We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Joshua Mount a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Joshua, 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?
The qualities that immediately come to mind are action, openness, and patience (and you might say they’re exercised in this order; at least initially in starting something new).
Action is important, obviously, considering the idea that if you do nothing, you create nothing. But springing into massive, consistent action, regardless of the activity, I think is key to both getting started and keeping momentum. I just keep showing up and turning the wheels and there’s movement as a result. And that serves as a sort of sustenance to keep the creativity flowing.
Openness is like taking flight. It’s the spreading of the wings. It’s such a powerful quality because it could mean the difference in the quality of the creativity. We could be busy creating all day from a shallow, close-minded perspective, and that’s fine, but such an approach can be tremendously wasteful and limiting, when you consider all that is actually available to us. When I’m able to find a healthy balance between asserting my abilities and staying the bloody creative hell out of the way, I usually find results that I love. And fairly swiftly too.
Patience is the foundation. Which is kind of paradoxical, mentioning this quality last in the order of things. We typically build the foundation first. But it has to be solid so that it will last. It’s similar to openness. It’s trust. If we’re impatient, we’re probably forcing it. Creativity that is allowed to happen of its own accord and in its own time is pure. It’s magic. I want that magic!
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Joshua Mount. I’m an artist. And so are you. But since this is about me, I’d be glad to tell you more!
While I don’t see myself as one type or style of artist, I’ve been able to utilize my abilities in the visual arts, especially graphic art, to connect with other creatives and businesses over the years. I currently make my work out of helping startups and established businesses identify and build their brands. I specialize in logo design, graphic design, and writing. However, there really has been no limit to the myriad of tasks that can be associated with certain creative endeavors. Some days you have to play the tech guy too!
I have no formal training. I’ve developed my skill set through a series of very brief apprenticeships, and one very long self-apprenticing mess of beautiful becoming. There never was a time when I wasn’t creating, visually. I grew up drawing and painting. It’s all I did. At least when I wasn’t being a curious boy out sloshing and scaling the marshy mudflats of the South Louisiana bayous. You can definitely spot the natural and cultural inspiration from those experiences in my fine art works. (I will not even attempt to get started on music…)
Speaking of “fine” art, I recently picked it back up. I’d left it alone and itching to reemerge for a really long time. When I was a kid, the medium was pretty simple, pencil and paper. I think this natural inclination to create monochromatic work (and my fear and lack of exploration of more elaborate and colorful mediums) has translated to my current work. However, there’s been quite a significant shift recently in the diversity (or prior lack thereof) and frequency of my artistic output. It’s been a whirlwind. It’s been amazing!
I’ve discovered something after a couple of decades of design industry experience and a good past year of exploring my own inner creative landscape and challenging its boundaries. And that is, I want to do it all. It is genuinely my desire and intention to do all of the things with all of the people. It could be anything. And this is when I realize that my greatest artistic creation of all is how I live this life. How I show up and serve others. I’m simply an artist. And so are you.
All of my work is available for viewing on my website: mountdesigner.com
Also, folks can get a more intimate glimpse into my life’s work on my Instagram page at: https://www.instagram.com/joshuamount
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?
I’ll do one of each; 1. a quality, 2. a skill, and 3. an area. These, I believe, can be pivotal attributes to one’s journey toward prosperity.
1. The quality is curiosity. Keep close connection with wonder. It naturally slips away over time but there’s always a longing to have it. We’re intrinsically motivated to seek. And life is an adventure. So wander.
2. The skill is communication. It’s so important. While I believe real everlasting truth is unspoken, we are here to share our relational gifts with one another. Having a strong understanding of language, both verbal and non, makes the exchange, and therefore the experience, way more interesting and fulfilling.
3. The area is apprenticeship. The initial steps toward establishing this are the hardest. You have to figure out what you want to do before you can actively seek a proper teacher! Maybe the area I’m choosing to list here should be vision! Anyway, find something that excites you then move towards it. Master it. Do it for free. An apprenticeship doesn’t necessarily require that someone else lead you. One can be both the student and teacher. Although it must be said that the shared inherent wisdom that comes with the experience of someone who has already done it can be immensely helpful.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I could not possibly express here (or anywhere) how grateful I am to have even the slightest opportunity to create. How could I be so damn lucky?! What am I supposed to do with it?! I suppose you just move ever deeper into it. Into the incomprehensible possibilities. So, that’s what I do.
But there’s one thing that I’ve come to love even more than the creating itself, and that’s collaborating. The sharing of this thing we have in front of us. Inside of us. We are not alone! We are never alone. We’re here to come together around the artistic expressions we have to offer. Hell, I just love talking about it!
With that said, my line is open! So’s the door. I’m always interested in discovering new artistry and, most importantly, developing deep and meaningful relationships. I look forward to the possibility of creating something new and exciting with you!
The best way to reach me is via email at joshua@mountdesigner.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mountdesigngroup.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuamount
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshwhatmount
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mountdesign
Image Credits
Photography by Anthony J. Toups
Web: https://www.theviewfield.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anttoups
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
