We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Scott Penegar a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Scott, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
I wasn’t overly motivated in college, but I was good enough in art to make decent grades while still having a very active social life. After getting married and traveling a bit, my wife and I settled in Charleston, S.C. to start a family. It was at this point that I realized that I wanted to be a full-time artist. Everyone who knows me considers me to be extremely ADHD and I knew I was not equipped to have a traditional job, and if I was going to do follow my passion to be an artist, I needed to dig in and make it happen. So, I started working day and night, knowing that my future was in my hands and that every bit of income is coming from the artworks I create. Something in me changed and I went from slacker to dedicated artist. It was a leap of faith and I had the fear that it would not work out, but I managed to make it happen. It was sometimes very difficult but when things got tough, I worked even harder.
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?
In my formative years I was always fascinated by anything aquatic. I swan, skied, sailed, etc, but oddly, went to college in the mountains of North Carolina and graduated with an art degree. After school, I moved to the coast of NC and worked as a exhibit designer for an aquarium and as a commercial fisherman. I moved to Charleston to study Marine Biology, then moved to Puerto Rico to study art. I have combined art and science in the marine sculptures I create. I pride myself on sculpting the native coastal fauna that inhabit the area where I live. I am a stickler for details and strive to make each sculpture as anatomically correct as possible.
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?
Passion for your subject matter.
Drive to produce art and get it in front of an audience.
Learn from each piece of artwork you create.
Alright, so before we go we want to ask you to take a moment to reflect and share what you think you would do if you somehow knew you only had a decade of life left?
I would do just what I do. I work very long hours, but make time for the other things I enjoy. My career as an artist has given me the opportunity to choose when I work and I have developed a nice balance of time with family and friends and creating the artwork I am so passionate about.
Contact Info:
- Website: scottpenegarsculpture.com
- Instagram: scottpenegar
- Facebook: Scottpenegar
