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

Hi Owsley, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’m not sure how much choice I had in the matter. I had a successful marketing business for 4 years, and while the money was good, my mental health suffered a great deal. By the time I started seriously pursuing a career in arts I’d started having chronic anxiety and panic attacks on a regular basis. My last year in business I lost 20 pounds and was certain I was having a heart attack several times a week. Eventually the fear of not pursuing my calling became greater than the fear of just doing it.

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.
Nothing sets me apart from others. Art is a competition with oneself, not other artists. I lucked out that I found a form of art that bridges the gap between my background in tech and the kinds of visionary/psychedelic art I find so compelling. Generative art is an interaction with a machine as much as it is a creative process. The pseudo-randomness of it is what makes it so beautiful. It allows systems to emerge that you see occur in nature. It’s almost like witnessing geological-scale/time phenomena happen in a one minute unfolding of a generative system.

As far as my career, it’s still in its infancy. I’ve worked on a documentary with director Giselle Bailey and done several collaborations with composer/producer Stephen Hilton. Both of them just stumbled on my Instagram page and reached out.

My goals for the next year or so are to start doing this kind of art as stage visuals for musicians. I’m also working on a series of tutorials to help other artists learn the programs/techniques I use.

As far as what I want the world to know, who knows? I put the slogan “trying to find the luminous in the digital” on my IG profile. I’d say that remains my focus.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Provision, Kream, and Futuro for coffee. La Santisima, Dick’s Hideaway, Hot Daisy Pizza, and Luke’s of Chicago for food. Then I’d get them as far out of the city as possible. AZ’s wilderness is much more compelling than its cities.

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?
My husband Andrew Sapp. Without his love and support I don’t know where I’d be.

Instagram: Instagram.com/owsley_wylyfyrd

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