Meet Elliott Schuessler | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elliott Schuessler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elliott, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career?

This is still something I continue to understand for myself every day, and I continue to love what I learn on a daily basis.

I started my career taking the steps of what I thought was the “adult life” path that I thought was the standard for everyday life. Don’t get me wrong – I was raised in a great family and in a great setting, but the “norm” where I grew up was very structured – go to school, get a good job, start a family, etc. and that’s what I did (minus the start a family, but I do have a pretty bad ass Black Lab named Blakely – who is probably more well-known than me in downtown SD).

Well, the career went great, but then one day I found myself not wanting to play the “corporate game” and wanting to do it more for myself. Having my “jump right in mentality”, I also thought I could do that from anywhere in the world. So, I did – I left. I bought a one-way ticket to Rome, and to say the least – I ended up spending a lot of time across the pond.

I played the passport game, seeing things that I had only dreamt about, fell in love with certain parts of the world, saw viewpoints and vistas that opened my mind and then ended up even finally understanding how to actually “understand” myself for the first time in my life.

I traveled across Europe (so many cities hold pieces of my heart), but one day, I was led back to a place that was obviously calling my name. It was Prague, in the Czech Republic. I headed back and then after just two cans of spray paint – I started my artistic/creative career. I fell in love with a simple wall, an old one, but a simple one – one with meaning. A place where I could go every day and just paint (if I could scrounge up the change for a few cans of spray paint). If you’ve been there, you know, but The John Lennon Wall in Prague is where it all started for me. A small, secluded square across from the French Embassy, that students decorated with messages against the regime dating back to the 1960’s. A place where you I could paint what I wanted, on my terms. Words of expression: Dream, Imagine, Inspire, Live.

Eventually I came home, and this “creative/artistic” career continues to get more and more fun each day. Back then, I came home on Christmas morning to see my family, spent about a hundred miles on The Appalachian Trail over the next few months, drove across the country to this gem of a town we call San Diego, took a few month detour to Mexico (Sayulita is an amazing place that I will continue to go for the rest of my life), and then finally back to San Diego – and, once again it is a town that ended up changing my life.

By this time, I had started to transfer all of this newly found, “painting energy” on to canvas and found myself consistently wanting to paint on daily basis, but I had no place to paint at home. So, until I could figure that part out – I began painting outside at one of my favorite spots – Embarcadero South – on the grass, wind blowing, sitting just beside the bay (2k miles I roam, just to make this dock my home). I sold my first painting to someone casually walking by one day (thank you Brenda). She stopped and told my she loved my painting and then asked me how much it was. I was baffled and it took me a moment to realize what was happening, but then we came to an agreement, and it was in that very moment that I knew what it was that I wanted to do with the rest of my life.
Therefore, I pursed a creative/artistic career. I rejected the norm and let a journey change my life. Fast forward a few years and now I paint in my studio just a few blocks from that very same spot on the San Diego Bay, in The Gaslamp District of downtown San Diego (along with a few other cities on this big map that we all get to explore and call Earth). I am more and more thankful every day.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Painting changed my life and continues to do so on a daily basis. I paint on canvas with acrylics, inks and oils, but do not have a single paint brush in any of the studios I have across the globe. I am primarily interested in making color combinations and the appropriate texture combinations to make a painting work. I use paint sticks (yes, paint stirring sticks), along with multiple scraping tools from different heights, distances and directions to make a painting work. There is no better feeling in the world to me than being able to step back from a painting and have the realization that it is complete and ready for a wall somewhere in the world.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
It is San Diego and would suggest letting that play out itself as it is “America’s Finest City”. I would of course start out downtown and in the Gaslamp, but of course suggest the obvious places up the coast and throughout the city. Everyone wants to see the cove, but also Encinitas. If you want to visit my favorite spot, just take a quick trip across the Coronado bridge and visit dog beach (or, if you don’t have a dog – the main beach). As I encourage most everyone, I would also suggest to just let the day take you where it wants to – life is a journey that we should all explore.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Those in my life, the ones that know who they are and why they are close to me.

Website: realdailylife.com

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