We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Robert Gardner a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Robert, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
It was something I came across early on. I had a deep passion for art, drawing specifically. Just the way I could get lost within my imagination. How hours would seem like seconds at times when I was really into whatever I was working on. Likely the purest form of my own expression. To me, it became the single most thing that brought me the greatest amount of pleasure. That’s when I knew I had found my purpose through art, regardless of the capacity or medium.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Just to cover all bases, I would call myself a creator. My primary focus is illustration, which has expanded as I’ve developed my skillset. I write, color, illustrate, and animate as well as edit and produce those animations. Currently, I am working on a graphic novel series as well as a children’s book. Both of which have become passion projects. While these are merely personal endeavors, I am also open to collaborations with like minded individuals with a knack for creative pursuits, no matter how large or small they may be. What excites me about this is the overall process of my craft. From the boldness of the line art, the vibrance of the colors all the way down to the “eureka” moments when coming up with ideas. Being able to drown within my imagination and seeing what floats to the surface.
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?
At the risk of sounding cliche’, the three most impactful qualities I would say are, patience, imagination and a healthy dose of delusion. The patience to know that there is a process involved. That the goals I set just won’t fall into place. I had to have the imagination to envision my desired outcome and keep sight of the finish line before getting started. Lastly, just being delusional enough to see my vision through. It can be a long, lonely walk at times. Not everyone would be able to see what I saw or believe in it the way I did.
My advice to anyone pursuing their passion would be to simply keep going. . Don’t get too down on yourself. Don’t be too hard on yourself when times get tough. As long as you can remain true to your aspirations, you’ll begin to see the progress you desire.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I’m always looking to collaborate with like minded creatives. Doesn’t matter if you sing, write or create art yourself. I’d like to expand our reach and see what comes of it. I know there’s a hidden well of talent within the city, but I’m open to working with anyone. If they want to connect with me, they can probably best reach me at www.rlelandarts.com. Of course I can be found on most of the socials.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rlelandarts.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rlelandarts
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM3R30znnkJUg7hVqB3x1Mw
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
