviting – while crating wonder and whimsy whenever I can.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.max-randolph-studios.com/
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/max_randolph_studios/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaxRandolphStudios
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/MaxRandolphStudios
• Other: www.tiktok.com/@max_randolph_studios www.patreon.com/maxrandolphstudios

Image Credits
Photography by Brad Hackleman, Sarah Kathleen, Braden Tavelli Please let us know if you want to know which photographer took which photo.