Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tyler Scully. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Tyler, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?
I think in any creative field that is a great amount of freedom that sometimes that lays way to people becoming paralyzed with choice. Ultimately people dream and plan but then never get anything done. I, however, put a lot of effort into continually work and to work through ideas by iteration rather than hyper focusing on only creating one painting. My art process has developed also out of necessity of the materials since I use oil paints it takes very long for layers to dry. I usually start 6-10 paintings of an idea I have and rotate them so I can continually work everyday instead of stagnating and anxiety of ‘perfection’.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am an oil painter so I constantly creating new works and developing series to expand my art. My artwork is based in expressionism but I have a focus on using multiple different painting techniques from across modernism. While my art might be ‘dark’ to some, I feel my artwork is more a reflection of the times we live in. All my art are amalgamations of images I see daily, from the news, from television, from historical references, from social media, etc. Those images are then processed through me. My unique vision of humanity is directly put into the artwork.
If anyone wants up to date information it will be on my Instagram, Threads, or my Website.
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?
I think first and foremost you must have a love and desire to make art and express yourself. If you fear criticism or are not confident in who you are and what you want to say then an art career is going to be a devastatingly difficult process. After a desire to do it then you need skills to execute your vision. You can start by emulating artists you like to try and figure out how they create their art but you should take those skills you learn from others to develop your own voice, style, and process. Don’t stagnate and always be looking to learn from others.
Finally you need determination to continue. Even if you’re not making money or facing criticism or whatever the world throws at you, you must be determined to continue on with your art. Continually working even if it’s just an hour a day will make the world of difference in your skills and output.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
We live in a world ruled by madness so stress and anxiety happens to all of us. For me when I’m overwhelmed I do simple two things. First I usually just try and relax and avoid stressors like social media and the news. Instead I will listen to a podcast, listen to music, play video games, or watch media that is just about having a laugh like Taskmaster to just decompress from life. The other thing I do to keep up my creativity but not get stressed about ‘perfection’ (or perfect chaos in the case of my art) is I start making completely improvised art. Rather than trying to create something specific I just let the canvas and paint suggest forms and just get lost in the paint without any real goal.
Doing these things allow me to continue working and creating but also stay sane.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tylerscully.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/specters_art/
- Twitter: https://www.threads.net/@specters_art
- Other: https://linktr.ee/Tylerscully
Image Credits
Tyler Scully (my own paintings and images)
