A.D. Puchalski shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Hi A.D. , thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What are you chasing, and what would happen if you stopped?
Last year I did a deep reexamining of my life and set out to go to college and get a degree with the long term goal of entering a masters program for painting. A little more than a year later and I am expected to graduate next year. I applied to MFAs for the fall, and am now waiting to hear back. What would happen if I gave up and went back to my old life? I don’t know that that life is there anymore. So many things have changed in the commercial arts industries, but also I’ve changed and what I expect out of myself is different now.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a working artist. In the past I have done toy design, animation and film work, illustration and cartooning. I am currently getting my bachelors in painting, and making a pivot with my art career. While I still sell artwork, it now looks a little different. I’ve been taking on portrait commissions, seeing individual paintings and I have my ongoing matryoshka series that I revisit from time to time. I also teach. For over five years I have tutored children and adults in art fundamentals, both one-on-one and in groups. I feel strongly that everyone has the ability to create art, and what’s more, benefits from trying. My work spans from realist, representational art to flights of fantasy. I am passionate about coffee, cats, and bringing the creative spark to as many people as possible.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I have dyslexia and the overwhelming feedback I took away from my interactions as a child was that I was stupid and would never amount to anything. I know now that I can function and even achieve, despite society not being set up for people with my disability. The biggest achievement that helped me defeat this stigma for good was when I returned to school and not only managed to survive, but excelled. I wish I could have had this change of mind at a younger age, or earlier in my career, but considering I never expected to go to college at all, it’s significant no matter what.
What’s something you changed your mind about after failing hard?
I spent several years trying to retrain for a career in film. My roots were in animation and I hoped to return to it. But Generative AI decimated the field, which was already a struggle to break back into. The thing in, throughout it all, I kept asking myself what kind of work I would love. So many of the things I was training to do didn’t actually speak to me. Instead of continuing to feel like a failure for not transitioning into a better career, I used the experience to realign my vision and think about what I really wanted to do instead.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think the extreme focus on youth and funding the next young phenomenon has resulted in a lot of art that looks very much alike and has a narrow viewpoint. While the arts are more diverse than ever, they remain very youth focused and quite trendy. This applies to both fine art and commercial entertainment. It’s good to have diverse aesthetics, life experiences and approaches. We think of the arts as being progressive and open, but we can do better.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. If you laid down your name, role, and possessions—what would remain?
If I had nothing else, I would maintain my passion to create. It is the core of who I am, and will persevere no matter what comes next.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://adpuchalski.com
- Instagram: @adpuchalski
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adpuchalski/
Image Credits
All images A.D. Puchalski 2025
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