We were lucky to catch up with Broly Su recently and have shared our conversation below.
Broly, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I try to be involved in other activities when I’m not creating artwork, such as going to concerts and festivals, taking care of my plants, playing with my cats, and watching old-school anime and movies. These different activities help me stay off from drawing and freshen my mind when I re-enter the creation process. In addition, there are times when I find myself getting inspired by certain scenes from movies and music that I could apply to my future work.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My name is Broly Su and I’m an Atlanta-based Illustrator and Graphic Designer. Growing up in Changsha, China, I was introduced to and heavily influenced by hip-hop music, graffiti, sneaker, collectible toy, anime, street basketball, and tattoo culture. Specializing in illustration, poster design, painting, zine, apparel, and animation, my work features a bold-lined graffiti drawing style, often accompanied by eye-catching color palettes with unorthodox creatures and out-of-box imaginations. With over eight years of professional experience in the art industry, I have worked with major clients like ABV Creative Agency & Art Gallery, Adult Swim, Lexus, McDonald’s, Sallie Mae, Tesla, The Print Shop, and Top Shelf Atlanta.
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?
I believe the three most important qualities in my journey were dedication, perseverance, and true-to-self. An individual needs to have dedication regardless of what his/her career is. At the end of the day, dedication is what’s essential for a successful life. While it is key to stay dedicated, it is no doubt that in our life journey, we will encounter countless setbacks and frustration. Therefore we also need to have the perseverance to push through these circumstances and understand that a bad day isn’t a bad life. Last but not least is the quality of staying true to self, especially in the art industry. It’s more than likely that you could continue creating artwork that represents your hobbies and interests. When the work is authentic the viewers could feel the energy.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
At an early age, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but I was introduced to art when my parents put me in a drawing class for fun. At the time it was really like magic for me knowing that I could pick up a pen and put down my thoughts and imagination on a physical paper. I feel like if my parents never took me to the drawing class I’d have turned out to be a completely different person.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.brolysu.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/8rolysu/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brolysu1996/
