Check Out Tooney Lean’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tooney Lean.

Hi Tooney, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started as a graphic designer around 15 or 16, and I would remake my favorite cartoons in my own style. Throughout the year, I would draw my homies, celebrities and do commissions. After I graduated from college, I stopped art for a while just because of COVID and burned out. Around that time, right before COVID, I started my clothing brand “FasholyFly” in Jan 2020. And I had one before, would I just put my cartoon, but I wanted to do something more original and of my own. I kind of got tired of remaking other people’s art and wanted to make my own. But currently, I started back doing art a couple of years ago, mainly with commissions and original art, and I’m still doing my clothing brand as of today.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all lol! It’s hard running a business when you have to wear every hat. Especially when the internet seems to be changing every 5 seconds, relearning to stay updated and tapped in with everything going on. I often feel like quitting, to be honest for a second, but I love creating and making things, I probably spent way too much on it, and not made it back. But I believe my brand is something big, Lord willing, but at the end of the day, I believe we are called to create and make art, and with the rise of A. I and other things, I think the medium is getting appreciated like it was throughout the times, I do believe through at the end of the day.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I love creating. By my name being “TooneyLean” lol I love making cartoons, lately I have been making a lot of collage art, I made 2 collage art books I’m waiting on releasing. Also, this is an exclusive. I haven’t told anybody this yet, but I’m working on a children’s book and a coloring book. Right, i’m know off my collage art series. I made a couple of series and had a little notarization of that, we go about a 5-1o year i was known for my cartoon that where I got my name from, “Tooney.” Also, I have clothes. My popular clothing pieces were from a collection I had called “FFGURLZ,” which was a play off of PPG. I’m most proud seeing people like my art or people wearing my clothes. What set my apart is i’m love what I do, and I’m a creative and come up with a lot of cool ideas, I know that cliche answer lol. But that’s what makes me me.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I think if you run a business or are a creative, you’re a risk-taker because even starting a business is a risk. The reason I say this is that you don’t know if it’s going to work, and most businesses fail, and the only reason to make your business grow is to take risks and not give up on your dream.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tooneylean101/?hl=en
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/fasholyfly/?hl=en