Most artists struggle to get their art seen.

I’ve been there, too

This isn’t your usual story. It’s not a tale about finding the beaten path, but rather a chronicle of forging one’s own. Leaving my homeland of Sydney, Australia—a place fondly referred to as ‘the land down under’—was a leap into the unknown. I had no roadmap or clear vision of the future. I only knew that I was ready for change and a new adventure. What I did have in my possession was a deep love for music and a flair for business. These two passions led me to Los Angeles, a place where dreams often find their reality.

My journey began in a Hollywood recording studio, an oasis filled with talented songwriters, world-renowned musicians, and amazing producers. It was surreal working with the very people who I used to listen to on the radio and who I had admired growing up in Sydney – they were my heroes. I felt that I stumbled upon my own slice of heaven.

However, after a couple of years working in the studio, reality gently nudged me back to earth. As captivating as this oasis was, it proved to be a beautiful but tricky balancing act. Living from paycheck to paycheck, the mounting financial pressure pushed me towards seeking new ways of ensuring financial stability.

As fate would have it, the birth of Apple’s Macintosh line of computers gave me just that — an opportunity to survive and thrive. Equipped with a Macintosh SE, I taught myself how to navigate this brave new world of digital entrepreneurship, and soon set up a graphic design agency.

This was my first real gamble in the business world in the United States — an exciting and terrifying adventure, all at once. But the thrill of success, the rush of signing on one client after another, both small businesses and large corporations, was more than worth it.

A chance meeting in 1994 turned my world upside down yet again. I met an artist who not only became my best friend, but a mentor. This renaissance man taught me the art of being an artist and the importance of marketing — a lesson often overlooked in the world of creativity. He wanted me to help him with his brand as an artist, which I did — however, in the process, he ended up teaching me as well, not just about the art world, but about many things in life. It was an artistic symbiosis that changed my life forever.

From the day I met my friend, I’ve had the opportunity to work with hundreds of artists and creative entrepreneurs, have designed and published dozens of catalogs and artist books, and curated and produced hundreds of exhibitions.

In 2008, I started publishing Fabrik Magazine, a contemporary art publication serving Southern California — both in print and online. However, when the pandemic hit our world in 2021, we had to re-evaluate what we were doing with Fabrik, as many other businesses did as well. So, we shifted gears and transformed Fabrik into a solely digital publication. Now, we publish several digital newsletters serving both the art and cultural markets in Los Angeles and offer guidance through several newsletters to artists navigating their creative journeys.

I also run Fabrik Projects, a Los Angeles-based art gallery, create exhibitions all over the world, produce two independent art fairs, and oversee a digital marketing agency.

Over the past three decades, my career has been a journey through a variety of roles and experiences. I’ve worn many hats — from being a musician, a studio engineer, and a graphic designer, to owning an agency, producing events and festivals, and publishing. I’ve had the honor of co-producing a film festival in Hollywood, creating my own animation festival, and devising marketing campaigns for both advertising agencies and major brands. To say the least, my journey through these creative worlds has been varied, enriching, and incredibly rewarding.

In many ways, I’ve come full circle — from being mentored by my closest friend to now paying it forward by mentoring, coaching, and offering unwavering support to fellow artists and creative entrepreneurs. This is my way of giving back, of contributing to creative communities that have shaped me and continue to inspire me.

I’d love to extend my knowledge, skills, and experiences to help you build the creative career you’ve always dreamed of. Want to learn more about what The Artpreneur Society can do for you? Keep reading. Let’s embark on this creative journey together.

If you’d like to learn more about the projects I’m involved in, you can find further information here.