"Because I didn\u2019t fit in and no one pressured me to fit in, I could be different and I could do art."\n- Shantell Martin\nHey guys, welcome back to ONKEN RADIO, the podcast where we explore the body, mind, and soul of the creative entrepreneur. It\u2019s my goal to help you take your creativity, business, and life to the next level. I\u2019m so glad you\u2019re joining me on this journey!\n\nI have been a fan of today\u2019s guest ever since I met her at the Summit Series last year, and I\u2019ve really wanted to have her on the podcast. I\u2019m so glad she was able to join me today. Shantell Martin is a visual artist who gets commissions from all over the world. You\u2019ve probably seen her work on murals, installations, and even cars. She draws on everything.\n\nAnd her work is distinctive. She is fascinated by simple lines and the different shapes, images, and characters these lines can create in the spontaneity of the moment. Shantell loves doing live performances of her art, where she creates her pieces in front of an audience.\n\nI admire Shantell for the beautiful art that she produces. I also admire her for her message \u2014 which we talk about in detail in the interview. In short, Shantell\u2019s work comes back to two things \u2014 one question and one idea: \u201cWho are you?\u201d and \u201cYou are you.\u201d\n\u201cI just kind of had this barrier where I just thought, \u2018Well, there [are] so many people out there in the world that draw and do it really well or create or paint that do it really well. What gives me the right to think that I can do that?\u2019 And it took a really long time for me to realize that, \u2018Oh wait, if I do that thing that I really naturally liked to do, and I\u2019m going to do it ... it\u2019s going to be mine.\u2019 And it doesn\u2019t matter if other people do it and they do it to a really high standard. What they can\u2019t do is they can\u2019t do me.\u201d\n- Shantell Martin\nI love that idea. No other artist can do you. Let\u2019s dive into my interview with Shantell to discover more about her personal journey to become a working artist and how you can find your own unique path.\nWho Is Shantell Martin?\nShantell Martin is a visual artist born and raised in Thamesmead, England. Growing up, Shantell was insatiably curious, but she quickly discovered Thamesmead \u2014 made uncomfortable by its racism and homophobia \u2014 was not the ideal place for Shantell and her career to flourish.\n\nAfter finishing school at Central Saint Martins, Shantell embarked on an adventure \u2014 she moved to Tokyo, Japan. It was there, in Tokyo, that she discovered her passion for creating art live.\n\u201c... I accidentally started to create a career as a VJ \u2014 visual jockey. And what that means is I was doing live \u2026 digital drawings to DJs, dancers, [and] musicians. \u2026 I discovered that when you put yourself in a position where there\u2019s an audience watching you, you have this pressure to do something, and there\u2019s no time for you to think, plan, or hesitate because \u2026 the audience isn\u2019t going to wait around for you. And what I realized that that does is it puts you in a position where you\u2019re super vulnerable \u2026 because in that position you don\u2019t have time to be anybody else.\u201d\n- Shantell Martin\nEventually, Shantell moved to New York, where, unfortunately, digital art as she had done it in Japan doesn\u2019t really exist. So, she found new avenues down which to pursue her art. She began creating murals and collaborating with museums, institutions, and even scientists and coders to create new work and continue reimagining the way we use lines in art. You can check out some of Shantell\u2019s work on her website, and you should \u2014 it\u2019s truly innovative and inspiring.\n\nAnd all the while, Shantell has remained true to her message. Today, she advocates the phrase, \u201cYou be you.\u201d She has a passion for creating art that causes her audience to smile and grow in their identity. I know this interview will inspire you, so let\u2019s dive in.\nWho Are You? You Are You\nAs creative people, we\u2019re all on a very unique and deeply personal journey.