Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Amaru
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve been passionate about art since a young age. I was blessed to be born into a family that embraced creativity, and my mom has always been a driving force for me throughout my life when it came to art. We had a rough upbringing, a lot of moving around, a lot of going without, and overall just turbulent. Where I’m from, you pretty much either play the streets and take that risk, make music or go work at a warehouse or something. I always dreamed of something different for myself, but the ultimate goal was always to get rich so I could provide for my family, and from the time I could imagine it, the way I would do it was always through what I could create. I just didn’t know exactly how. It was so many different influences around me growing up— good and bad, but the one that stuck with me was a teacher of mine in 5th grade who had went to art school. I never knew that was an option, in my mind this was just a hobby. But once I saw just how good you could get at it, and how far you could really take it, it wasn’t a hobby for me anymore. Since then I’ve had my mind made that this is what i’d spend my life doing.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all, but the obstacles are what shaped me as an artist. One of the biggest struggles has been staying consistent; it’s easy to become stagnant. I had to learn that talent alone can’t carry you as an artist, because for every 10 great painters, there’s a thousand others practicing to get better everyday and eventually they’ll catch up no matter good you think you are. You have to continually create and get your work in front of people if you want any success as an artist. But with that also comes patience, which is something else I had to learn and have to constantly practice.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I try to get my hands on pretty much any medium, but I specialize in oil painting, graphite drawings and i’m transitioning to working almost completely digital to find work as a concept artist. I’ve been known for a lot of different things over the years, like my clothing brand/custom clothing, tattoo designs, cover art, business logos, portraits— pretty much anything I can facilitate. I think my versatility is something that sets me apart from most artists. It’s easy to get spread too thin trying to be a jack of all trades but it’s worked out pretty well for me.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
We’re all put here for a purpose. Some are fortunate enough to find out what theirs is when they’re young, and some are even able to turn theirs into a career. Regardless of what it is, once you find it you have to pursue it. Living outside of your path will block a lot of the blessings that are meant for you. You have to live inside your purpose or you’ll never find real happiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sunroomstudio.bigcartel.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/rudeboajah
