Tag: Philly visual artist

July 27, 2021

Life’s Biggest Questions: Derek Fullmer

Derek “Dee” Fullmer is a full-time freelancer and teacher — and one of Indie-Life’s favorite creatives to work with. Dee has been getting his start in design when he moved to the Philadelphia area four years ago. And, it was in the City of Brotherly Love where he got his first freelance gig when he linked up with Indie-Life.

“Rafik was so welcoming and we connected easily,” remembered Dee. “It got me involved in branding work which was exactly where I wanted to focus my design career. I’m thankful we continue to work together and talk as friends even as I move around. Indie-Life has always been supportive of their artists living indie, and now I’m going for it full force.”

Currently, the 26-year-old is in the midst of renovating an RV which he intends to make his permanent residence. And soon, he’ll be taking all his work on the road and finding new views to explore and work in every day. Good enough reason for us, to ask him “Life’s Biggest Questions.”

 

Biggest Asset

I am a freelancer, but I’m also a teacher. I teach graphic design and digital art to my students who are middle schoolers in Philadelphia. We create projects together and work to inspire each other and push ourselves to create new work we didn’t think was possible. When we create something that looks so good, we’re all very proud and excited to share.

My best asset as a designer and collaborator comes from the same excitement. I love to work together and collaborate. When I’m designing branding work for a client, it’s not about me mysteriously concocting something behind a curtain. I love to openly communicate, pick the brains of clients, speak to their emotions about the kind of care that they have for their business and the work they do. When we emotionally connect like that, we ensure that the best design solution comes to the front. Lead with love.

 

Biggest Annoyance

The biggest annoyance is always coming from the miscommunication. Truthfully, it’s the job of the designer to be as thorough as possible, especially when you’re briefing a project. The biggest annoyance is being given too much liberty as a designer, the client says things like “Hey I dunno, you’re the professional!”, and you take that as a great opportunity to put your best work into it, pushing their brand into the modern-era of 2021 design. And then they see your final work and they are so confused and disappointed that you have completely missed the mark.

As a designer, you need to pick their brains and show visuals to compare. It is hard, especially for clients hiring you, to explain what you enjoy visually. It helps to show them side-by-side options, see what sort of style they like, and then from that you need to create something that is both personalized and new, but also links to their interests. I’ve spent so much time on an open-ended project just for them to send me another logo they’ve seen and they tell me to: “Just do it like this.”

 

Biggest Accomplishment

My biggest accomplishment is simply being a full-time freelancer and now flourishing in the job. I’ve been able to set my life on my terms, but it took many years to get to this comfort level. I get to work with amazing people who are starting up their dreams, and I get to be part of that collaborative process and ease their worries. Realtors, mechanics, doctors — these are all jobs where you want to find the one who understands your situation and you want to fully trust their work and prices, ensuring you got the best of many options.

Designers are in an occupation that requires just as much trust. It is an amazing feeling to deliver high quality work that the client got to put their input in. They have helped define all that they want to see in their baby, their brand! Then you take that precious information and magically create something visual for them to see and personally connect with. It’s an honor to be able to get paid for that kind of work, because it is a very delicate process that requires a lot of trust.

While juggling freelance, I’ve been able to delegate my own schedule and fit time for teaching in an after school program, and that energy keeps me feeling bright and sharp. Working with middle schoolers is incredible, they all have so much talent in them, and I love to pitch projects to them that will bring out every bit of their undiscovered talent. Some of them just need a prompt, and like a key to your jammed shut closet, it just unleashes all their ideas that have been dreaming to fly. Life is good as a freelancer!

 

If you want to keep up with Dee, his life and work as a freelancer, check him out on IG @treefullz.

By Andrea Leonhardt
Imagery by Derek Fullmer

May 6, 2021

Life’s Biggest Questions: Adrian ‘GoldenSpiral’ Palashevsky

 

Seemingly ordained by some cosmic force, Indie-Life creative Adrian Palashevsky aka “goldenSpiral” isn’t your average producer. His music, visual art, and otherworldly live shows transcend the status quo and blur the lines between auditory and visual experiences in art. Alchemizing his unique sound with genres like psy-dub, hip-hop, and world music has earned him a feature by Alex Grey at CoSM and shared billing with artists like OTT, Ghostface Killah, and Space Jesus. Whether it’s solo, or with his brilliant live band format “goldenSpiral:Collective,” he’s been consistently turning growing crowds into believers, solidifying his reputation for being one of Philly’s most unique electronic producers.

GoldenSpiral is one of Indie-Life’s favorite visual artists and graphic designers to work with. So we decided to ask him “Life’s Biggest Questions.”

Biggest Influence

It’s definitely Bob Marley. It’s not just his music that’s larger than life and utterly timeless, but it’s him as a person. He was a visionary, a revolutionary in the truest sense, and a leader. His music is still just as powerful and relevant today as it was 40 years ago, and that will never change. What made him so legendary, in my eyes, was that he walked the walk. He lived and died by his message, literally, and embodied his mission to the core. A famous line of his always stuck with me. He said, “I don’t come to bow, I come to conquer.” I love that. Here is a man peaceful and spiritual enough to make some of the most positive, beautiful songs of love and devotion ever written, yet so controversial he landed in the cross hairs of some of the most dangerous people on the planet, from Jamaican gangsters to the CIA. But he never backed down and he could never be silenced. Someone once told me that to be truly great as an artist you have to be willing to die for your art. Obviously we don’t wish that upon the artists we love, especially since they often seem to die so young. But when they live without fear of that day, and it’s been put to the test, you’ve solidified your legacy as far as I’m concerned. The greatest.

 

Biggest Intention

I just want to speak what I know to be truth, spread love through art and music that harnesses positive vibes, and get people tuned to some higher vibrational thinking. I think there’s some serious spiritual warfare playing out right now, and people are either knowingly or unknowingly picking a side, and if they aren’t then they need to. Choose God, choose the light. That’s all ima say.

 

Biggest Insecurity

I’m deeply concerned about how wrapped up in politics people have become to the point where they’ve adopted some pretty radical mindsets that actually go against the basic principles of freedom, liberty, and free speech. I think their anger has been weaponized by the very institutions responsible for the things they’re angry about in the first place, which is beyond f*d up. One of the biggest perpetrators of this is the media. I think people need to unplug from all the mainstream news and pop culture garbage as soon as possible. They’re trying to start a civil war. It’s very pervasive and very troubling. The Indie-Life mindset is the ticket. Let’s come together and direct our anger away from each other and toward those who deserve it… the elite pulling the strings.

Want to find out more about GoldenSpiral? Check out his work here, or follow him on Twitter @goldnSpiral and Facebook /IG @goldenSpiralsound.

By Andrea Leonhardt
Imagery by Adrian Palashevsky