Meet Buckley | Visual Philosopher

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

Hi Buckley, what role has risk played in your life or career?
If there’s one thing I can leave this world knowing I did, it is taking risks as often as my gut directed me to. My life has been defined by consecutive leaps of faith. I feel very comfortable in the process of nurturing my bet-hedging side. Not because I win often (I certainly don’t) but because my growth and sense of vitality is inextricably woven with my willingness to follow instincts toward new horizons.

Growing up I moved constantly so my awareness of impermanence has proven to me that one never really ‘loses it all’ especially when risks and integrity are approached in concert. Risk has always lead towards new discovery regardless of the outcome. Losses reveal our character and help us refine, gains give us motivation and reinforce our will to persist.

For me, there is little in life that is not a risk. It’s risky to live dangerously and it’s risky to play it too safe. It’s risky to be impulsive and it’s equally risky to ignore deep-seated desires. The art of risk requires self-awareness along with a healthy amount of preparation and due diligence. Before I leap into the unknown I frame my reality around a central question: “What decision can I make now that, even if I fall short of expectations, I will be proud in retrospect for taking the chance to explore it?” From there, it becomes easy to justify my actions, regardless of whether they feel like a big gamble, because I can rest in the knowing that growth is guaranteed.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My journey to becoming an artist and thinker has been indirect and unexpected, not many people who know me as an artist know the full story of how I made it to this point.

As a youth, I moved constantly so I became fascinated with cultures and social systems. That motivated me to start college by studying Social Work, but the limits of relating to humanity through institutions led me to leave academia for some hands-on experience in NYC where I worked in Politics. After some years in that industry, I still didn’t feel I was making a direct and meaningful connection between who I was and what I wanted to offer the world. So I decided to start over completely, go to a city where I knew no one, and begin again.

That lead me to Portland, OR where I started working in the music industry. I toured with a band for 5 years and worked in their management. The time I spent traveling with them allowed me to continue my exploration of humanity. That was the chapter where I deepened my art practice, I chronicled my journeys in the form of drawings and poetry.

My experience with bands led me to LA where I started managing a visual artist and also did production management for an arthouse. It wasn’t until 2015 that I decided I would begin to work for myself, and take the leap as a visual artist. I had my first solo exhibition that year and I applied the confluence of all my various skillsets to my new journey of supporting myself with my artwork.

Finding my footing and building security for myself was really challenging for the first two years. I learned so much along the way. If I had to pick one, most-important take-away it would be :

It is ESSENTIAL to constantly make work even/especially when things are slow, don’t wait for the world to invite you. The invitation follows the devotion. You only ‘fail’ if you stop trying.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Best time ever in LA in no particular order:

-Lay on the grass at the Getty Museum
-See an outdoor screening at Cinespia
-Go to a Monday Evening Concert (https://www.mondayeveningconcerts.org/)
-Eat at Meals By Genet in Little Ethiopia
-Sit at Figarot or Cafe Stella and drink and eat and watch people be
-Wander the Huntington Gardens all day
-See a dance performance at USC

… that’s just a start…

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to shout out my community of fellow creatives who have nurtured me from day one. I am deeply grateful for the mass of support and mutual development that has come from my loved ones.

Website: buckleynow.com

Instagram: instagram.com/buckleynow