Meet Ryan Kenneth Peterson

We recently connected with Ryan Kenneth Peterson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan Kenneth, 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?

I found my purpose when I was a young boy and realized I had artistic talent. It distinguished me from other kids and gave me a way to socialize with them. It was easy, all I had to do was draw them dinosaurs. But internally, I had a drive to just get better at whatever medium I was compelled to create with. Initially, it was pencil drawing, but when I turned 6 years old, or so, I started sculpting in oil-based clay and that was the game changer. I had found the medium that was going to, not only propel me to a career in movies later in life, but open an avenue to the profound, which occurred while I was young. What I mean, more specifically, is that after the thousands of hours sculpting on my own, day after day and gradually improving year after year, I had a moment, when I was 16 years old, where I created a sculpture that flowed so effortlessly and with such a dramatic increase in quality that it felt divinely guided. It was exhilarating. Mystical. Art then became my religion.

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 grew up in a small, rural town that was beautiful but had a culture that was unrelatable to me. It felt alien. So, my imagination became my refuge. It’s why I drew, sculpted, read and watched anything that was fantastical, not only as an escape, but to be made aware of like-minded adults – art teachers, special effects artists and later film Directors and fine artists – that could act as nurturers to the aesthetic seeds that were growing inside me… Passion usually goes hand in hand with ability, providing the oxygen talent needs to survive. I had it big time with my obsession over cinematic illusion starring the likes of Godzilla, King Kong and anything dinosaur related, all of which led to my love of stop-motion animation and men in monster suits. I idolized those responsible, artists like Ray Harryhausen and Rick Baker. I strove to do what they did, particularly 7-time Oscar winner for special make-up effects, Rick Baker. He was the best and I wanted to be just like him, especially as a sculptor. My idols were “Monster Kids”… and so was I.

Long story short: after getting my fine arts degree, from the University of Utah, I moved to Hollywood to sculpt monsters for the movies. It was a dream come true, especially when I got to work for Rick Baker.
What I wasn’t fully aware of until I had worked in the film industry for a few years on movies like JUMANJI, SEVEN and MEN IN BLACK was that my fine arts background was now challenging my inner “Monster Kid.” Due to the collaborating world of cinema, I began feeling the need to find my own voice, so I moved back to my home state of Utah, rented an art studio, and looked inward to express myself outward.

I’m 55 years old now – still the “Monster Kid” and still the fine artist – but the artistic landscape has changed. I’m trying to adapt. In some ways I have, in others, not so much. Technology has made the future uncertain. The magical process that required countless hours to manifest what was in my imagination can now be achieved instantaneously with the right A.I. prompt. It feels sacrilegious… So how does a creative person deal with this? How do I deal with this? And have I lost my religion – unable to find the familiar ghost in this new machine? I don’t know… Regardless of the discombobulation technology induces, I (we) must hold on to our values, both aesthetic and moral. Keep them clarified so as to guide us through uncertain times. Nothing is ever quite what it seems, good and bad, so finding new ways – new mediums – to learn and express myself while processing this roller coaster ride is the goal. As an artist, being true to myself is more important than ever and, hopefully, this truth will inspire others.

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?

1. Patience: Learn to have patience. Cultivate it by slowing down time and not expecting gratification too soon. Routines like meditation and exercise can help (the latter is a bit of a struggle for me). Basically, time is gold. Revere it. Honor it. Be PATIENT. Then whatever you do, as long as you stick to it, will improve in quality.

2. Passion: I’m not sure if a person finds their passion or it finds them. It’s probably the later. Regardless, having a passion makes life more interesting. Take it from someone who had it but now feels it diminishing (a product of age, I suppose). It’s tough, but I’m not giving up. So, respect your passion and keep it lit as long as you can. A lot of things might threaten it, like technological progress or cultural shifts, but it doesn’t have to go anywhere. Take care of your passion because it’s precious.

3. Make stuff: This could be anything. It doesn’t have to be artistic – making repairs to your house, mowing the lawn (“making” it look better) and cooking qualifies. My point is that “making stuff” has a way of unsticking the mind. If you’re feeling lousy it’s great way to feel different. It’s a simple, yet effective ethic.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

In a general sense, the number one obstacle challenging me at the moment is “external pressure.” There’s pressure to earn money, to get attention, to keep up with technology I don’t agree with (like A.I.), to be attractive (so I can market myself better… to get more attention… in order to make more money… so I can survive). It’s existential. I know it’s a downer to emphasize this but if you’re not feeling the external pressure now, believe me, you will. But then, maybe not. Perhaps, if one starts to address external pressure early its later impact can be lessened. I want to think it’s possible…

First, everyone suffers from insecurity at one time or another. No one has life all figured out. So, resist the pressure to be perfect.

Second, no none is thinking about you as much as you think they are. Once you realize this, it lessens the pressure to impress.

Third, when the world seems in disarray, which feels often, let that liberate you to rewrite the rules of your life. As long as you don’t harm anyone, why not? It could only be an improvement, so be creative with it. Be bold. Question norms. Strive to have original thoughts. Hell, even if you’re wrong, at least you’re wrong on your own terms…

Which gets me to my final point: Thoughts. Don’t assume your thoughts are internal and belong solely to you. I meditate, and I often worry that I’m not doing it correctly. But it has helped me to glean what I feel is the true nature of thoughts: that they are arbitrary. In fact, when meditating, they feel like gnats – buzzing in and out annoyingly; sometimes being funny; sometimes being gross or dumb: sometimes they can even be profound, but that’s the point: there’s no rhyme or reason to them. At times, they’re so random I suspect they, at least some of them, might be externally sourced, floating in from somewhere mysterious. This was an epiphany – I don’t have to own all of my thoughts now and instead choose the ones I want and discard the rest. It’s liberating.
As an artist and human being, my techniques for overcoming life’s obstacles, in order to keep being creative and hopefully kind, are a work in progress. Again, as long as I’m not causing harm, I’m going to keep throwing remedies at the wall to see what sticks; sometimes, they actually do.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Sideshow Collectibles
Sideshow Photostudio
Marvel Studios
Columbia Pictures
Sony Pictures
Amblin
Koplelson Entertainment
New Regency Productions
Warner Bros. Studio
Kennedy/Marshal Company
Paramount Pictures

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