We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful SacSix. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with SacSix below.

SacSix, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

As a child, I used to always day dream. I had a vivid imagination and was always thinking of inventions, cartoons and often ideas for TV commercials. Four years after graduating college, with a Bachelor Arts in business, I found myself selling door and window hardware. I realized then, that I had to chase my dreams of making commercials and working in a creative industry. At the age of 25, I went back to school to put together an advertising portfolio as a creative art director. At the age of 27, I got my first job at an agency in Amsterdam, called StrawberryFrog. I soon moved back to the states and landed in NYC to pursue the MadMen life of advertising. I spent the next 15 years creating campaigns and TV commercials for global and national brands. During my free time in NYC, my favorite thing to do was walk the streets in search of illegal street art coving the walls of NYC. I loved finding and photographing my favorite street and graffiti artists. After many years of of photographing street art, I had some ideas for my own art and decided it was time to take the risk and put my art up on the walls of the city. In December of 2015, I put up my first street wheatpaste and it changed my life forever. Within 6 months, MTV saw my art and reached out to me to create work and also curate the MTV VMAs in NYC. Since then, I have worked with other global brands including Adidas, Four Loko and the Grammys. My street art has also appeared in films by Michael Bay and Spike Lee.

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?

After 16 years as a creative art director in advertising, I left in 2018 to pursue a full-time job as an street artist, under the pseudonym, SacSix. I have an art studio in Lower East Side, NYC, where I create art for sale. I have many different styles of art that I practice, from pop art, to abstract and conceptual. My mediums include spray paint, acrylic paint, oils, watercolors and found items.

I also started my own company called, Street Artisans, which represents NYC street artists for commercial and project based contracts. Street Artisans is a full service, street art design and creative agency. We partner global brands, real estate developers, hotels, restaurants and interior designers with the best street artists in the world. e create eye catching art for any size wall. Regardless of project type, we have the right artist for you. We also develop award-winning creative for brands, including campaign development, logo and package design, outdoor mural art, guerilla marketing and content for social media.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I feel honored when global brands see my work on the street, or on social media, and reach out to me for collaborations. It is the ultimate compliment to partner with brands I love and respect. Working with brands also brings me back to my creative art direction days in advertising. I’m very good at understanding what a brand is looking for and am able to translate to my creative style.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Being a full-time artist is one of the hardest career paths you can choose. You don’t just need thick skin, but it is very difficult to sell art work. I was able to leave my corporate career in advertising, because I was very good at saving the money I earned. That savings gave me a cushion and safety for several years. I highly recommend having 1-3 years savings, before you decide to leave a full-time career to pursue art. I am now 8 years into a art career and understand the term ‘starving artist.’ Until you try making a living from just selling canvases, it is hard to understand how difficult this business is. It is a struggle and there are many ups and downs. However, I don’t regret one second of leaving my corporate job. As an artist, you are your own boss. It comes with extreme freedom, but also the challenge of being accountable and waking up to work 6 days a week.

Contact Info:

• Website: SacSix.com
• Instagram: SacSix
• Other: StreetArtisans.art

Image Credits
SacSix