We recently connected with Ryan Stubbs and have shared our conversation below.
Ryan, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
Growing up as an Air Force Brat, we moved around a lot. The story my Mother loves to tell is when we we’re living/stationed in Washington D.C. and I would constantly draw on her walls. While that’s pretty normal for many children, apparently I’sd sign the drawings with one of the neighboring kids names. While I don’t have personal memories of this, it later became clear my purpose was set for me. As I continued on the path of drawing and painting, I’d later find myself in the 80’s cruising the alleys, streets and train yards of Denver, Colorado, leaving both my name and pieces of Artwork anywhere I went. I was also hyper focused on any type of art class at school as well as getting into nightlife and other subcultures by the age of 12. As growing up can be challenging, in many cases the reactions to my creations did help build a sense of confidence and belonging. That said, my love for the Arts in general, brought that passion, desire and drive to really pursue the lifestyle. I’ve never really looked back…
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?
Growing up primarily as a Visual Artist, I explored traditional mediums as well as spending a fair amount of time doing work on the streets. Concurrently, I was attending night clubs and parties, which led to collecting records and dabbling in DJing. in 1990 I was accepted to Whittier College on an Art Scholarship, where I also took a slot as a Radio DJ that was broadcast through Los Angeles. Years later, I would move to San Francisco for a Post Bac program in Drawing and Painting at SFAI as well as begin to hone my DJ skills. I’ve now been in SF for 30 years, have done countless art shows in the US as well as murals in the US, Mexico, Canada, Peru and Europe. I’ve also had the fortune of DJing through the fore mentioned countries as well as the Philippines and Fiji. As a DJ I’ve opened for the likes of Katy Perry, Sting and Sheryl Crow. Played major festivals like Outside Lands, Lightning In A Bottle and Bottlerock. As a producer, I currently have a releases on 7 different labels in 5 different countries. My paintings and art endeavors can be found on www.dusermania.com or @duser. My DJ info can be found on www.duserock.com or soundcloud.com/duserock. My original productions/collaborations can be found on most digital platforms under Duserock or ThrillHammer.
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?
Pursuing the life of an artist takes patience, dedication and passion. You really have to want it, never give up while knowing that nothing may ever materialize. I do believe that if you keep your head in the game, something will break open eventually.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
The most helpful thing along my path has absolutely been community. Whether that be peers, friends or family. The love and support I’ve experienced has been super helpful in terms of intent and motivation but also as resources for connections and work. Without this, I’m not sure how things could’ve/would’ve developed.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.dusermania.com www.duserock.com https://finelytuned.bandcamp.com/
- Instagram: @duser @duserock.sf @wearethrillhammer @finelytunedllc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/duserman https://www.facebook.com/duserock https://www.facebook.com/wearethrillhammer
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/duserock
Image Credits
Power Quevedo
Diek Wyse
Ryan Stubbs
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
