We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michael Carini a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Michael, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I think many of us are born intuitively knowing our purpose. Most of us just have it conditioned out of us by life. In my case, life has repeatedly attempted to beat it out of me, but I continue to get back up. I have learned to callous myself from those beatings…to pull strength from the pain. When you turn your pain into purpose, it no longer holds any power over you.
I’ve been backed into a corner more times than I can remember. I lost my father to suicide. I’ve had my own battles with the same. One of my closest friends and someone I loved dearly, Deanne Hastings, disappeared in 2015 and it is suspected she was murdered. It’s currently an active cold case with the Cold Case Foundation. I was on the bloody end of an assault and battery. Just a few months ago, I sustained a traumatic brain injury. This is just a tiny sampling, an appetizer, of the platter life has dished me. I have to say though, I am a stronger person because of it, and it has only pushed me further into my purpose.
I am a full-time professional artist. In my younger years, I used to think my purpose, my calling in life, was my art. I was right, at least partially. My purpose is the art, but not for me as I once thought. It’s not for me or my ego. It’s to be a voice for the voiceless. It’s to help the lost find their way back to themselves. I am here to show others that the impossible is indeed possible if you can fight through the pain, the struggle, the necessary sacrifices. At times you may need to fight the battles alone, but if you keep going and simply refuse to quit, you can do what others call impossible. It’s only impossible until someone is bold enough to prove otherwise.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a full-time professional artist and arts/mental health advocate. I do what I can to support other artists as I navigate my own creative journey. I’m a big believer that other artists are not my competition, and that there’s room at the table for everybody to eat. Nobody has to be a starving artist.
In the past, I might have spouted out some stats, awards, and accolades from a resume right here. None of that really matters though. In 2020 I burned my resume because what I’ve done in the past is in the past. All that matters is what I’m doing today. I’m hungry. I’m starving…and each day I get up to hustle and prove myself…to myself.
I do have two galleries in San Diego that I regularly show at, Adelman Fine Art in Little Italy and Sparks Gallery in the Gaslamp. I’m a big advocate for small businesses and community support. I recently launched a podcast called “Art For Everyone With Carini & Vinnie.” The show is hosted by me, a full-time professional artist, and my buddy Vinnie, who has no background in art. We bring the conversation of art back to the people with some awesome industry guests. For too long, I think art has felt like an exclusive club. I want everyone to be welcome in the art club. There shouldn’t be requirements or criteria that has to be met to talk about art or enjoy it. I want everyone to be able to join the conversation. You don’t have to know the terms or the lingo. You can simply feel what you feel, and if you are so inclined, you are welcome to share it.
This journey of being an artist is filled with ups and downs. There are parts I takes extremely seriously…probably the parts I don’t need to. There are also parts I don’t take seriously…probably the parts I should. I make it work for me though as I create my own path. I’ve had my obstacles and I know there are more ahead. Most problems have solutions, and as an artist, I’ve been pretty good about finding creative solutions. This dream is absolutely possible. It’s also quite simple. DON’T GIVE UP. It’s not easy, but it is simple.
I do have a number of licensing deals and products available, but people can look me up pretty easily to find those. All this stuff is secondary to the purpose, my WHY.
I have 4 cats, but 1 of them, Braska, has been my “Employee of the Month” every single month since she joined the company/family. The others don’t work very hard. Braska has a bio on the company website…it’s longer than mine.
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?
Failure, stubbornness, and obsession. An open willingness to fail over, and over, and over, and over again has been a big part of my success. You can’t succeed until you work through the failures. You have to callous your mind to them and not see them as failures, but stepping stones on the road to success. That’s where my stubbornness, my refusal to quit, really helped. My obsession and blind focus kept me relentlessly going and propelled me forward from there. To get where others haven’t been, you have to be willing to go where others haven’t gone, and do what others haven’t done.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I’m always open and willing to work with new people and businesses. In particular, I’m looking for brand partners and licensing opportunities. I have a number of products that have my art on them already, and the possibilities are really endless. I’ve also worked with a number of companies as a brand/ambassador and partner. I don’t like the word “Influencer,” because I’m not one. I’m not trying to influence anyone to do anything except to find their own self.
I’ve moved into a new space recently, mentally, where I am focused on feeding the people that feed me. If you’re looking for art for your home or business, I would love to help. If you’re not looking to collect art, maybe you know somebody that is. There are so many ways you can support and help small businesses, even if you aren’t in direct need of the services. There are also a number of creative and unconventional ways I can partner with people. I work for myself and I make the calls, so if you’ve got an idea, I’m open to hearing it. If you think you might be interested in my services, please feel free to reach out.
I’m definitely giving a hard push for more interview, speaking, and teaching engagements at this time.
Contact Info:
- Website: linktr.ee/michaelcarini
- Instagram: @acrylicalchemy
- Facebook: @cariniarts
- Other: You can find my everywhere on my Linktree
