We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brooke Bofill. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brooke below.
Brooke, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
I knew from an early age that creating art felt good, I always wanted to be an artist, but didn’t know how to do that. High school artist teachers thought I should prepare a portfolio for college, but my guidance counselor said I would never make money and that I was good at math. So I went to Pace University, downtown Manhattan for accounting (took mostly liberal arts since the first two years is a lot of electives) this was 1998, I left right before 911, and the shared apartment was 2 blocks from the World Trade Center. I still had some things there but abandoned it all and never went back. After finishing my two year degree at a local community college, I was age 23 and started traveling the world and had gotten obsessed with it. Would work summers (grew up in a seasonal resort area) and travel winters. I purchased a house at age 26 and that felt like a ball and chain (still sort of does) and had to work around the clock to keep it, and wasn’t able to explore art careers or intern. I was really stuck in the restaurant cycle. By age 28 I knew I needed to finish my 4 yr degree and transferred to Stony Brook University, a SUNY school. I decided to keep it general w liberal arts and took a sculpture class and a cultural anthropology class amongst other electives to figure out what degree to get. I have never trusted my inner compass, but these classes helped mold me. I thrived in sculpture, showed internationally (through the university) and had an opportunity to go far with it. Graduated with a BA in Studio Art and minor in cultural anthropology. My art was interesting and instead of riding the wave, taking the opportunities with professors… I decided to buy a sailboat with my partner at that time and sail around the Caribbean. And that put me right back into the cycle of travel winter, work all summer. I had taken art classes locally to keep the creativity going and during covid I listened to my inner self, the self that knew I wanted to just make art, and started to print on clothing. It could be done from home and satisfied that side of me. That was the opening of trying to make money off of my art. And just this past October in 2024 all of my time and energy went into printing on apparel and making fine art. I still hustle hard, work on a boat, rent my house seasonally, all to fund this passion that I want as a career, and there’s a long road. But I am trying to keep my creativity alive by believing it is what I was put on earth to do.
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 brand is BB Art & Design. I carve my original designs out of a piece of linoleum (think of a stamp), roll ink on it and press it on apparel- shirts, hoodies, T’s and hats. I first learned of this printing method in university, it is referred to as a “linocut”. The brand feels young, it is fresh and has an urban meets surf/skate vibe. The original linocut prints and designs might morph into screen prints if I get enough demand. But for now everything is hand printed. The website is bb-artdesign.com and sizes are limited. Again, it’s all hand done, I am one person creating one of a kind pieces. No two shirts or hoodies look the same, the ink never rolls out identically (like it does with screen printing)
My fine art is totally different and the website is still being brought up to date with new works. Brookebofill.com is the site, but more relevant and a mix of apparel and fine art is my instagram account @bb_art_design
I am still struggling with if I should separate the two entities .. the apparel feels so separate from fine art… but managing two art insta accounts and my personal, yikes!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
My skills of operating power tools learned from my dad (and lack of fear with operating them) have helped in countless ways. Owning a house, it is extremely helpful to be handy. I could wire a chandelier, fix a toilet, clean out a chimney stove… That has been key to owning a home and also in creating sculptures (welding metal in particular) with google, YouTube and some patience, fixing stuff feels really good. Especially not having to hire a handy man.
Ability to be a respectful guest in a foreign country, and willingness to learn key words in their language. This is big. I am sure there’s plenty of people who have traveled way more than me, but I think it’s important to respect other peoples cultures. In Southeast Asia, upon landing in Bangkok (a lifetime ago, when internet was just getting going, like 2003) we get into a taxi and the dude almost kicked us out because I had my feet up on the seat. Shame on me for not researching first… feet near other people or on their dashboard or on their seats is offensive. I think it is where I gained appreciation for “shoes off” in houses.
Customer service from YEARS of restaurant work. Not something I am proud of, that still at 45 I bartend and hustle and wait on people (on a boat but same thing).. There is something so connective with service workers, that only servers and bartenders know, and I secretly love it. I never really got a “real” job and it was lots of good times in restaurants, and youthful. Kind of like trauma bonding, because we are all being pushed to the max. I am definitely out aging the industry, and forever I said out growing, but that’s not it. That fast hustle and stress is for young people, you just can’t do it forever. Great job for your 20’s, not meant for aging humans. Moral of the story, being a server you gain patience and humility, bartending you basically are a therapist, and both positions give you the most incredible multitasking skills.
What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?
Honestly.. their lack of presence. It forced me to be independent. My parents got divorced when I was maybe 2 years old, and my mom’s house was always my home, but she dated when I was young and married someone when I was about 12. And those men were strangers, I never wanted to be home with a stranger. Broken homes are so difficult. And the same with my dad, he had 4 different wives and it wasn’t always guaranteed I had a room in his house. I hated some of his partners. Times were VERY different, I was born in 1980 and from a young age I was a free bird, I think because no one was too concerned with my whereabouts. But I think that made me strong and capable later on to travel and be alone, and to adjust to uncomfortable situations. And also to understand the importance of present parents, or to be the understanding partner and not the evil step mother. It also might be the reason I didn’t have interest in having a family of my own. Hope that all makes sense…
Contact Info:
- Website: bb-artdesign.com
- Instagram: @bb_art_design
