We were lucky to catch up with Joshua Biren recently and have shared our conversation below.
Joshua, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?
I’ve avoided burnout by pushing through it. I may not mean it as sincerely as some, but I do believe creativity can be turned on like a tap. I’ve been drawing in a journal once a day every day. Sometimes it’s very difficult to find the time to fit it into my day, but even something quick and low effort is better than nothing. It’s especially difficult on days that I spend working on other creative matters, but the more often you draw and the longer you do it, the easier it gets. Just starting something is the hardest part, and drawing as often as you can alleviates the anxiety of the white page. All that being said, I do still feel burnout all the time, which is why I say I push through it. It’s alright if your newest piece is worse than your last, or if your next idea doesn’t outshine the brighter ones you’ve had. Don’t just do it. Do it again, and again, and again. At least, that’s what’s been working for me. My daily doodles often inspire my best work, so don’t underestimate yourself.
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?
I’m about to start and just as quickly finish the last semester of my undergraduate program here in DAAP at the University of Cincinnati. This is the second time I have been interviewed for Bold Journey, and the first time was during the pandemic. Times were much different then, as was I. While I may still be melodramatic, it’s only the healthy amount you’d expect to find in a typical young and slightly angsty artist. Making it through such a tough time has made the tougher times since then more manageable. I’ve been focusing on myself as I wrap up my college career. Honing my artistic practice, getting out there more often with friends, and making new ones. In other words, I’ve been living, and the experiences I’ve been gaining are rattling around my head and leaking into my artwork. As soon as I’ve graduated, which should be just in time for Christmas, I hope to get a lot more… professional. Making more work, documenting it, entering shows and exhibitions, and finally start getting my work in front of your eyes. I plan to start making prints and everything else a budding artist may sell. I hope to be vending at pop-up shows, going to conventions, and getting back to my roots by selling work at the Renaissance Festival. As young Skywalker once said, “This is where the fun begins.”
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?
Hands down, the best thing you can do for yourself is to surround yourself with people that inspire you. Friends that get you to go out and try new things. Friends that are just as passionate and motivated as you are. Friends that push you and make you want to do better. Surrounding yourself with people that inspire you will just naturally propel you in whatever it is you’re doing. I cannot stress it enough. I regret how much time I wasted on people that have held me back. It’s best to avoid those that don’t have your best interests at heart.
Don’t underestimate the value of failure. I do believe you should try and listen to your elders and save yourself some time by learning from their mistakes. However, some lessons can only be learned through failure. And you can’t fail if you don’t try. So don’t be discouraged when things don’t work out as planned.
Last but not least, the most important thing to keep in mind, is that it’s fine. Whatever it is is fine. Even if it’s not, it is. And it will be. As long as you remember that, you’ll be fine.
We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?
I know this may be hard to comprehend, so please, bear with me. Have you considered both? Why not sample a bit of everything and then focus on strengths? I’ve been in an undergraduate program that has a tendency to produce jacks of all trades and masters of none. I understand introducing well-roundedness to have a basic understanding beyond your strengths, but your strengths should not go unnoticed. Absolutely work on your weaknesses, but not at the cost of your strengths. If you love to paint, don’t spend all day sculpting unless you really want to. For example, I need to improve my photography skills for the sake of documentation, but beyond that, I’ll be focusing on what I’m best at and what makes me the most happy. From what I gathered from my colleagues, I’d bet they’d say the same thing.
Contact Info:
- Website: jlrbart.com
- Instagram: @jlrb_art
Image Credits
Headshot credit: Fergus Hinely Artwork documentation: Joshua Biren
