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

Hi Adam, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I grew up painting and drawing on everything. I was a shy east coast kid and it was a way for me to express myself in a quiet way. I never wanted the attention on me but it felt rewarding to have the attention on a physical piece I would create. I got bit by the acting bug later in High School and I soon realized this was the journey I needed to be on to focus on literally finding my voice and to tap into the confidence I never allowed myself to feel. I pursued theatre, voice and dance at Muhlenberg College in Allentown PA and for 4 years I hadn’t touched a paintbrush or pencil because I was so fulfilled in the acting world. As an actor, there can be a lot of slow periods and to keep myself creative I turned back to painting and drawing again. I went big and started making giant paintings but then realized I had nowhere to store them! Then I used my love of all things horror and quirky by depicting little zombies saying things like “I love you to death” or “I want to eat your cute little face” on a greeting card. They were a hit but I hadn’t mastered the business side of it where I could produce them and sell them and actually make a profit! I still have a few hundred under my bed if anyone wants one! My goal was to supplement my acting work with my visual art and I was discouraged that nothing took off. I took a few years off until I was inspired to paint on denim jackets and tote bags. As I briefly mentioned, I love the horror genre and can relate to it because they always explore the theme of being an outcast. Whether the outcast was the actual monster or the one running away from the monster, I wanted to create a fashion brand that represented the scary, the outcasts, the quirky and the weird. The name of my brand “Small Town Weirdo” was my spin on the small-town hero. Every town has them and most of us feel like a weirdo at times. I now have the confidence to know being weird or quirky is what makes me unique and creative. Once I learned to accept me it only made my acting and art that much better.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
“Small Town Weirdo” will continue to be a way for me to express through my painting and drawing what I love in pop culture and also a way for me to continue celebrating the “weirdo” in all of us! My husband, Adam Huss, is also an actor and together we’ve started a production company, Molecule Productions, where we can create stories that give a voice to the outcast. We are currently producing a werewolf film called LET IT KILL YOU where we use the werewolf lore as a metaphor for sexual transformation. We most recently started a YouTube channel and a patreon page to keep us accountable! We don’t want to stop making content especially during this crazy time.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Is this pre pandemic? haha We love hiking so we’d probably hit up some of our favorite trails. One of our favorite spots is up near Topanga Canyon. I also like to hit up some of my favorite spots to get a good cupcake or slice of cake! Dessert is my ultimate weakness! After months and months of quarantine I’m starting to forget where I used to go! We just had our wedding last year and we had family stick around for a week or so afterward so I definitely would recommend to your out of town visitors the studio lot tours, beaches in Malibu and of course a trip to Disneyland. But generally we are homebodies that love to have game nights with friends. We can’t wait to be able to do that again! I do have to say that we have been enjoying a lot of Drive in Movie venues during this lockdown. It’s a safe and fun way to feel like you’re at the movies!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am so lucky to have had the family support behind my artistic endeavors. We all know pursuing a career in the arts equals struggle but I’ve always had someone to cheer me on even when I wanted to give up. I’m also so inspired by movies and filmmakers and other artists I meet in LA. I’d say the quirky world Tim Burton creates is the most similar aesthetic to mine. It can scary and dark but it can also be quirky and beautiful. And as an actor the slightly “weird” and complex quirky characters in his films are also one’s I relate to and crave to play. Special extra shout out to my husband! I’m lucky to have someone by my side that pushes me and urges me to create more.

Instagram: @adambucci5 and @smalltown_weirdo
Twitter: @adambucci5
Facebook: smtownweirdo
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8sjdyCjMGrxAsZKVdzlIzg?view_as=subscriber
Other: patreon.com/adamsquared http://www.etsy.com/shop/smalltownweirdo https://smalltownweirdo.threadless.com

Image Credits
Husband in personal photo is Adam Huss.

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