We were lucky to catch up with Nacir The Younger recently and have shared our conversation below.

Nacir, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?

The first real money I received as an Artist came about in 2022. I was introduced to someone by a close friend of mine and got a request for a studio tour (I was making art in my apartment and had no studio at all). With some help from another friend I converted my entire apartment into an impromptu studio/gallery space and displayed all my works throughout the apartment. After getting to see my work the person I was introduced to pointed out one work in particular and wanted a price for it, of course being naive, I completely under sold it but then he doubled the price and I made my first $1500 from my work. And not only that, I had received approval to have my work displayed on Baltimore’s largest LED billboard and got invited to work in the former Hooper House Gallery all in the same day.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

“Really I think how I got into art or an artist career is um- I really just started drawing in middle school and it was really like the typical comic book and anime drawings. And it was pretty much from middle school all the way through high school.

Then I started college and I think that that point I was kind of burnt out with the comic book drawing, and I wanted to try something else. So in that summer before I started my freshman year of college, I just bought a couple canvases and I started painting which they just all turned out terrible, which is that that is how it starts. And of course I kept at it and I eventually realized that my passion lie in art a lot more than in studying psychology; so by the end of the first semester I was just like I don’t want to go to school and I’m going to be an artist, and I officially but unofficially dropped out.”

As for what I provide, creative works through visual arts. Paintings and collages mostly, but I have also stepped into making sculpture these past few months.

I think what sets me apart is for the viewer to determine themselves. Art will always look different to each viewer, and what one feels they are provided with may be totally opposite of what another feels provided with.

What I am most proud of, I think is my drive to keep pushing my work and myself as far as possible. To not yet be satisfied with myself or work but to also be happy in what I’ve done with what I love. The main thing I want viewers of my work to know is that my work is for everyone. I want everyone to be able to find a piece of themselves or collective self in my work. That my work is human and doesn’t aim to shy from that.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think the one thing or probably one of the most important things non-creatives will struggle to understand not just about me, but also all creators or artist in general is that it’s not just talent that comes with our success or our careers. I often hear a lot of non-creatives say “oh my goodness you’re so talented”, And that’s nice to hear that is that is a compliment, but it’s also a backhanded compliment, because I think it cultivates this idea that a lot of our success is just built off being naturally able to draw or paint. And in reality, it’s really just a fraction, a very small percentage of any creative success most of the time. Having talent is cool; but a lot of our success comes from also just sitting and thinking on new ideas, how to execute them, and then how to make it look as beautiful as possible. Our success is really built from a lot of what people don’t see.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

For me, the media that has had the most impact was the book “Art & Fear” by David Bayles and Ted Orland, and the documentary “Struggle” based on Stanislaw Szukalski. Both of these gave me insight on what it is like, and means, to be an artist. As in, confronting the realities of failure as an artist; how it can and will affect your being, and also going outside of your normal self to become the artist you want to be. Overall I think both of these took from me that romanticism of the mythic struggle of being an artist, without completely taking away the beauty of being an artist all at the same time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.eutaw.place/
• Instagram: n.aciir

Image Credits
Profile photo credited to Villager.