Our latest Industry Insider is a self taught professional artist, Chase Tutten of Wavy Creations!
Tell us about yourself, what is your current role and what roles have you done previously?
Hi, my name is Chase Tutten also known as Wavy of Wavy Creations! I’m a self-taught professional artist. I’m 19 and I recently graduated from high school.
I work with multiple companies such as the football club, Manchester City and the media company, Squawka Football. I’ve also done work for the agency Livewire Sport as well as football pages such as Eif Football, Brazil Edition, City Chief and more!
What do you do in your current role?
In my current role I get creative freedom to bring my ideas to life. The freelance route was always my dream as it allows me to work with several different brands at once. Brands trust me with the process of directing, creating, and executing ideas. Most of my work is related to events that are going on in the world.
For example, when Manchester City wanted artwork for their Premier League title win, I was allowed to come up with the concept and then create it. I also do work to help promote weekly games, achievements and more.
What does a normal week look like for you?
A normal week for me can change based on what is needed from a client. On the average week I’m either preparing a piece for a client which would involve phone calls, emails, and such or I’m working on the actual piece. I’m always readjusting my schedule based on my intuition and what’s best.
How did you end up where you are right now? When did you know you wanted to work in sport?
I ended up where I am from posting my work on Twitter. About 3 years ago I started to post every 2 weeks and as I became more comfortable so did my output. As time went on, I’d have a post out every 3-4 days. Most of the time I used Manchester City players as my subjects. The club started to take notice and that’s when I knew I had a great chance. Being able to combine my childhood love for art with my enjoyment for sports felt perfect and being one of the first supporters to create for the club is a massive blessing.
What are you excited about in your industry at the moment?
I’m excited about the range of opportunities and styles that are constantly on display. I truly believe that anyone can make it with dedication. We are seeing people from many kinds of backgrounds succeed and it’s beautiful to see. Barriers are being broken. As an American working in European sports, I used to feel out of place, but times are changing. Football is global and the industry is now a reflection of that.
What is your number one focus when it comes to your work?
My number one focus is always to create from a place of intuition. I don’t worry about if an idea will go right or if it will go wrong. I focus on staying present minded. This way i can bring my ideas to life as quickly as possible. By training yourself to follow your instincts you train your creativity. Nobody just wakes up and can execute every idea that they have. You must train yourself to be that way by consistently following your gut and embracing your own ideas. Don’t worry about trends or what anyone else is doing. That doesn’t help you in the long run.
In your area of work, what is something you feel most people don’t talk about or focus on enough?
People don’t focus on the financial side of it enough. A lot of people get into the industry uneducated on how to properly write invoices, how to properly charge their work etc. Yes, it is a creative and fun job, but it is also a business. People need to be making sure they are making as much money as they can cause they ARE their business.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to someone wanting to work in the sports industry?
One piece of advice that I’d give to anyone starting is to focus on you and invest in yourself as much as you can. Share your story and put yourself out there. Take risks and constantly push your limits to the point where you are limitless. Experiment and don’t be afraid to be unorthodox. Standing out works in your favour. Keep a journal. Talk to yourself about your work and your goals. The mental side of creating can’t be overlooked. The better that you connect with yourself the easier it’ll be to create however you want.
How to connect with Chase Tutten on social media…
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