You have passion, you have ideas, all you need now are the guts to go for it! Anthony Bozza, former journalist at Rolling Stone and author of several influential rock autobiographies including “The Life and Times of Eminem”, tells us how he gained success as a writer by finding his voice, following his passion and most importantly trusting his instinct.

Anthony, how did you originally break into music journalism?

My first and only real job was at Rolling Stone magazine where I started as an intern in the now-defunct book publishing division, then I was a research assistant in the library. Yes, Rolling Stone has its own library, which is pretty cool! And finally I was an editorial assistant in the Music Department.

From there, I worked my way into the magazine by volunteering for any unclaimed writing assignments. Whether that meant writing captions, tracking down members of Sly and the Family Stone to talk about “Hot Fun in the Summertime” – not an easy, but definitely rewarding task – or interviewing bands of the week for the Charts page. I then graduated to writing and editing the “Random Notes” pages and finally got my big break writing about a white rapper that I’d been begging my editor to let me cover since the first time I heard him, which was about a year before he was signed by Dr. Dre. His name was Eminem.

What did you do at Rolling Stone to make yourself stand out from other writers?

I’d always tried to bring something new to whatever I did at Rolling Stone magazine. Growing up, I didn’t read the magazine regularly and I hadn’t been to a journalism school, so I think I approached writing for Rolling Stone a bit differently than my peers.

During my tenure as a research assistant I spent more time reading the frail, yellowed, original issues I found encased by plastic in ‘The Vault’ than doing what I should have been doing, such as compiling data for advertising sales representatives.

I wasn’t earning myself any gold stars in the eyes of my boss, the head librarian, but I did get a primary source education in magazine and history of pop culture writing. Rolling Stone really was the institution that started it all, bringing together the rebel energy and idealism of the hippie generation with the idea that politics, music, art, lifestyle and strong opinion should exist within the same pages.

Anthony’s collaboration with comedian Artie Lange, Too Fat to Fish, debuted at number one on the New York Times best seller list

Other magazines like Playboy had done this in a more mainstream way, but none had taken the Rock & Roll, counter-cultural stance at a national level before Rolling Stone. In those issues, the subject matter may have been dated, but the spirit was still inspiring. Reading Hunter S. Thompson’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” as it originally appeared in those pages was amazing. It was also incredible to read Cameron Crowe chronicling the 70’s, Chuck Eddy’s incendiary pieces from the 80’s, as well as Kurt Loder back when he was still a print journalist – something I hadn’t realized watching him on MTV.

It sounds like you thoroughly researched the magazine and really understood its history and point of view. Tell us how you made your mark on the magazine and what value you added?

When I got the chance to write my first cover story I wanted it to be as exciting as the articles were in the magazine’s hey day. When, as Cameron Crowe depicted in Almost Famous, reporters were in the thick of it. I’m lucky to have landed an assignment that unfolded precisely that way.

Anthony’s first book was Whatever You Say I Am: The Life and Times of Eminem. Illustration by Robin Boyden

I caught Eminem just at the top of the roller coaster, and we got on well enough for me to be able to report on the real Marshall Mathers, just as he greeted the world. My experience with him was great material, but I still had to put it out there for all to read. I wanted to do it justice and and in doing so, I took a bit of a risk – I turned it in without showing it to a mentor of mine who had up until then, seen everything I’d written for the magazine before I turned it in to my editor.

This mentor helped me get assignments and prepped my writing for publication but as I got more confident I started to realize that a lot of the changes this person was making weren’t so much to suit the magazine’s style because they were tailored to read as if they had written it, not me.

Anthony joined forces with Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, for his autobiography Tommyland.

How did you deal with the pressure, especially as this was your first major assignment?

The week I wrote my first cover story was harrowing to say the least. I went right from my time in Detroit in the freezing cold, to covering the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in New York City. That night is a story that deserves its own chapter. In the issue where my first cover story appeared I also wrote an extensive feature on the ceremony as well as Random Notes, meaning that I was responsible for about half of the full length articles in the magazine that issue.

Paul Rosenberg Eminem’s Manager, David Saslow from Atlantic Records, Dennis Dennehy Eminem’s publicist and Anthony Bozza

I was scared because it was more pressure than I’d endured and more writing than I’d ever produced for print in so short a time. As nervous as I was, I was also determined to succeed on my own. So rather than show my mentor or anyone else my first cover story, I turned it to the music editor exactly the way I wanted it. And, aside from some minor tweaks, that is exactly the way it was printed. It was a huge success and if I had to choose one moment that made my career, that would be it.

I remember Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner coming out of his office with the issue in his hands and coming up to my desk, saying, “You’re Anthony right? This is the kind of story we need more of. Excellent work.” He said it loud enough for the entire department to hear, which was completely embarrassing but awesome at the same time.

I’ve written in many styles and in many other people’s voices since then, but that moment taught me to never, ever doubt my instincts when it came to writing.

You’re now a very established writer, what has been the most important factor in developing your writing skills?

The most important lesson I learned was finding my own voice. I think it’s the most important facet of any creative art. There are some artists who come out of the gate knowing exactly what they want to do and how they want to do it, but that isn’t typically the case.

A young Anthony Bozza

Back in school I started to realize that, unlike many of my friends I really liked writing essays and I liked reading whatever was assigned even more. I’d also write for myself, mostly in journals, which piled up as I got older. I still have a few boxes of them and if I ever need to be reminded of the importance of honing your craft, I can open any one of them to any page.

So once you discovered your voice and started developing your writing style, how did you overcome the fear of ridicule, in order to publish your work?

I’ve only taken one creative writing class in my life. It was a continuing education class at New York University. The class I joined was taught by a man who had published a number of paperback mystery novels. I don’t remember the story I wrote but the observations and pointers he and my class mates gave me, as well as the writing shared by my fellow students, obliterated any fear I may have had.

A number of them had been published and although my work was more or less torn apart, I knew that no matter what they thought of it, considering what I thought of their writing, I should have no problem getting published. It made me feel that there must be somewhere out there for everyone in publishing. It was definitely a good exercise to have my work dissected in front of me, in this case, by a room of people I didn’t feel that I had much in common with.

Click here for Part 2 Of This Interview where Anthony describes quitting his job as a journalist, setting up on his own and writing his first book. He shares his thoughts on the impact of the internet and the benefits we can gain by using it effectively. Plus he gives us even more details on this cut throat industry, including getting slapped in the face and having a fire lit under his ass!

Check out Part 2 Now…

Photo by Man Alive!

Are you fed up of working in an unfulfilling job, being told what to do by a boss who doesn’t appreciate you? Do you want to pursue a creative career and work with people who share your vision? That’s exactly how Peter Hook felt when he decided to form a band called Joy Division. Hooky also realized that you can keep control and publish your creative work without signing away your rights…

Joy Division, inspired by Do It Yourself punk.

Peter Hook made his success as a prominent member of legendary band Joy Division who developed a sound and style that defined the post-punk movement of the late 1970s. Joy Division has influenced scores of musicians including Moby, U2, The Killers, The Charlatans and Mogwai. Hooky had no formal musical training. But his success stemmed from; hard work, determination and a burning ambition to succeed on his terms.

Peter, your journey has been epic to say the least! So let’s start at the beginning. How did you get together to form Joy Division?

In the summer of 1977 I had a really shit job. I was working hard all week and going out at the weekends. At the time music wasn’t a very big part of my life, but I used to read the music papers and I just started reading about Punk. It really interested and excited me. Then The Sex Pistols played in Manchester at the Lesser Free Trade Hall. My mates and I, all went along and that was it. That very evening, we decided we were going to be Punks and form a band.

Sex Pistols at the Lesser Freetrade Hall. Illustration by Jed Collins

It seems naive to me now because I didn’t particularly think about music. We didn’t consider that we would have to buy instruments, learn how to play, form a group and start performing. It just came from seeing the Sex Pistols perform and going “Come on, right we’re in a group now! Yeah!”.

At the start none of you could play any instruments, so how did you go about learning and developing your skill?

Bernard had a guitar, so I had to play the bass. It was that easy. It was a complete process of elimination. I bought a book called “Palmer-Hughes Book of Rock & Roll Bass Guitar”. However, it was pretty shit. So we just started playing. The thing about performing in a group is that one rehearsal is generally worth 10 of you playing on your own. The quicker you learned the better. Because you wanted to take advantage of the things that were being offered to you, like all the gig opportunities.

Illustration by Jed Collins

So you learned from necessity. But you went beyond this and actually mastered the bass guitar. How did that feel?

I always think of incredible musicians as people like Johnny Marr, who started playing the guitar when he was seven. It’s quite unusual to find someone who doesn’t start playing until they’re twenty one, but who ends up playing in two hugely important groups in the history of music.

You’re famous for playing the bass in a very unusual manner. How did you develop your style?

I didn’t set out to be different, a lot of it wasn’t planned, the style just evolved the more I played. Personally, I think if you write and perform great music it’s impossible to fuck it up. Because great music will always live on, whether you publicise it in a national newspaper or not.

So going back to the early days, how did you feel when you performed for the first time?

I can recall getting ready for it, but I don’t remember the rest of it at all. I was extremely frightened. I can’t even remember coming off stage! However, it’s a great thing that first performance. The rest of your career you find yourself chasing after that excitement. It’s like your first drink or your first sexual experience. But you’re never going to capture that feeling you had at the very first one.

Angel and Hooky. Photo by Tash Willcocks

It’s also a confidence thing. I did a ‘Question & Answer’ session in Canada for the documentary film about Joy Division called “Control”. This kid was asking questions and he said to me “Can you tell me why for 30 years of your career, the first 15 years you never said anything and then for the last 15 you wouldn’t shut up!?” I went over and punched the fucker. But he does have a valid point. I think the thing is, everything changes. So for the first 15 years I’d say I wasn’t very confident, and for the last 15 I was.

How did you come to work with the legendary entrepreneur and record producer Tony Wilson?

I’d seen him around before, we all went to the same concerts. He looked like he was from another planet, he dressed differently to anybody I’ve ever met. Tony had started putting on concerts in the Russell Club and he asked us to perform there for a while. He then decided to make a four-group compilation record and he invited us to record two tracks.

Peter Saville’s designs defined the look of the band. Copyright Peter Saville

After that, we were looking for a proper record deal, one where somebody would actually give us money. But Rob Gretton our manager decided it would be better to keep control. He wanted to keep it based in Manchester and for us to sign with Factory records, which was Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus’ label. Rob was impressed with Tony’s ideas, we were just kids so we didn’t know any better.

From left to right: Peter Saville, Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus. Copyright Kevin Cummins

I don’t think we had the vision to think about the business side of being in a band. But as a manager, Rob had the foresight to realize: “Right I can really do something different with this band and we can still keep control”. Because the thing that appealed to me about Punk was that it was all about doing things your own way and not compromising. Getting what you believe in and pushing it as far as you could. Not adhering to any strict rules and no one telling you what to do.

This was quite a new way of thinking, especially for the music industry. What was the benefit of working for an independent label that operated in such an unconventional manner?

The great thing about signing to Factory Records was that no one told us what to do, there was no planning at all. If we finished the track Tony would listen to it and go “Nice, we’ll record that and put it out next week”. It wasn’t like “Here’s a calendar for next year, we can’t clash with “Girls Aloud” or any major bands, and we’ve got to go on tour after”. Most record companies would never release a single if the band haven’t got an album ready and they haven’t got a tour planned.

Tony Wilson and Peter Saville. Photo by Danny North

Tell us about your first time in a recording studio?

We were very overawed, excited, and out of our comfort zone, so we were scared. I was very lucky as a musician to have a producer like Martin Hannett. He taught us to look beyond a song, to give things depth and time that lasted and things like that. Even though the guy was extremely difficult to work with, he did give us a gift that I’ve used personally for years and years.

So given the creative freedom you got from Factory Records how long did it take for Joy Division to gain popularity?

That’s an interesting question. As Joy Division we were playing the same songs to no one, and then six months later we were playing the same songs to thousands of people, so it’s difficult to judge where it actually happened. It just grew through us playing and establishing ourselves as a live group. I remember the first time we played London we had to chip in for petrol, and we didn’t even get any money off the door because no one came. There were only seven people in the whole place! I don’t think that you can really bypass that. But as long as you put on a great performance for those that did turn up, then it’s great.

Joy Division on the road. Illustration by Jed Collins

Did you enjoy going on tour in the early days?

We didn’t tour for a while, not like bands today who tour straightaway. We were still working and just playing odd dates whenever we could get them. It’s a different industry now. We grew at a much slower rate than a lot of groups today. They just go from nothing to hundreds of gigs. We had to work it around our day jobs and that’s what paid for us to tour.

Did you feel that you benefited more from doing it that way?

I think it kept us more grounded and a bit more realistic. But there were a lot of things that kept us down to earth. We didn’t really start making money until we’d been in the group nine or ten years. Everybody thought just because we co owned the Hacienda (nightclub) that we were loaded. In fact it was the opposite. Because we had the Hacienda, that’s the reason we didn’t have any money! But I do think that it did pay off, we had a level head and weren’t spoiled.

I think things like X-Factor and Pop Idol make the music business look exciting and glamorous. But when you look at it realistically, you’re up at 7.00 am and you’ll do an interview with a major TV station, then there’s a PR event, and then a signing and several personal appearances. It’s completely different to what it seems like on the outside.

But what we did was very different because we rebelled against all of that. I joined a group because I wanted to tell everyone to fuck off and do things my way. To me that was the great thing about being in a group where you’re not being told what to do.

Click here for Part 2 Of This Interview where Peter tells us how he coped with the death of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis. He shares advice for upcoming musicians in the Internet age and tells us how he deals with negative reviews and criticism. Plus, don’t miss the truth behind the legendary stories of drugs and violence at the bands world famous club the Hacienda.

Check out Part 2 Now…

Are you stuck, crippled by negative comments like “stop dreaming, you can’t making a living from your passion”? That’s exactly what Geoff was told. He was once a floor sweeper with ambitions above his station. However, he didn’t let their dismissive comments deter him. He wrote his first book on the toilet with no money or resources!

Read on to learn how you can move forward with your goals if you’re willing to pay the price and use your 24 hours wisely.

Geoff after winning his BAFTA with wife Sharon

So who is Geoff to give you advice on success? Well he went from sweeping floors in a factory to the brawling nightclub doors, to standing on stage winning a BAFTA in front of the worlds glitterati. And more importantly he did it with fewer resources than you have at your fingertips RIGHT NOW! As well as award winning script’s, he’s the author of over thirty popular books and was polled the number one self-defense instructor in the world.

Geoff, thank you for inviting me to your lovely house. Lets jump right in. What inspired you to become a writer?

I had lots of depression when I was younger. I had this particular bad depression and it kept visiting me. I think it was because I was root bound. I had all this creative energy and I wasn’t placing it anywhere. Every time I tried doing something with it people would say “Who do you think you are! That’s not for the likes of us. Just be grateful for what you’ve got”.

I had a lot of fear and I didn’t know why. I read a lot to figure it out and none of the books told me what I wanted to know. They were written by people who seemed to be frightened to actually say why they were scared. I thought if I ever discover what this is, I’m going write it down and tell people.

The spot light is on Geoff

So you didn’t find the answer in the books, how did you combat your fears?

I thought I’m sick of this I’m going do something about it. I decided if I can overcome all my fears I won’t be frightened anymore. So I wrote all my fears down on a pyramid and systematically confronted them one by one. My final challenge was to face my fear of violent confrontation. I became a nightclub doorman and that’s where everything started.

“Bouncer” artwork by Julian Kimmings

Before we go into your experience on the doors, lets back track a little. You say you had a lot of depression when you were younger. Tell me about the things you used to do as a child, what were you interested in?

I was one of those strange kids who would go off on my own and dare myself to do challenges. What I was really into as a kid was climbing trees. I had to climb every tree on the estate and they were huge oak trees. I would climb right to the top. I didn’t want to hammer nails in and give myself foot holes. I wanted to find my own way up, a different way, so it’s always been in me to do that.

I used to go scrumping on my own, climbing over garden walls and pinching peoples apples. Sometimes I would be terrified that I’d get caught. I’d be overwhelmed and panic, but I would still go and do it all over again.

“Scrumping” artwork by Julian Kimmings

Was this in your own neighborhood?

No I never stayed on my own estate. I was one of these people that enjoyed going off and breaking the boundaries. Hanging around miles and miles from where I lived. I was never comfortable just staying where I was. I always thought there was more. I wanted to break out of that cast and experience all sorts of different things and meet different people. I was overwhelmed at times and I was completely out of my depth, but that excited me.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a world class goal keeper. When I got to senior school I changed my mind and got into martial arts and put all my energy into that.

Geoff is a black belt in several different martial arts

What initially sparked your interest in martial arts?

Bruce Lee, I watched him and that changed my life. I’m still grateful for that now. He liberated me. It gave me an outlet for my energy and I heavily immersed myself in it. In fact it was like an obsession. It ended up becoming my career. It even took me to the world stage and I arranged to give up my day job, just so I could train and tour.

What job did you have at the time?

Oh god, loads, everything from selling carpets to laying roads and making pizzas. I also worked at a chemical factory, hod carrying, brick laying and floor cleaner at a factory. And then working on the doors.

A scene from Geoff’s film “Clubbed”. Actor Mel Raido who plays the lead character Danny

You mentioned earlier that things really started when you worked on the nightclub doors. Why was that?

Doing it changed my whole life. That lovely saying by Nietzsche, “You have to be careful that when you hunt the dragon you don’t become the dragon”. I went from being a scared kid and hating bullies to becoming hugely violent and using violence as a problem solving tool. I had become the dragon and I was justifying that. And it was only when I started to write about it that I realized I was in the wrong place. Well, I was in the right place originally, but I’d stayed there too long.

A scene from “Clubbed” actor Mel Raido learning fighting techniques

It was very perceptive of you to realize what was happening. What was your next move?

I left the doors and that’s when I started teaching. But it was that experience of mastering myself, facing my fears straight on, that’s what completely changed my life. That experience has been my reference point ever since. I remember occasions when guys were attacking me and trying to kill me. I then think, “doing an interview on national TV might be scary, but it’s not as bad as someone trying to kill me. What’s the worst thing that can happen? I’m not going to get stabbed, my life isn’t at risk” and it puts everything into perspective.

Geoff teaching fighting techniques to actor Mel Raido

Talk me through the process of writing your first book?

When I was working the doors, I was still sweeping floors and would sit in the canteen and tell the lads what happened the night before. It was either very funny or extremely violent or shocking. One of my friends said, “This is great stuff, these stories are amazing, you should write them down”. Of course I’d wanted to be a writer since I was a kid.

“Inspire” artwork by Julian Kimmings

I would get my work done and then go into the factory toilet and just sit there and write. Interestingly my other friend, who also worked at the club, was going to write a book about the doors too. He had masses of experience and was going to call it “Watch my back”. I said, “that’s a great title”. So I used it as a temporary title. Then when I went to get the book published, I had to ring him and ask for his permission. He said “Yeah, I don’t think I’ll ever write mine” and he never did!

A scene from Geoffs film “Clubbed”

It’s a shame that people have dreams and never take any action on them. What was your next step after writing the book?

I had it typed and it must have sat on the shelf for a long time. I then met a friend of mine called Ian Mclaina, he was one of those guys who can spin twenty plates; he believed you could do anything. He said “We’ll get it out” and although he didn’t get it published he got my momentum going again. I sent it out to quite a few big publishers and didn’t get anything back.

Geoff hanging out with the actors from his film “Clubbed”

I then took it to The Telegraph where Sue Lawry said “Before I read it, I want to tell you. There are fifteen reporters upstairs ALL of them want to write books. They don’t want to be journalists. But they haven’t taken any action. You’ve already gone and done it”.

After reading it she told me “There’s some really nice stuff here. You have an original voice, but it needs expanding, more description”. I went away and followed her advice. I then sent it to a small publisher. It turned out they were actually two lads working from their dads living room. They had just left University. But I was given the impression they were some big conglomerate. At that time they had only published one book. Now, they’re a multi-million pound business.

A scene from Geoff’s film “Clubbed” actor Scot Williams who plays Sparky

They had obviously marketed themselves well to give you that impression of professionalism. How did things move forward from there?

They told me “We don’t think it will make you lots of money and we’re only a small publisher. You’ll get royalties but we can’t give you an advance”. I didn’t care I was just excited about being published.

They published it and suddenly my whole belief system changed. I was thinking, “right so people like me can write and get published”. Everyone had told me I couldn’t do it. Then the floodgates opened. I wrote five books in a year. I’ve written over thirty since. I thought ”I can do anything”. That’s when I went into writing plays and journalism, everything I fancied doing I would go for it. It was really exciting.

A scene from “Clubbed”

How long did it take to publish your first book and how successful was it?

They had it for about 18 months and it sold quite well. They ended up with five hundred left, which they were just going to sell over time. But I said “Look I think I can do more with this, will you let me buy the copyright back?”. And they did which I think they’ve regretted ever since because it’s sold over a hundred thousand.

I reprinted it in hard back. I put it out and started doing courses and teaching and I started printing other books as well. I’d decided to self publish my other books. I looked at what they were doing, and the unit cost of printing a book. I thought, “well I could do this myself”. If I printed it myself and sell it, I can make much more money. I’ve self-published ever since.

Click here for Part 2 Of This Interview where Geoff tells what it actually takes to be successful and the questions you need to ask yourself. Plus how to combat stress and what he does to ensure both his mind and body are in top shape. Also don’t miss what this martial arts expert has to say about food and how he maintains a healthy diet whilst still eating cake and curry.

Check out Part 2 Now…

Do you get defensive when your creative vision is criticized after days of painstaking work? So did Mike Shinoda, who isn’t just a super-successful musician but also an exciting artist. He was kind enough to talk exclusively to SUBvert about his own personal and sometimes painful experiences in the early days of Linkin Park. Read on to discover how you can use Mike’s hard-learned lessons to boost YOUR career…

Why listen to what Mike Shinoda has to say? Because right now, there is a good chance that you are taking career advice from your mates at work, your buddies on twitter and the guy down the pub who played guitar once in the 70s.

Here’s your opportunity to learn from a guy who’s sold over 50 million albums and won two Grammy Awards. He’s a vocalist, songwriter, rapper, plays keyboard and guitar, he’s also a producer and an outstanding artist. If you want to be the best, then learn from the best…

Oyakodon

So, Mike, you’re clearly a dedicated guy who has invested a lot of time into various artistic skills. What’s the most important lesson you’ve learned whilst developing your talent?

One big breakthrough happened in college. I went to Art Center in Pasadena, which is a really fast-paced and competitive school. There was very little social life on campus, because the workload was just so heavy.

We took what we did very seriously…so spending 40 hours on a painting, then putting it up in front of your class to have 30 people critique it was brutal.

As freshmen, most people got really defensive about their work. Then, at some point, I realized that the criticisms that made me the most defensive were usually the ones that were right. It really helped me to enjoy the process of making my work better, by leaving ego at the door during the creative process.

Neuphoria

Having your work critiqued by people is tough, was there ever a time when you struggled to overcome that fear of publishing your work or performing in-front of an audience?

When we released Hybrid Theory. Our first album was painful to make, because it seemed like everyone was trying to tell us to change. They wanted us to be more like this band or that band, and we fought it tooth and nail the entire way.

So, that is to say: we made the album we wanted to make.

But once it came out, it took off surprisingly fast, and we got a lot of criticism for it entering the mainstream so quickly!

We had to overcome a lot of our own fears about what it meant to “sell out,” and realized that we never “sold out” at all—we did what we wanted to do, and people reacted to it in a positive way.

As long as we didn’t compromise our integrity, we could stand behind the record, which is what we did.

Click here for Part 2 Of This Interview where Mike tells us how he developed loyal fans, his views on money and fame and what his top priorities are as a creative person. Plus he recounts the story about a particular band that treated Linkin Park like crap.

Check out Part 2 Now…

So this page is a place where ambitious creatives like you can shout out what you do. Tell the community who you are, where you’re located, which creative field you are in. Let us know what your unique talent is and tell us the value that people get from your work. Feel free to link to your websites and social media accounts.

I’d also recommend creating yourself a DISQUS account in the comments (only takes a minute) and uploading a picture of yourself. People like to deal with real people, not anonymous names, so it goes a long way to developing your credibility and having people take you seriously.

Look forward to connecting with you.
Paul.

PS. All comments are manually approved by us, so don’t expect them to appear instantly, it usually takes a few hours. And I’ll say it again, when you don’t upload a picture of yourself on things like this, it’s like flushing potential contacts, sales and money down the drain!

Photo by Guillaume Kayacan

Do you ever wonder why other people have more luck than you? Maybe it’s because of what they’re doing behind the scenes. Come back stage and learn about luck from a man whose experienced success in music and art. Discover how role models can help you cut through the crap and what to do to create your own luck.

Goldie has worked with David Bowie, Noel Gallagher and KRS1 plus he has his own record label called “Metalheadz” which has released numerous pioneering tracks. He also starred in the James bond film “The World Is Not Enough” and Guy Ritchie’s “Snatch”. As well as being a much sought after graffiti artist whose artwork is coveted by top DJs.

Hiya Goldie, I’ve read your autobiography “Nine Lives” which I thought was so compelling. The thing that strikes me, is even though many terrible things happened to you as a child, you still managed to turn your life around. You’ve experience success in many different creative industries, how have you done that?

People say to me ‘well your lucky’ and I say ‘listen there’s no such thing as luck’. Luck is chance and circumstance. Taking a chance with that opportunity to create your own luck.

They don’t realize, when they say “your lucky”, that in the past, I’ve stood in New York in the South Bronx freezing my tits off, waiting to meet a guy that can change my fucking life forever. That I sat outside a club, with a dub tape that I’d spent my last thirty quid to record. I put the time in to do those kind of things. And my position in this game is to continue to learn.

Photo by Gus Coral

You mention music, many people will know you for being a DJ and Producer, however, they may not know that your first love was graffiti. So lets go back to where it all began, how did you initially get into art?

I saw subway art, liked it and wanted to do it. I started drawing alphabets and getting really creative. I hung out with some guys called the “Wild Criminals” and just started drawing everywhere I went. Then I saw a couple of graffiti writers called Brim (Fuentes) and Bio (Wilfredo Feliciano) from the TATS CRU in New York. They’re still an active graffiti crew, one of the best in the world. They got me into the REAL side of graffiti. That’s how I learned, from the BEST.

Photo by Gus Coral

How did you develop your skill?

Bio came over, he showed me how to really do letters. He got my sketch books and ripped them up. I literally had to start from fresh. I started to realize the fundamental aspect of graffiti was the letter form. What interested me, was that it grew from a letter form into social commentary very quickly and people began to respect it for its progress.

Photo by Gus Coral

When you look at the construction of the letter form its not dissimilar to technical drawing. If you understand the form that’s 80% of the hard work done. I was driven to be able to do characters, letters, background, the whole thing, which is synonymous with the way I make music. I construct my music as a whole story. The intro, sound, the background, I set the tone. That’s what graffiti always taught me, the whole spherical angle.

It’s also incredible what graffiti has taught the rest of the world in terms of what it can do, for example; Marc Ecko has built a whole empire from employing graffiti techniques. Ecko was to a certain degree a graffiti writer who relied more within his sketch book scenario then everyone else. The hours he put in perfecting his craft have paid off, he’s managed to apply the medium in a way which is now developed into a multi-billion dollar industry.

Were you thinking about the message of your graffiti, as well as how it looked visually?

I was always writing stuff with a message in mind. I was really inspired by early writers like Dondi and Shy 147 they were really ground breaking. They were going into (railway) yards and getting shot at. These were ultimately guys who were getting into deadly situations because they wanted to paint so fucking badly.

Did you learn technical skills from the people around you?

Oh totally. Technically you have to put it down to a social dilemma. If you place me in Miami, in a place that makes gold teeth, and you place me with an air brush and you leave me there for a couple of years something’s gonna happen, by default. Any artist in an environment like that is gonna be in the same position.

Miami going down south taught me sculpture. When you look at micro cosmos sculpture, its gold teeth. Even dentists get amazed at street culture and how they learned how to do gold and grills. There is an art to it, it’s like a miniature sculpture it’s exactly the same process.

Have you always been as ambitious and productive as you are today?

After Miami, I returned the UK via London and I ended up staying with Gus Coral who was kinda like my mentor. He was like my dad and really looked out for me. I didn’t have the rent to pay, so I would paint and do canvases. I’d be doing air brush compressors, I’d be casting gold, making rings and jewelery. This is all in a fucking council flat.

I was in London and was trying to pitch artwork to people. That’s how I really got started. I was pitching artwork to Island Records they were signing different Hip-Hop bands. There was this group called the 11:59. They wanted some designs for an album sleeve and so I put all this artwork together for them.

Artwork by Goldie for 11:59, image courtesy of Gus Coral

I learned a lot along the way. Before I even went to New York I was working in a screen printing factory. I was printing t-shirts and learning how to do screen separations and all that stuff. So I’d kinda done a lot of everything before I was twenty two.

Is that where you got your confidence from learning all these different techniques and skills?

It was more lucrative than wanting to be a drug dealer. I was always socially driven and I was more scared of ending up being stationary. Not doing anything with my life, that scared me more than anything else. I wanted to chase the dream, I had to achieve that.

Once I’d mastered how to make jewelery for instance I stop doing it. The same with airbrush t-shirts. I wanted to learn the craft fully and then move on with something else.

What’s been the biggest barriers that you’ve had to overcome in your career?

I don’t know, if I put barriers psychologically in my head then they will be there. But they don’t really exist, what exists is people’s acceptance.

I’m all giving man if you guys accept me. That’s all it is. This is from a kid that struggled to fit in. So that’s reflected in my work. I always felt I was the outside child because I was an orphan for many years. I didn’t feel the same as everyone else so to get people to see my work was a challenge for me.

Many years ago we used to do shows in Levi’s in Oxford Street with all my paintings. But back then you couldn’t even give them away. That was twenty years ago. Now I see my work selling for a lot of money. They even chase us around the country for this stuff. They’re desperate to buy it!

Click here for Part 2 Of This Interview Where Goldie tells us that if he didn’t ask the right questions his career would be over. He also shares with us what he thinks are the three most important things in life. These things are the keys to his success and how he overcomes fear. He also explains the real fears he had to face as a child.

Check out Part 2 Now…

Matt Crowhurst

Imagine your dream job. Add to it an awesome lifestyle and plenty of cool parties while you travel the world? Sound tempting?

Discover how Matt Crowhurst, pro Wakeboarder and TV Presenter does just that. Hang on to your seat and come on a journey with us into the competitive, fast paced and dangerous world of Wakeboarding. Find out how to overcome fear, cope with set backs and get noticed in a cut throat industry. Matt will show you how to make your passion into your living and fully embrace your dream life.

In case you’ve not heard of Wakeboarding, think of it as water skiing on a snowboard with ramps and rails and skateboard tricks thrown in for good measure.

A lot of people try extreme sports, fall off, don’t see instant progress, then quit! What motivated you to master it?

I push myself in anything I take on. The simplest explanation is, anything that is going to give you more of a rush, more satisfaction and enjoyment, something that is really going to get that blood pumping is likely going to need some hard work to get you there. However much you put in, you get out.

Matt, why Wakeboarding in particular?

I left school at 19 and decided to make it my living. I was fairly natural at the sport so it felt right. But I blew my knee after only a month of winter training in Australia. So, I was out the game. So I wanted to get stuck into something else. I got a job as a researcher on an extreme sports TV show called Rad. I’ve actively involved myself in the media side of Wakeboarding and Freesports as well as continuing to Wakeboard myself. This has carved a niche for me in a world where it isn’t easy to make a living out of your sport.

Photo by Johnny Wiggla

So in a way, the knee injury opened up new possibilities and you began presenting on TV?

All the media stuff I’m involved with got going through that knee injury in 2000. It meant a year out of the sport. So I wanted to make sure I did something productive with that year. The job on Rad started it all. It was a lot of fun. Also, I started MC’ing at wakeboard events as I wasn’t riding and with this came the wakeboard orientated TV work. Wakestock festival was my first gig and since then I’ve always been heavily involved in whatever TV covers the sport.

For those people just starting out, what advice would you give them?

I’d say you have to have an angle, a passion. On TV a person without a passion is transparent.

Make the most of every opportunity and don’t let things slide. Be focused. Be driven. Don’t let up until you’ve got what you want. This applies to most things in life. As far as developing a style, I don’t try to be anyone else but myself on camera, on stage and out on the water.

There are some TV boxes you have to tick such as; being clear, to the point, being able to ad lib when it’s needed. So, just be aware of that and blend it in with your own style.

Were you encouraged by the people around you initially to follow this unusual career?

I definitely got inspiration from people around me. Guys I’d grown up with Waterskiing, Nick & Julz Heaney and Paul Price. They had jumped ship and seemed to be having the time of their lives. I gave wakeboarding a go and just took to it. There wasn’t really much resistance because there was nothing anyone could do.

Did you set yourself any specific targets?

When I first started there were no real plans, I just knew I loved wakeboarding. I was conscious of working my position in the sport to help me continue doing it. Things like coaching clinics, media work and trying to get sponsors on board to support me.

Did you experience any problems when you started out?

For sure, where I lived in Birmingham there was nowhere for me to go wakeboarding. So I would train around the country as much as I could and ride as and when I got the chance. Money is a tough one. Those youngens who live near cable ways have it best for sure. It’s far cheaper to get riding this way and you can get lots of time on the water.

Photo by Michael Wincott

How did you sell yourself and your talents in the early days?

I was always pretty good at putting my face about and just chatting to people. The guys I was hanging out with in the early days, the Heaney brothers, they are the kings of self promotion. As far as sponsorship goes, if you’re good at what you do that isn’t always enough for a sponsor to see worth in you.

Getting free kit is your payment for doing a job and if you don’t come up with the goods in terms of riding, self promotion and being a great ambassador for your sponsor then its going to be a short lived relationship.

Photo by Michael Wincott

One thing that tends to hold people back is fear of failure. Tell us about a time when things went wrong, either in a competition or presenting, how did you turn it around?

Oh, I’ve cocked up non stop in front of camera during interviews. Hell, when I was on stage at Wakestock festival, after the prize giving, I introduced Goldie Lookin Chain when it was actually Morcheeba! Making mistakes MC’ing in front of a big crowd can be nerve-wracking. I’ve got a terrible memory so remembering all that I have to say while making it look natural and unscripted has, on occasion, not quite happened.

‘But so what?’ is all I think at the end of the day. What’s the point in letting things bother you. Shit happens and you have to deal with it. If you are doing any kind of job that involves being in the public eye, be it a sport, musician, MC or presenter, you are going to have some embarrassing moments, that’s a given.

What advice would you give other extreme sports people who want to pursue this as a serious career?

Put yourself on the line in every way. If being able to ride means that you have to get a shitty job then get a shitty job. It’s not ideal of course but it is a means to an end. Play the game with sponsors, as that is the only way you’ll ride more and work less. Remember that to keep hold of sponsors you have a job to do.

For those people who want to get sponsorship, what is the best way for them to approach companies?

Always remember companies are out to sell, plain and simple. Sponsoring individuals is so that an association with that individual will help to sell more of the company’s product(s).

You have to offer something really special to get full product support and financial backing. It takes working as hard off the water as you do on, whatever you’re chosen field of play is.

Find the person in charge of marketing at which ever brand you’re pursuing. Get an email address. Drop them a line with your portfolio, good quality photos, video etc. Then follow up with a phone call.

As long as you are offering them a viable way of raising the brands profile to help them sell more, or can actually raise sales directly, there is a viable reason for them sponsoring you.

My motto has always been, “if you don’t ask you don’t get”. Make sure that you are always popping up on peoples radar as the person who’s attending all the events, helping out and are willing to get up early for photo shoots. Just generally being proactive about your career. People really DO notice this and it will come back to you in the end.

What did you do to impress your sponsors in the beginning?

Initially my riding ability and how I was doing at contests. To keep hold of them and offer them something more, I’ve always worked as hard off the water as I do on. By this I mean, putting together shoots, writing articles, hitting a good few events, getting on the mic, teaching across the country, doing demos here and there and generally putting my face about.

Artwork by Dan Spinks

Who are your hero’s, what have you learned from them?

Lots of people in wakeboarding and further a field. Certain riders I just love to watch like Keith Lyman, Randy Harris, Aaron Reed. They inspire me for sure. Any athlete who is at the top of their game and pushes themselves relentlessly has my total respect.

Extreme sports for a lot of people seem very scary, how often do you find yourself doing things that you’re afraid of?

The main thing that scares me is trying out new wakeboard tricks. It seems to just get harder and harder as well. You have to commit to something fully, have faith in your own abilities and go for it. Any half arsed attempts at anything in life aren’t going to turn out well.

Photo by Michael Wincott

Most people think that being an extreme sportsperson and traveling the world is a very glamorous and fun career. Tell us about the other side of it?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a very lucky boy and I lead an awesome life. As far as riding goes I don’t actually get much time on the water, which does really get to me.

I do end up between a rock and hard place on this front. Because I am so busy with events, demos, coaching clinics, media work and so on, that I’m never in one place or have any time to just ride. It’s just a case of finding balance between it all. Either way, I’m still living the good life.

How do you keep your energy levels up with all the demanding work required to make it in this competitive business?

You do have to eat properly whether you’re on the road all day or at an event. Also getting enough sleep wherever you can is super important. I’m actually trying to do more to look after myself now. My partner is great at making me eat well and I think doing exercise outside of wakeboarding will just mean you are in a much better position to recover quicker after riding.

Click here for Part 2 Of This Interview where Matt shares with us the sacrifices he’s made for his dream job and offers his advice on how to make it in a competitive industry. Then we journey even further into the action. You’ll hear from 7 of the hottest wakeboarders in the world, who’ll tell you exclusively their top tips for a successful career and their personal secrets for overcoming fear.

Check out Part 2 Now…

We received over a dozen letters from people who told us they were having problems with that very same situation. Here’s an extract from one of the letters and my advice on a few ways you can improve the situation…

So I’ve always been artistic throughout my life. Just recently, I’ve been smoking cannabis.

Ok, so I see two different issues here. 

1) She’s having trouble getting her work done

2) She’s using cannabis as a crutch to try and overcome problem number 1.

So let’s look at issue number 1 first. An artist who’s having trouble getting her work done. There’s nothing new there and I’m sure we can all relate to it. 

I could write a book on why artists struggle to get their work done – and plenty of others have – but I’ll try and keep this short and practical. 

It’s not exclusive, but in my experience, if you dig deep enough you often find that creative block comes down to one of two things - 

Either;

a) The artist simply has nothing of any value to say.

or

b) The artist is scared of being ridiculed when they publish their work.

If it’s a) then you really need to to go find a cause. What is it that’s driving you? Why have you chosen to be an artist? 

The life of an artist is one of self expression. What is it that you want to express, what is it you want to “get out”, what is it that you want to share with the world? 

I’ll paraphrase that great Salvador Dali quote again - An artist isn’t one who is inspired, but one who inspires others.

How is your work inspiring others? 

Maybe you don’t know, maybe there just isn’t some inherent message within you, bursting to come out.

If you feel like you really haven’t suffered any great tragedy in your life or you haven’t experienced any overwhelming joys, if you don’t feel like you have anything to share, then go live a little.

Get out into the world and find a cause, a message, an experience. The place is full of them, so you won’t have to travel very far.

There are plenty of people who would love to have someone to talk about their cause, to communicate their story on an artistic level. 

If it’s b) and this is far more common, then you really need to sit down and think seriously about the life you are choosing.

Here’s the thing. To live a life of self expression. To be an artist of any discipline – requires publishing your work.

And the one thing that is inevitable when you publish your work – is that someone will ridicule it.

To be great, you have to separate yourself from the pack.

You can’t be a leader AND a follower. 

What you can do is change, inside your head, what it means to be ridiculed. 

You can’t stop people criticizing your work but you can change what it means to you.

One way to do this, is to start small and condition yourself to it. 

I’ve spoken in the past about “the busker principle”.

I believe that any aspiring artist can learn a great deal from the busker because the busker is out there learning ALL the fundamentals and building a solid foundation for a great career. 

Most importantly the busker is facing the public, facing rejection and ridicule and asking for money at the same time. 

And it’s this fear of rejection and ridicule that is behind most procrastination and artistic block.

It’s also a big factor that prevents creatives sell their work efficiently enough to make a sustainable living. 

So, here’s a quick fix that you can put to work right now to help overcome this fear:

Go find a cause, find a reason WHY you want to produce some work.

It might be a selfish reason. You might choose to create something that will inspire someone else, so they will buy the work from you and you can go buy a new pair of shoes.

Or you might go and align yourself with a more noble cause. You could discover a way to use your art to help communicate someone else’s message, maybe an injustice or just an imbalance in the world. 

Whatever the motivation you come up with, (and there’s no right or wrong) before you sit down and start your work, try and picture the end result in your head.

See the inspiration on the face of the patron buying your work, she the shoes you will buy when your work is sold or see the people who’s lives might be changed by your intervention in their cause.

Turn it over and over in your minds eye and I’ll bet you find that blank page starts to fill itself. 

So, let’s look at issue number 2.

She’s been using cannabis as a crutch to overcome the artistic block. 

Just realizing why cannabis sometimes helps her can be of value. I mean, what is it that the cannabis actually does? 

Does it open up the mind to some mystical, spiritual, creative dimension, where inspiration and artistry suddenly start to flow? 

Of course it doesn’t. It simply changes her state of mind. 

It changes her state of mind from one of Fear to one of Relaxation. 

So, temporarily, she is able to forget that she is afraid of ridicule and her work starts to flow more naturally. 

But there are two things to note about this process.

Firstly, it’s addictive. 

It’s not so much that cannabis itself might be addictive, that’s not the issue.

It’s that anything we do regularly that has a short term positive effect, tends to become addictive. 

If she ate a couple of chocolate doughnuts instead of having a joint, the sugar rush would change her state of mind and her work would start to flow.

If she drank a strong cup of coffee, the caffeine would change her state of mind and her work would start to flow.

If she chugged an ice cold beer, the alcohol would change her state and her work would start to flow. 

I’m sure you’re starting to get the picture. 

And I’m sure you are smart enough to create your own mental picture of how anyone might end up, if their strategy for being creative is linked to any of the above. 

The short term effect for using any of these techniques is a change in your state of mind that get’s you unstuck. 

The long term effect is an overall drop in energy, an increase in sluggishness – even less motivation that you started with and probably a fat ass. 

But you can take advantage of that addictive nature we all possess.

You can turn it to your advantage by associating something positive with kick-starting your creativity. 

When you are facing a blank page, canvas or screen and your mind is dwelling on the fear, then the three most effective things you can do are;

a) Breathe 
b) Drink more water
c) Move your body

It’s as simple as that.

Our mind and body are one system. So when we sit, hunched over for hours consuming caffeinated drinks in an unnatural environment, it effects our body and mind.

Our breathing gets shallow, we get lethargic and that effects our mental performance.  

So, when you start to lag a little bit and you notice that your brain’s not firing on all cylinders;

a) Check your posture. Are you hunched over? Is your breathing shallow? Stand up, take some deep breaths, better still, open a window or go for a short walk. Learn a couple of Yoga or Qi Gong breathing exercises or meditate for 5 minutes (It’s just breathing dude). 

b) Go get some water. With air conditioning and central heating and the crap food most people eat, you’re body and your brain (which are 70-75% water) are likely screaming out for more of the clear stuff.

Remember I said WATER: We aren’t made up of 75% coffee or coke or whatever caffeinated drink you have adopted as part of your creative “work all night” persona.

Being able to think CLEARLY is far more valuable than being able to work all night, so use caffeine only in emergencies and flush that crap out with lots of water.

c) Get up and jack your body. Walk up and down the stairs a few times, do a few press-ups, I have a weights bench and a punch bag in my office, that’s how important we take regular short bursts of exercise.

The human body simply isn’t designed to sit still all day so give it a break :)

Ok, here’s an idea, if you’ve been suffering with the same issues, why not give these ideas a go.

Make it an experiment.

You don’t have to believe in their effectiveness to try them.

And don’t worry about the consequences of giving up your chemicals and your comfortable habits. Just make this a trial, for 30 days and see if it increases your performance and gets you any closer to where you want to be.

If it doesn’t work for you, just revert back to being an over caffeinated stoner :)

And let’s not sugar coat this. You should be aware that quitting any habit, will have consequences in the short term.

Especially food and chemical habits. You may even feel like crap for a week whilst your body tries to detox. Such is the price of growth and taking back control of your life.

Good luck and let us know in the comments how you get on. 

Paul.

Billy performing with Steven Tyler, photo by Mike D

Billy Morrison has performed with legendary musicians….. Slash, Ronnie Wood, Steven Tyler, Lou Reed…. to name drop just a few. He is a principle member of the supergroup Camp Freddy who keep appearing on US television shows including Jimmy Kimmel, Jay Leno, Sharon Osbourne and Carson Daly. But being in one band is not enough for Billy. He is also red hot band Circus Diablo. And some background info. He was a former member of the internationally successful rock band The Cult.

He currently writes, produces and records music for various television shows. And if that isn’t enough he also hosts a weekly radio show, as well as being an artist and an actor. And did we mention he produces video blogs and runs and manages three websites. This was one successful person we wanted to talk to….if he stood still long enough.

He’s a busy guy but we tracked Billy down to talk to him about his career, over coming fear, and getting his work out to the world. His candid response and advice make inspiring reading for anyone with ambition.

Photo by Wendy Bird

Billy your career seemed to really take off when you made the decision to move to LA and join the notorious rock band The Cult, what was the most challenging thing about this move?

The absolute 100% not knowing how its all gonna pan out. That was the hardest thing to cope with on a daily basis. I didn’t move to the States with a Green Card (legal requirement to live and work in the USA) or really any place to stay. But I had had enough of trying to pretend I was happy in England.

Rock music was not really getting much play at that time (this is before the Killers/Darkness etc) and I had been asked to audition for The Cult. So I just took the proverbial bull by the balls and sold everything. Jumped on a plane with a few bits and pieces in a shipping container and took a leap of faith.

Obviously I got the job, got the work permits and everything took off from there. The most challenging aspects of the whole process were the ones of my own making. The ones in my head, telling me it would never work out, and why should anything good happen to me. It takes courage and faith to ignore all that shit and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Were you encouraged by the people around you initially to follow a career in music?

Absolutely not. I was not encouraged at any step of the way!. Now, my folks kinda get that playing music and the entertainment business can earn someone a living. I think they are just so happy that I’m not shooting smack into my neck that they accept anything. But back then, I was told by everyone to stop dreaming and start thinking about a career.

How did you find it starting out as a musician, did you always feel like you could do it?

My path as a musician was colored for many years by drugs. Actually, colored is the wrong word. Let me think……FUCKED UP is a more apt phrase to use here.

Although I held guitars and was in and out of bands, some pretty cool, some just rubbish. I was oblivious to the hard work and dedication necessary to actually pay the bills in this job. In fact I didn’t have any bills because I wasn’t that responsible yet.

Photo by Hugh Hamilton

Did you experience any barriers or situations that held you back from your goals?

In the UK especially, society was previously set up to create many barriers that would hold creative types from achieving their goals. In school I was told “how dare you dream; get a job, get married, have kids, have a pension, then die”.

Anyone that liked a loud guitar or a tattoo was subversive. Anyone who enjoyed a different kind of sex (not the fucking missionary position) was considered deviant.

Everywhere I turned in my formative years, I was presented with reasons why I would never amount to much. I was told, I really should become an electrical engineer, or consider a career with the Post Office. “Great benefits there, you know, luv”.

Did you set any specific goals when you were setting out?

Oh the whole thing has been on a wing and a prayer. I have realized that I am not in control at all. When I make plans, God laughs. Honestly, these days I just put the footwork in and stay away from the results. And how would I know when I was 22, that I would move to Los Angeles, join The Cult, tour the world, get happily married and form a huge covers band.

I was winging it from day one, with only one goal in mind. Don’t give up on the dream. As long as I smile, as long as I’m happy, I’m gonna enjoy the ride, no matter where it takes me.

Billy Morrison and Slash, photo by Wendy Bird

So you were winging it from day one, tell me about how you initially got into music?

Probably when I was around nine years old. I was really into Glam Rock; Gary Glitter, Slade, Sweet, and my parents bought me a cheap electric guitar from Woolworths. That soon got upgraded to my first Gibson guitar when I was about 11.

You started at an early age, what were you like at school were you one of the popular kids or a bit of a nerd?

Well I definitely wouldn’t have thought of myself as one of the ‘cool’ kids!. Most of the other kids stayed away from me cos I was always in trouble. Smoking, exploring the school (in places I wasn’t meant to be), playing truant a lot, I was more one of the ‘weirdos’ than one of the cool kids.

Billy Morrison and Billy Idol photo by Wendy Bird

Sometimes there isn’t always a clear path and it can be very confusing, did you have anyone offer advice and guidance?

I have a few people that hold an important role in my life, although they might not know it. Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols (who is now a close friend) is the reason I play guitar. The Pistols changed my life and showed me that anyone could do it.

Nick Marsh and Rocco Barker from Flesh For Lulu, put up with me following their band around, hanging out, asking questions, giving me bits of work, letting me soak up the ‘music business’ atmosphere. And Billy Duffy from The Cult actually gave me my job in The Cult and encouraged me to move properly to LA. These people have definitely played big roles in my musical life.

Talking about established musicians who are your inspirations, what have you learned from them?

Well, my inspirations have been The Sex Pistols, William Burroughs, David Bowie, The Wildhearts, Wasted Youth (look em up kids – middle 80’s UK band), The Velvet Underground, Jamie Reid, Vivienne Westwood and a whole load more. These are some of the artists that have inspired and informed, what have I learned from them? Just do it yourself and stay true. Have fun.

Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Morrison

Did you have any obstacles that you had to overcome to get where you are today?

I had every single obstacle. Of course, I have a few of them now. But how much do you want it?. If it was easy, they’d all be doing it!.
The common misconception is that you form a band, shag birds, get drunk, sell a million records. HAHAHA, some of that happens. But usually after a 7.00am start with emails, phone calls, a midday photo shoot, more emails, more phone calls, an interview or 7, sound check, gig, more interviews, bed at 2.00am. Oh yeah, and first you’ve got to learn to play an instrument, get good, practice, write a decent song and dodge all the daily lunatics who will tell you, it’ll never happen. Like I said, you gotta be prepared to overcome all that shit.

Have you learned to come up with great ideas at will or do you have any special methods you use?

For me, creativity just comes. Sometimes I’m playing a video game and I have to stop cos I need to play guitar. Or a great example is that right now, I am in the middle of writing a screenplay and I just stopped answering these questions about three questions ago and wrote a scene for the script. Then I came back to this interview. I find that I am creative in so many areas that each day avails me something for that part of my spirit. Its a great life.

How do you keep your energy levels up with such a hectic schedule?

I do an hour of cardio every day and three hours on top of that of Pilates every week. But its pure vanity, I gave up smoking after they cut a chunk outta my vocal chords a couple of years back, and ever since then I’ve been battling.

One of these days I’m gonna stop caring and open an ice cream shop on the beach in Maui. Energy levels just seem to be there for me. And when I eventually run out (about three or four times a year) I jet off on vacation, go scuba diving with my gorgeous wife, and turn the phone off.

Click here for Part 2 Of This Interview where Billy reveals his opinion on fear and the things which really scare him. Also how he puts himself in life threatening situations. We discover the mistakes he’s made and the trouble it caused him, and how he turned his life around to become the sort of person successful people are now keen to work with.

Check out Part 2 Now…

Photo by Timmy Hwang

Artist, animator and master of the weird and wonderful. Chet has designed and created prosthetic effects for top movies like, The Grinch, X Men 3, Fantastic 4, The Ring, Hellboy, Men In Black II, Planet Of The Apes and Batman An Robin. Often working intense schedules, he knows what it takes to come up with world class work on demand.

We pinned down the LA artist who not only taught us his visualization technique, but told us how to obtain advice from the top person within your industry and if you want to be successful you need a good plan, he had one from the age of 12.

“Addicted To The Good News”

Chet has also collaborated with good friends rock band “Tool” on their critically acclaimed video ‘Stinkfist’ and every consecutive video since. Mr Zar’s is also a highly esteemed painter whose disturbingly dark and arresting paintings have been exhibited in every hip gallery across California and attracted an extensive online international fan base.

Your paintings are very dark and sinister and pretty scary, but what are your thoughts on fear. Does it help or hinder you?

I feel that fear is an obsolete emotion left over from our primitive past. I can’t think of one time where I thought, “I sure am glad I didn’t do that thing I was afraid of doing”. At this point in human development, it seems like we should be using our own judgment and intuition to guide us through life rather than fear.

How often do you find yourself doing things that you’re afraid of?

I mostly do things that I am afraid of out of necessity. Everybody has the natural tendency to avoid the things that they are afraid of. I did a live painting show with Alex Grey and some other artists and that was pretty scary. But I have always had that kind of ‘what the hell’ attitude when it comes to things like that. I just agree to them and dive in when the time comes.

“I Want You”

Did you always feel like this career choice was the natural path for you and was the transition easy?

I always felt like it was my destiny, really. When I was in the first grade I remember having visions of what my art studio would look like, so I knew all the way back then, that I was an artist. But that still did not make it easy. Nothing worthwhile ever is.

So you knew what you wanted to do, did you make a plan of how you were going to achieve it?

I had a plan since I was about 12 years old that I was going to create monsters for the movies. So I spent my teenage years studying and learning that, on my own, with the intention of building a portfolio of my work and getting a job that way. I got work right out of High School in that field (make up effects). After many years in that field, I decided I wanted to be a painter and focus on my own fine art. So I taught myself how to paint and learned as much as I could about that industry and started showing my work around in any underground art shows that would have me in Los Angeles.

“Cancer Face”

You mention teaching yourself, but did you ever go out and actively look for help and advice from people in the industry?

Sure. It all started when I was getting into makeup effects as a kid. I used to write letters to Dick Smith who is the Godfather of makeup effects and is known in the industry for being very open and helpful to people starting out. He gave me all kinds of great advice and that stuck with me. I try to do the same for other younger artists who write me. But people should not be afraid to ask for advice. You will get ignored sometimes, but there are plenty of cool artists out there who are willing to share.

Debi Jacobson (owner of L’Imagerie gallery), Chet Zar, artist Robert Williams, Suzanne Williams, James Zar.

When people first start out they often come to a standstill when faced with a lack of money, time, confidence and resources. Did you experience any of these problems?

I had all of those problems, with the exception of the confidence part. I had and still do have moments where I lack confidence, but overall I think I am confident in my ability and confident that if I am not good at something, I can learn how to do it.

I think the best way to overcome all of these pitfalls is to work around them. This is where naturally resourceful people should really have an edge. It’s all about coming up with creative solutions to problems, working hard and being tenacious. Somebody said “90% of success is just showing up” and it’s true. A lot of people complain about a lack of success but never even tried. You can’t expect anything to be given to you.

Artwork by Chets father, James Zar

You do have to be very proactive and get out there and do it, but as you said, there are people willing to help, did you have any particular people mentor you?

My father, artist James Zar, was a big influence on me. I grew up watching him paint and work hard at perfecting his craft. My mother as well. She taught me that I could do anything I set my mind on. I also worked with an amazing sculptor in the film industry named Mitch Devane who really encouraged me and taught me a lot when I was considering going in to fine art.

Chet Zar his Father James Zar, LC (L. Croskey – Artist plus founder and creator of Cannibal Flower) and artist Delphia, Photo by Valentine Reitblat

Lots of people helped me out with advice and support while I was coming up such as L.C. from the Cannibal Flower group shows, Gary Pressman from CoprNason gallery. My friend Adam Jones from the rock band Tool also has given me a lot of support by collecting my work and giving me plenty of encouragement.

Click here for Part 2 Of This Interview where Chet teaches us a great visualization technique for being more productive more often and how it can help you realize your goals. Plus he talks to us about the lessons he’s learned from his heroes and why he doesn’t mix drugs and business.

Check out Part 2 Now…