MacDirectory magazine is the premiere creative lifestyle magazine for Apple enthusiasts featuring interviews, in-depth tech reviews, Apple news, insights, latest Apple patents, apps, market analysis, entertainment and more.
Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1513481
"Why not me?" Walker Noble Artist and Entrepreneur A lesson he learned in middle school, inspired by a fellow student bragging that her uncle was a pro football player, stayed with him. None of the other students believed her, but the young Walter Noble realized that that famous athlete was likely somebody’s uncle. Why not her? So, as an adult, he was deciding if he could be one of the fortunate few that could survive as a full time creative, he thought, “Why not me?” His story is not so much about accepting the risks involved in creative entrepreneurship as it is in building faith in himself and his talent. It also involved getting to understand “the system” and how it could work for him and help him escape the day job where he still had to work for it. He and his wife spent their weekends at local crafts fairs, where his work did well. Then, thanks to a friend (and social media), a poster he created went viral and brought in some unexpected cash, but not the self-confidence he needed. Finally, two things gave him the needed push: the pandemic cost him his reliable but boring day job and his wife, expecting their first child at the time, persuaded him to do his art, rather than accepting another mind- and spirit-numbing day job. As it turned out, that poster caught the attention of a major national retailer who wanted to sign him to produce work for them—tens and thousands of copies of it, mounted, framed, and ready for the store shelves. As great of an opportunity as it was, it was something way beyond his abilities. Or so he thought at the time. The result was the beginning of a journey where every step challenged is confidence and courage. But it taught him how much of both he had available as well as some of the workings of business and mass-market art production. The answer he discovered to the question, “Why not me,” made a truly inspiring talk.