The big day has finally come. After years of hard work, I am officially launching the One Brush Army website. My original ideas and artwork will have a home. It took a while to get to this point. Just about everything you can think of has tripped me up along the way. I had big challenges in my personal life. My career was completely upended and I had to start over from scratch. It’s funny how, the moment that you start the journey, obstacles appear out of nowhere. I honestly thought about giving up. Very little support, resources, motivation -all of that can really kill your spirit. But I pressed on, and here I am. 

The Name

We all try to come up with a cool name for an indie studio. I know that I came up with a bunch, but I could never settle on any of them. I thought about what would really describe my journey as an artist. It can be isolating at times, full of criticism and self-doubt. As I shared that experience with other artists, I quickly realized that I wasn’t alone.  My very first idea for a studio name was ‘One Man Army.’ I reworded it to be more artistic and BOOM.  I was like yep, that’s the one. One Brush Army

The Plan

I want to make One Brush Army into an independent creative platform that develops and supports thoughtful, bite-sized stories for animation, comics, and games. There are a lot of ideas floating around in my sketchbooks that need to be shared. I also want to reach out to other artists on their journey to create their own stuff. Not everyone gets the opportunity to work at a big studio. That’s just stating a fact.  But many artists, including myself, personalize that and consider it a mark of shame. It’s time to put an end to that way of thinking.

Every dreamer in this room: there are people whose lives are tied into your dream. Own your stuff, own your business, own your way.

Tyler Perry – via BET Awards 2019

We are at a point in time where independent productions are getting more views than network television and movies. That means new opportunities to own your creations and build an audience. I’m inspired by what Tyler Perry had to say about the importance of your journey and ownership of your product: “Every dreamer in this room: there are people whose lives are tied into your dream. Own your stuff, own your business, own your way.”

The Purpose

I don’t think I’d be here if it were not for cartoons. Growing up, I spent a lot of time drawing instead of being in the streets. If the stuff that I do here can touch hearts and inspire someone to stay out of trouble, then I’ll consider that a win.