Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Liam Cliff. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Liam with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I have my dad to thank for instilling a strong work ethic in my brother and I. I grew up in the mountains of Santa Cruz and from a young age we helped my dad with managing the ever encroaching wilderness around our home. Throughout the week after school and without fail on the weekends we would help him. Life can be very busy which makes it hard to find free time to pursue your art. When I have free time I am often tempted to bail on a project or piece I want to create but if my dad chose to sit back on his free time instead of weed whacking, repairing fences, clearing fallen branches, preparing for fire season, and much more than our home would’ve been consumed by the wilderness. If I don’t commit to my art then it will never happen.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I love making art. From a young age my work has always been graphically driven. It started with drawing and led to creating clothing, videos, painting and sculpture, and the most recent medium being sand art. I try to use my style as a thread through these mediums which can all be combined together.
I am excited to share sand art with the world. All you need is a leaf rake from any hardware store and a beach ideally at low tide. The rake disrupts the smooth sand creating contrast and there you have your line. Its a thrill knowing your piece is temporary and the interactions you have with people passing by are the icing on the cake. The process is meditative and demands all of your attention.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most important three lessons for me so far have been patience, dedication, and separating the ego from the art.
I would advise not comparing yourself to others, harder said than done with social media and how our world is so focused on presenting. That’s where patience comes in handy; it provides you the space to have faith in yourself and not consider yourself a failure if you are not where you want to be yet.
Dedication as in putting in the work!! Waking up early and staying up late!!
And most importantly, separating your ego from your art. It took me becoming a father to finally take this step. It shifted from viewing myself as the face of my art to having the art stand for itself. It is freeing and feels more respectful to your work.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
There are a lot of people in my life who have helped me overcome a challenge or learn a lesson. As I mentioned earlier my dad helping me build a work ethic. Another being Grandmaster Dorsey, a man who trained me in Sin Moo Hapkido, a Korean Martial Art. He taught me how to read and navigate people among many other things. I am very grateful to have trained under him.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://liamcliffdesign.com/
- Instagram: liamcliffdesign
