We’re looking forward to introducing you to Steve Casino. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Steve, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I’m getting ready for an art show in October so the first 90 minutes of every day is spent building little dioramas. They’ll be used to display miniature peanut art.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m simultaneously a professional toy inventor and a working artist. Got my break in the art world 15 years ago when I started making miniature people from peanut shells and went viral. Since then I’ve branched out into many different forms of 3D art and have had shows at galleries all over the world.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
I was a friend of Trent Reznor in Mercer PA where I grew up. He was in bands playing gigs for money at a very early age. I modeled his self-starting behavior and started drawings caricatures for money at local fairs and carnivals at the age of 17.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There were many times that I wanted to give up but through stupidity or stubbornness I didn’t. I failed at so many things before arriving at the point that I am at now. But everything I learned from the failed experiments made me better. I tried to be a packaging designer, a cartoonist, a model maker, and an illustrator. Now I use all of those skills almost every day, creating toys and 3D artwork.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes. I don’t put on airs and am not shy about saying what’s on my mind at any given time. Some people find this a bit unsettling because some really weird stuff comes out of my mouth.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I think I’m doing what I was born to do. It did not always seem like it would be that way. I had a lot of terrible jobs with mean bosses. But I got lucky and figured out what I was really good at while working for kind, supportive people at a toy company.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Stevecasino.com
- Instagram: @stevecasino
- Twitter: @stevecasino1
- Facebook: @painterofnuts
