SME: TJ Bullock (TJB), Artist and Graphic Designer
Good afternoon, Mr. Bullock.
First and foremost, I would like to take some time to say thank you for taking the time out of your very busy schedule to sit down with me this evening for this phone call.
TJB: Yeah absolutely thanks for having me!
As you know, this interview is for ENT 601 taught by THE Dr. Robert Lahm. This is a wonderful graduate course that allows me to professionally grow as an entrepreneur and collaborate with wonderful professionals like yourself.
Upon the conclusion of this interview, would you prefer that I submit this specific interview on entrepreneurshipinterviews.org as we discussed at an earlier time? Your preference is simply my demand.
TJB: Yeah for sure I would be honored.
Wonderful! That being said and if it is all right with you, let’s go ahead and dive right into it.
Mr. Bullock, it is known that you are an immensely successful freestanding artist and graphic designer. Could you tell me a little bit about your background, where you’re from, and what initially sparked the motive to become an artist and graphic designer?
TJB: Sure. So, I’m from a small town in North Carolina with a weird name, called Fuquay Varina. It’s an older suburb of Raleigh and growing exponentially – safe to say there’s been many joys and pains from that growth, but I love the town immensely. As far as the initial spark to create goes, I think it is best defined by a quote from the great Pablo Picasso. He famously once said that “all children are born artists”, and that could not be more true. Hand any child a crayon and a sheet of paper, and they will likely just create, without reservations. This innate nature to create is within everyone – whether it be with art, food, business, you name it, we all have something we want to make. Sometimes that nature can create challenges in business but oftentimes they’re inner struggles that have to be dealt with internally. I know that some creative folks have struggled with family opinions – I’m extremely grateful to have had a supportive family throughout my entire life. My mother, my father, my stepfather, my grandparents, my aunts, and my cousins – they all had a part in me developing as an artist and again I’m eternally grateful that family opinions weren’t a challenge I had to face because I know for a lot of folks that’s not the case.
Could you give me some examples to illustrate the largest challenges you experienced in becoming the artist and graphic designer you are today?
TJB: Yeah so interestingly enough there’s a second part of the quote I mentioned earlier. The entire quote is “all children are born artists, but the problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up”. It is extremely difficult for creative type folks to withstand things like public school, societal expectations, etc. without falling victim to personality loss. Sort of like a square peg in a round hole situation, artists often force themselves into positions they don’t necessarily fit into, just for the sake of fitting into something. That’s probably the single biggest challenge I think I could identify beyond your typical challenges like facing competition and remaining up to date with trends.
How have the experiences that you have had throughout your entire career now influence your way of constructing new art? What have you created in order to expedite and alleviate any rigorous processes when you are dealing with a client?
TJB: So there’s a pretty common misconception that design and art are one and the same. They’re of course related, but in graphic design, you focus mainly on the client, the business, and the market – you’re a problem solver of sorts. With art, you of course want to keep the market in mind if you want to see financial success, but ultimately there’s not a client other than yourself. When working with client-based work you really want to ask questions, research the business they’re in, and identify solutions to their problems.
As an artist, do you believe that innovation is imperative in terms of your protocols and procedures? If so, could you provide me with an example that would demonstrate this?
TJB: Yes absolutely, innovation is integral to both art and design. Thinking about some of the greats like Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Georgia O’Keefe, all very different artists with different styles, but what they all have in common is innovation. Rothko and Pollock both brought abstract expressionism to a new level with very intentional simplification of process and color. O’Keefe gave a fresh perspective with a composition by abstracting very familiar forms to take on a powerfully feminine feel. Really almost any major player in art history was innovators at their core. Innovation is what sets you apart from the herd.
How do you motivate clientele to continue to use your services? Is there an incentive involved? How do you ensure client satisfaction is met?
TJB: Really it’s the same with any business, or it should be anyway. You focus wholeheartedly on the client. I subscribe to the ideas of the entrepreneur/social media magnate Gary Vee in that I really truly believe things like kindness, value, and generosity are powerful tools to create great relationships and to ensure you reach the satisfaction of the customer. You really have to listen to the needs of your community and if you do, they are much more likely to work with you in the future because they know you care about them and not just the end game.
How do you keep up with best practices in your industry? Are there trends involved?
TJB: Graphic Design is heavily involved in technology and technology is constantly changing – especially in the digital age. UI and UX are increasingly important fields where interaction with the consumer is paramount. It’s really important to keep up to date with common practices and new trends in technology no matter what industry you are in or else you could just be lost in the noise. Adapt and overcome is the name of the game.
Now, could you please tell me a little bit about the tools and other software you utilize?
TJB: When it comes to digital works I utilize mainly Adobe Creative Suite, so Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects, etc. I also find it fun and rewarding to mix media. Sometimes if a client wants a particularly edgy, unrefined feel, I may want to use scanned paper and hand-drawn sketches to create that. What I love that I’m seeing just here recently is with apps like Tik Tok and the various editing apps available. They’re simplifying the process and increasing accessibly and as a result, many people are discovering talents they may not have before.
When issues arise throughout your endeavors, whether that be clientele, software, or anything else related to what you do, how do you go about alleviating those issues?
TJB: Persistence is a major key. Problems with software and hardware can happen fairly often and if you aren’t prepared for them, and if you don’t hit “save” often, you could lose hours of work within a couple of seconds. Problems, of course, can also come up with people because well let’s face it we’re all human. What’s important there is communication and honesty. Just about any problem you can think of has a solution, you just have to work it out.
Lastly, what advice would you provide to someone wanting to enter the industry? Are there any educational or additional specialized training you would recommend prior to entering the industry?
TJB: If you’re looking to enter the creative industry, absolutely unequivocally take advantage of social media and the various websites that are available for exposure. Design and related fields are constantly being devalued by gig sites like Fiverr and so it’s sometimes difficult to set yourself apart as a professional. My advice is to establish yourself as a creative mind by showing the world what you do every single day. Draw a picture, design a logo, or whatever it is you may do, and create content from that. You may be surprised who seeks you out just from the increased visibility. The one thing you don’t want is to be is “out of sight, out of mind”.
Well, Mr. Bullock, I will now turn this portion of the interview into a segment that will allow you to touch on any information or anything related to your profession and industry that we have not already touched on. What additional information would you like to touch on that you feel is imperative to your career and also your industry?
TJB: There are two clichés that I’ve carried with me my entire life, and I think they’re really important for folks that are struggling with matching who they are with their potential career choices. One is that you can do anything you put your mind to, and the other is to stay true to yourself. It’s always a little frightening when stepping into new territories. If you’ve never designed a website before but you want to, just go for it. If you want to be a tattoo artist but you’ve only ever sketched on paper, just go for it. The human brain is an incredibly adaptive thing and you’ll be surprised what you’re capable of when you put your mind to something. I have a theory that everyone has something inside of them that they think they would be good at. Everyone has a talent, everyone has a superpower, and many times we talk ourselves out of going for what we want and letting that power show. Just be true to yourself, and don’t let anyone tell you anything otherwise.
I am certainly amazed by the complexity and beauty of your work. It is simply amazing and fascinating to me. I have enjoyed having this conversation and getting to know you, your profession, and your industry better. Thank you so much for providing me with this information and again, I thank you for your time and joy you brought to the interview this evening. I firmly believe the world needs more art and more TJ Bullock after this conversation! Thank you so much, Mr. Bullock.
