Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tony Camaro. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tony, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I think the biggest risk I ever took was believing in myself as an artist. I went completely against the grain of what was expected of me, societally, and have been trying to find a way to live by my own rules every since.

Being an artist is very hard. Money is very inconsistent and there is a huge toll on your mental and emotional health
BUT
if you stick with it, practice self love and patience, work hard and continue to grow and network – there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and it is a rewarding feeling to be able to follow your own instinct all the way through.

for me I figured life itself is a huge risk – so what would I rather do? leave my life in the hands of someone else or take it upon myself to live for what I truly love – art

what I want in this life is freedom and a life as far away from the rules as possible

Tony, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Tony Camaro and I am a 28 year old Los Angeles based artist working in Fine Art, Fashion and Creative Direction.

I started to get into the fashion and art industry by going to school for Fine Art. A few years later when I moved back to Los Angeles I made it a point to intern anywhere I could

Union, Family Books, HVW8 Gallery – anything to feed my curiosity. I think its really important to find mentors that can help guide you or teach you, especially when you are young and without footing.

As I grew older some of those relationships turned into friendships and I was then able to take on more responsibility as a creative and work on projects of all sorts due to my knowledge of the craft.

I think what sets me apart from others is – well, on a surface level I think I have a unique and recognizable style when it comes to my work, but I also really do like the way that I think about Art. I think collaboration and listening is important, you have to not only be a Boss but a team player – hear everyone out, speak honestly to create the best product possible.

I think that is something I am most proud of – my patience, my insight, and that I trust my taste completely. I do not have doubt, I believe in myself and am always open to constructive criticism. once you stop allowing yourself to learn, letting ego get in the way, you have slowed yourself down completely. Stay humble, stay focused, work hard and listen to everything with a grain of salt.

I want people to know that I am a slow burn, I want longevity, I want to do this for the rest of my life. I am in no serious rush to blow up too quickly – no matter where I end up within the art world I just want people to know that this is a lifes work of dedication to the craft and I take it very seriously (all aspects of art).

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I think its really important to stay well read and open to all sorts of knowledge. Being an artist is also being a buisiness savey person and understanding certain elements of buisiness to make sure your “empire” doesn’t fall.

I think that some artists – or rather, we as citizens arent always taught good buisiness and so I think its important to read up on these sorts of things as well as reading up on art.

For example: I took a real estate course a few years back just because I was interested in how that system worked, and I can now apply that knowledge to not only real estate but to the backbone of what it means to have an art business.

I think that because art weighs so heavy on the brain emotionally it is really important to read self help books for insight on how to treat ourselves kindly.

this may be obvious by now but the one book that really opened me up early on was Be Here Now by Ram Dass – amazing helpful tool that really aligns yourself with … yourself. Its super important to stay centered and be in the moment at all times.

No one is perfect and all we can do is try – so try to the best of your abilities !!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Real life can get in the way of your journey as an artist and it is really important to recognize that you will be uncomfortable without having the security of a stable job, but for whatever reason this life that I have chosen means way more to me than to allow these issues to stop me cold and the only way out is through – so keep going ! find a way through your problems, there is always a solution – do things you may not want to do to make sure you are secure while also pushing towards your dreams – it is a very strange dance but in the end It makes me want to work harder

If I take a step back, Its all apart of the story, and I am so passionate about my art that there is no way I would ever let something like this stop me from becoming who I want to become – and THAT is an example of resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tonycamaro.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/tony.camaro
• Other: moodboard https://tony-camaro.tumblr.com/ YNOT RADIO (hours of playlists by me) https://soundcloud.com/ynot-radio