We’re grateful to welcome Eben Eldridge onto the show today. Not only is Eben a talented guy with a great heart, but he is also a recipient of last year’s Not Real Art grant, when we gave $1,000 to 12 artists to empower their careers.
In our fascinating chat with Eben Eldridge, which is the audio version of a video we recently recorded, he hares some of his incredible journey with us. We talk about how receiving the grant has impacted him and why he has chosen to put himself first. Eben does not believe in being a starving artist. Rather, he feels that artists should take care of themselves first to be in the best health possible.
We also learn more about muses and the different relationships you can have with them. For some people, the connection can be so intense that it takes them a while to recalibrate, while for others, readjusting is easier. Eben talks about why he thinks so many people are afraid to create, the importance of belonging to different communities, and why the creative journey rather than the product is the gift. We could not be prouder to have given such a great artist the NRA 2019 grant and we know exciting things are on the horizon for him.
Key Points From Our Episode with Eben Eldridge:
- Why getting the grant was a ‘trip’ for Eben and what happened right before he received it.
- Find out what Eben did with the grant he received.
- How working with children in an after-school program inspired Eben’s artistic awakening.
- After having an encounter with the muse, it takes you a while to re-enter the world.
- Learn how Eben’s relationship with the muse has changed over time.
- You have to accept that lots of what you’re creating will be ‘mud’.
- The story of how Eben came into teaching and some valuable lessons he’s learned.
- Eben’s background in animation and the different projects he worked on.
- External validation will not save you!
- Where Eben’s artistry comes from and hear one of his incredible poems!
- Expressing yourself and having your own opinions is the most punk thing you can do.
- Details about the upcoming Not Real Art exhibition and Eben’s involvement in it.
Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Eben Eldridge on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/rustedlimo/
Art Share L.A. — https://artsharela.org/
Scott “Sourdough” Power — https://www.instagram.com/sourdoughpower/
Not Real Art Conference — https://www.notrealartconference.com/
Not Real Art on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/notrealartworld/
The Outsider on Amazon — https://www.amazon.com/Outsider-Colin-Wilson/dp/0874772060
Big Joe Turner — https://www.britannica.com/biography/Big-Joe-Turner
Jimi Hendrix — https://www.jimihendrix.com/
Janis Joplin — https://janisjoplin.com/
Georgia O’Keefe — https://www.okeeffemuseum.org/
William Blake — https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/william-blake
Quincy Jones — https://www.quincyjones.com/
Chuck Close — https://www.biography.com/artist/chuck-close
Dalai Lama — https://www.dalailama.com/
Thony Loui — https://thonyloui.com/
Dead Kennedys — http://www.deadkennedys.com/
Nina Simone — http://www.ninasimone.com/bio/
Kwan Yin — https://www.crystalinks.com/kwanyin.html