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

Hi Giancarlo, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?

I’ve been drawing and painting since I was a kid but to be honest I had no idea I would be pursuing a creative career. It was something that I stumbled on as I progressed through my life. Growing up my family motivated me to strive for an education but I always found myself disengaged because it was never really something I was in love with. During high school, the few things I would always look forward to would be Art classes or cutting hair on the side. At the time, cutting hair was just a hobby for me and to be real it became a nuisance. At 15, I just wanted to be a kid and not working back to back hours in a hot garage but that’s when I realized that there was passion developing from it. After high school, I pursued a collegiate career in Northern California mostly in part to be the first generation to go to college in my immediate family. However, I quickly realized that it just wasn’t clicking for me. So I made a bold decision to leave college and pursue what I realized had been my passion this whole time. I guess you can say I was put in this world to make a difference in people’s lives and in the things around me. Being a creative has allowed me to express myself in ways I never knew were possible and meeting some of the most amazing creative people in the process. As I grew within my industry, I really started to learn why I chose a creative career, it was to bring change and ingenuity to this industry with my creative lens. Being a Hairstylist has allowed me to grow as an individual, as a business and impact some people’s lives in the process. In the process of my creative path, I picked up multiple skill sets in order to highlight my career in different perspectives from Photography, Graphic Design, Creative Directing and more! That’s why being A creative is IT for me because I can do it my way.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Well to be specific about my art, I’m a part time hairstylist and designer. One always feeds into the other and has allowed me to push boundaries in a field that typically wasn’t known for high end services. The goal has always been treating it more like a professional service to elevate its value. It’s amazing to see what this industry has turned into. I specialize in short to mid length grooming and short hair bleaching, which has opened up a new avenue for me in the hair color world. Providing amazing opportunities to paint on peoples heads, crazy I know. As I grew within this industry, I realized I had to get smart about how I showcase my work. So I really got into photography because it went hand in hand with showcasing a person’s features and my skill set. From that point, I never looked back. I was obsessed with shooting pictures and next thing you know I’m spending hours editing and getting lost in it all. In the midst of it, I taught myself most Adobe programs such as Illustrator and Photoshop to provide a new perspective I could express myself through. Once I began to understand how to show my work through creative pieces and digital design– I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. I think what sets me apart from others is being able to adapt and roll with the punches, not being scared of taking risks. Being an artist is tough to say the least, you take things day by day. Some days are slow and some days are busy but you learn to live with the thrill of doing YOU on your own accord. Most of the issues I’ve dealt with have been overcome with self observation, how do I make myself better? How do I learn this skill set? It has always been about how we evolve to tackle that next part of our lives. I’m extremely excited to continue expanding my brand and telling my story to other young creatives through my collective, Altr The Ppl. A brand built on the foundation of faith, community, & aesthetics. The goal is to create something that will bring the community together in a way where we can all showcase our artistic skills. If I would want the world to know anything about my story and my brand is that change is good, growth has been the number one factor to my success.

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?
Fun! I would have to start off with some great food, preferably something with a ill view. Usually I like to go to the westside of LA for the beach town vibes and great energy and lets be real you gotta hit up Venice beach not because its so clean and pretty but because of its history and nostalgia. Next up we would hit up some dope stores in Melrose or West Hollywood, and really get a vibe for what the culture is in fashion and who doesn’t like clothes? Not to forget the amazing art museums that make up a lot of LA’s most memorable experiences. Last but not least what makes up a lot of LA’s fast pace spirit, Downtown. So much beauty within the Chaos it’s really something everyone has to experience and it being one of the oldest parts of Los Angeles makes it a must see & you can find some of the best bars around there.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Many people in my life deserve a shout out to be super honest. One thing I will say is no successful person is made without an amazing support system or team. My family has been my number one next to the big man upstairs. The constant motivation from them was more of action and less of a speech. My dad worked extremely hard to make ends meet and never complained about having to handle business. My mom was the boss lady that held it down around the house. They both push me to be a better version of myself everyday and my ideal goal is only to make them proud. Although I haven’t had many mentors in my life, I’ve been fortunate for those who’ve come into my life and have helped guide me in the right direction to be successful within my creative career. They know who they are and I’m extremely happy to call them my friends and for taking a risk on that kid from the IE.

Website: altrtheppl.co

Instagram: berg.xstylez

Image Credits
Ohre kilpatrick Julius Caesar Garrett Tartt Giancarlo Burgos

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