Something I have found that is nice about being an artist is taking my work seriously, but not taking myself too seriously. I think it is completely okay to be little cheesy and over the top as a person, because that is what the freedom of art is all about.

When I think of all of my favorite artists and entertainers, yes, in many ways, they could be seen as cheesy or over-the-top. Some of the most skilled entertainers who I admire are pro wrestlers like Dave Bautista and The Rock. When I think about wrestlers, I think about people who need to have a ton of different skills to create their art. Not only do they have to be fit, but they have to have a personal brand, have panache, storytelling skills, and the ability to hit people with chairs and be hit by chairs. Nothing feels more like being an artist than what a wrestler goes through, to me.

I think that as artists, the world will want to pigeonhole us to one genre and have us be Pro Wrestlers forever, yet the world also wants to be surprised by artists and something new. When I see wrestlers act in movies that are a bit more serious, I don’t think there is any more motivating message that can be told to the world. It can be hard to balance the values of consistency and the value of newness, so, listening to oneself is ultimately the best path.