We were lucky to catch up with Allen Triplett recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Allen, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?
Growing up with many family members with different mental health disorders was a challenge, however understanding their behavior and utilizing the empathy trait I learned in childhood from my grandparents, taught me to always put yourself in someone’s shoes instead of passing quick judgment. Empathy is becoming a more scarce commodity these days, however I see it more common in the creative community in my personal experiences.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I developed a desire to become an artist at the age of 5 years old when I enjoyed creating with my older cousins. However growing up we all experiment with many different activities until something sticks. I feel the moment I truly became an artist was when I was in my sophomore year of high school. During this time in my life I had a suicidal parent that I prevented from ending life early. I didn’t know at the time that this moment was a catalyst for my career in art. I went to school the day after my not knowing how many future attempts were to come, all I knew is I wanted to make a difference in any way I could. Since that day I have seen this behavior get passed onto other family members and my goal is to inspire change through the channels of creativity. What we keep in front of our eye gate has a subconscious effect that I believe can impart messages of hope, beauty and the respect for the gift of life. I hope someday my art can become a power statement to assist with the war on suicide.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Some of my favorite skills come from translating music in a visual way. When I listen to music I hear color, texture depth in abstract and geometric forms. I have been researching my synesthesia in hopes to use it to amplify my artistic skills. One of the ways I utilize this gift is by wearing a haptics vest during my painting sessions. For those that don’t know what that is, it is a vest that has speakers built into it which makes music a whole body experience instead of just to your ears alone. This has helped me push past many sessions when I am feeling uninspired or drained. I am very interested in understanding the human mind and would like to learn therapy so I can become an art therapist someday. Another goal I have is to invent new tools for artists that currently do not exist in the market.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I would love nothing more than to collaborate with other professional artists. My Instagram Art_of_War87 is the best way to get ahold of me. My belief is “iron sharpens iron”. In art we all have a unique strength and ways we can inspire each other in creativity. I am currently creating content to show my art process, I hope it makes others want to paint! I have worked on many canvasses and have assisted on 8 murals, so if any muralists need a hand near the Coachella valley feel free to contact me I love to support others! And to my canvass painters I would love to discuss collaboration with you as well!
Contact Info:
Image Credits
#linkinpark
#andrewcabral_photography
#Hannabun0619
#Freckled_joi
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
