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

Hi Vince, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

As a creative, I wish I threw myself way more into the arts and medias that I enjoy at a much younger age. I always seemed to get inspired and dabble here and there in different formats, whether it be a Podcast/Sports & Culture website in 2010 with a friend or editing videos for myself for random social media purposes and then starting another podcast in 2020 with someone who was telling me, “enough talk and just do what you want”. So, I had this creative namesake of “Wasted20s”, believing I did waste my 20’s not doing and living up to my potential as a creative but I was then in my late 30’s and now early’ish 40’s and not wanting to have to rebrand as Wasted30s, 40s or beyond. Plus, having one of my children already being a teenager, I probably don’t have many years left being seen as “cool” enough to have such a title for the branding name attached to my work. So, would I like to have started earlier? Absolutely.

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

I have fully immersed myself into the arts for a few reasons: I found a passion for it while always respecting art but as an outlet I never knew I needed and then found myself really enjoying. Going through a change in life and starting a new chapter I found myself not wanting to just sit with myself. So, always being inspired by music and lyrics to songs and how they make me feel energized to be creative, I took some of these feelings and worked on an art piece one night. For the first time, when it was done, I actually liked what I had created and found myself wanting to do more and more. Flash forward almost two years later, and thanks to a certain video that was recorded of me while at work, it going viral on TikTok, I then had a small but respectful following on the platform and have used it to show off my art and sell it to where I, forever weird to currently say, have pieces in fifteen different states and I smile and shake my head every time someone makes a purchase….and the original piece I made, it wasn’t even for sale, but I was talked into selling it and I think it’s pretty great that it’s on display somewhere in Los Angeles.

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

Simply put, the feeling of something you put time and effort into being appreciated and even on display in a home or office with my silly signature on it.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I have a few goals as far as selling a few pieces that can justify even further goals but my mission is to simply stay creative and to continue using this outlet of art for myself and what it gives me but also to the next person who enjoys it too and a few things, or maybe a lot, for my kids to look back on for maybe something cool their dad did.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/IndependentPaints
• Instagram: @Wasted20s
• Twitter: @BreakingVince