Meet Joshua Meyer: Professional Artist – Sculptor, Painter, Blacksmith

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

Hi Joshua, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I love the concept of risk but unfortunately, I think it’s super misunderstood and feared. Most of us view risk in the context of taking action and trying something new, but rarely do we consider the great risk we are taking with inaction and not taking the chance! It can be equally as risky and harmful if we do nothing and never try new things. Personally, I thrive on risk-taking and it has more often than not paid off! That doesn’t mean that I don’t carefully consider things, but many times you just don’t know if something will work out the way you hope unless you try so you just gotta go for it and who cares if it fails! Failing at something doesn’t make you a failure unless you don’t learn from it. We are so worried about what other people might think and we are our worst critics so we must learn to embrace failure as a positive and a chance to learn and get better and try again. In my life and career, I’ve taken so many huge risks and I’ve learned something from every one of them. You can only make decisions with the information that you have so although it’s easy to look back now and judge myself as making a “bad” decision they weren’t because they got me to where I am today! To me, risk taking is vital to growth!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a sculptor, painter, and blacksmith my art is very multi-dimensional and I enjoy working in many mediums! I think that sets me apart in today’s art world because it’s not considered a wise business strategy. It’s easier to specialize in one thing and get very good at that, but that’s not who I am… I love the variety, the challenge, and the balance that I get from one-day sculpting stone, then the next day painting with water and ink, and then the next day forging with fire and hot steel! As an artist, the most important thing to me is not my art but rather how it inspires people. So many of us get caught in the rat-trap of survival that we often forget our true desires and live our lives doing what others expect of us instead of following our dreams. I want to reinspire people to find their courage and live their lives to their fullest because the world needs them! It’s not easy venturing out and following your dreams, but I promise you that it’s worth it! I’ve learned that making baby steps each day towards my goals is key. You can’t wait around for everything to line up perfectly… you just gotta get out there and start and before you know it a year has gone by and all those little steps add up to something huge! I’ve learned not to look at challenges negatively but rather as incredible opportunities to gain more unique experience! Make the word “failure” a friend and stop fearing it. Be a creator of your life and stop living in reaction to circumstances. Get out there and make it happen. I hope that my brand, “Joshua Meyer Art” becomes synonymous with people living their life as their art however that may look. Giving it their best and being genuine with who they really are.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Flagstaff Arizona so I’d start out with a drive into the Coconino National Forrest for some exploring and camping, and then I’d bring them back to town and enjoy some of my favorite local breweries and restaurants. We would then take a day trip to Sedona for some fun hikes in the red rocks and exploring Oak Creek Canyon. After that, we’d head back to Flagstaff and hang out with some of my friends and spend some time in the studio getting creative and collaborating on some art!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that have played a part in the success of my career and their support and encouragement have been a huge fuel to keeping me on the path. From my wife, who always believes in me, to my younger brother Chad Meyer/previous boss for giving me the flexibility I needed to venture down this road, to my older brother Nic Meyer who has been a wealth of information in the blacksmithing world, to my friend David Tackett who has graciously worked with me in renting my shop space, to my friend Kris Corter who has been a huge help with my digital marketing, to my friend Chad Williamson who’s entrepreneurial mindset helped me turn a switch in my brain from a hobby artist to a professional artist… these people I owe a lot and am eternally grateful for their part in my journey!

Website: https://www.joshuameyerart.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuameyerart/
Linkedin: n/a
Twitter: https://twitter.com/joshuameyerart
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshuameyerart/
Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/joshua-meyer-art-flagstaff
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClFPx5SkVz6nOjyLTFmPkag?reload=9&view_as=subscriber

Image Credits
Zachary Friedbauer, Abrielle Meyer, Joshua Meyer