Meet Dustin McKamie: Music & Digital Artist

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

Hi Dustin, what’s your definition for success?
I define success by making the best out of every situation. Lots of things in life could really define success but ultimately I think it’s just feeling good wherever you are and whoever you’re with. Everything stems from that. I remember a time where I was so broke back in Kansas City. I still talk to my friend/roommate at the time about it. I’m pretty sure my checking account was negative and I was over 30K in debt. All we had was a hacky sack and an old laptop to watch rerun Tim and Eric episodes from Comedy Centrals website. And believe me when I tell you…we never had so much fun! Something about the simplicity of life during that time. On paper it looked pretty sad though. I remember we put up a list in our living area of things we wanted. It was such a sad list. I’m pretty sure it stated some of the following…1. TV 2. Comfortable chair 3. Nintendo Wii 4. Order dessert at a restaurant. It cracks us both up to this day! But it was a very real list of things we wanted and couldn’t really afford. Sadly we never got those during our lease together but we’ve made up for it since. I would consider that success. Finding happiness where you are. It’s really about making the best out of every situation.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
All it took was a few indie rock shows in college and I was hooked for the music/art scene. I played music growing up but I didn’t know I’d really jump into the arts like I did. My senior year of college I left mid semester to go to a music colony on Martha’s Vineyard to study songwriting and music production. I mean, I gave up my senior year…who does that??? But it felt right for some reason. Ever since then I craved new experiences and wanted to take more risks. Leaving my hometown to pursue an acting career in LA was another major leap and after that it really became an addiction. I think if you break it down…it just made my life more exciting. Why do we make the choices we make? I don’t know. For me, my life is more exciting when pursuing creative endeavors. Right now I’m just kind of finding my own. Trying to create as much as possible to really establish a brand. All the while, I’ve just been trying to keep it light and fun. I guess I’d want the world to just see me as a genuine person/artist. We all steal from others but I think a true artist can kind of put their thumbprint on the work they do. It’s like when you see a Van Gogh painting. You know it’s Van Gogh just by looking at it. I’d like that for myself. It’s tough because people like familiar things so when they see/hear something new it can easily be overlooked, but I’m more interested in the people that are seeking something new and unfamiliar. Because that’s how I am. That’s what I’m interested in.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would definitely head over to Joshua Tree for a weekend away. If they want LA stuff that’s fine and we can do that, but if they want a more unique experience I’d take them out there. Maybe we’d catch a show at Pappy and Harriets, eat some good food and go explore the park/outdoors. It’s a beautiful place and brings a lot of peace and profound realizations. I’ve had several great experiences out there with my wife and friends. One in particular stands out where we all grabbed a super nice airbnb and caught a show with Coner Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers at Pappy’s. It was a magical night under the stars and then we headed back to our stay for more stargazing. Definitely grab a spot with a hot tub looking out to the stars. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be really. Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There’s a lot of books I’d recommend but one that stands out is Start by Jon Acuff. I believe it gave me the idea to work on your passions at 5AM. The distractions are minimal at 5AM. You’re not taking away from anyone else’s time either (like quality time with wife and/or friends). That was pretty profound for me. It sucked getting up early a lot of those days but it led to a better life. I booked my first studio job in VFX after getting up and studying at 5AM for maybe a couple years straight. As far as people go…I had a lot of smaller mentors along the way. They probably don’t even know they were mentors. Basically, anyone who would respond to questions I’d ask through email or wherever along the way. Some industry questions and some project specific questions. A random artist on Linkedin, some smaller studio in Kansas city (where I’m from). And other artists creating inspiring work and sharing what they’ve learned. Gareth Edwards from Monsters…super inspiring story. He was a director with some VFX experience and made a really cool indie feature. And now he’s directing bigger Hollywood films. I could see myself directing some more down the line. I love being on set. It’s where all the fun happens.

Website: dustinmckamie.com

Instagram: instagram.com/dustinmckamie

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinmckamie/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dustinmckamie

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DustinMcKamieMusic/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/dustinmckamie