Here is the transcript of a recent interview I did for Issue #12 of One Two One Two Microphone Check. If you haven’t read this interview-only magazine before, I highly suggest you check it out!

Chad Person; Artist

The Work Questionnaire.

What made you go the way you chose to go?

I was headed toward a career in advertising and
realized that producing creative wasn’t nearly as much fun as being
creative. Projects and deadlines are awesome when they relate to my own
work, and not so awesome when I am not personally invested.

What’s the greatest difficulty you had to overcome to do what you’re doing now?

Hubris, particularly as it relates to production. I
still struggle with it, as I tend to be a
bite-off-more-than-I-should-chew person. That tendency can be hard on
the people around me, particularly when I’m under the gun prepping for a
big show.

What’s the greatest difficulty you face on a daily basis to keep on doing what you’re doing?

There really never is enough time…

When did you find yourself thinking, “Well, this is it. I’m really doing what I want now”?

Ask me in 2 years. Seriously. I’d love to say I’m
there, but I have never been fully satisfied with “what I’m doing right
now.” Maybe I’m restless by nature, or perhaps it’s just the nature of
looking forward to the next thing. I love starting new projects and when
they are finished I dive into the next.

How do you imagine the future?

Better, worse, easier and possibly a bit more
challenging. I’d love to realize some larger, monumental scale works
and/or a public art project or two.

What would you consider to be the main quality in order to survive in your field?

Tenacity. It takes a lot of energy to continually
produce things that the markets may or may not want. When you add in the
emotional and creative risks that artists have to take every day, it’s
easy to see why so many of us quit making things over time.

And what is the indispensable flaw that someone should have in order to get into your business?

If you are going to pursue the arts, it helps to be a little off.