We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tyler Spangler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tyler, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I learned by doing. I would research various notable artists and dissect their works while trying to figure out their creative processes. I would attempt to recreate their work while filtering it through my imagination to see how I could reimagine the artwork. I took one year off school and work to do this everyday and build an archive of experimental work. I think the most important skills are curiosity and consistency.

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

My name is Tyler Spangler and I am a freelance artist in Southern California. Upon graduating with a degree in Psychology I took a year off school and work and made art everyday in an attempt to explore my place and motivations in a creative career. After that year I applied to Art Center College of Design for graphic design, which I attended for one year before dropping out. My decision to drop out was difficult but I was confident (naive) that I had the skills and motivation to be successful in a freelance career.

I have been freelancing full time since 2013. My work reflects my upbringing of being raised surfing, eating candy, watching cartoons, and listening to music. I love bright colors and loud graphics. The fact that I can support my family through my art is one of the things I am most proud of.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most important thing is being able to share decorated snippets of my thoughts with strangers in the world. My art is like a visual diary of my day to day life and it is extremely gratifying to know that people get pleasure and gratification from experiencing it.

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

After I graduated college for Psychology I was confused about what to do. I didn’t want to be a therapist or psychologist. I loved music so I decided to book shows for local bands in my area which inevitably led to leasing a small warehouse of my own to host shows. I did this for about 3 weeks before it got shut down. Again, confused about what I wanted to do, I decided to revisit my love for art and take one year to fully immerse myself in creating and exploring. After getting a few freelance jobs after dropping out of art school I knew I had found something that I could continue to push and grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tylerspangler.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/tyler_spangler