Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Dave Weisberg of Phoenix

We recently had the chance to connect with Dave Weisberg and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Dave, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I’ve been binging audiobooks for nearly eight hours a day, easily five days of any given week for probably the last 18-24 months. By my count, close to 300 titles. I kept track for a while and then I just kinda lost track of keeping track. Regardless, I’ve rediscovered old familiar authors as well as new found favorites in classics I’d never thought much of previously. While I am one who loves a physical book, the smell of new pages and the satisfaction of flipping through each chapter, I am a slow reader, rereading paragraphs and losing my place, the luxury of audiobooks has helped this ADHD professional burn through more books I would’ve ever expected while still managing daily responsibilities and reigniting my love for reading and literature. 10/10, I strongly recommend getting yourself a library card if you don’t already have one. If you’ve ever thought, “nobody knows how I could possible feel…”, you haven’t read enough books, (or listened to enough music) but that’s whole other conversation…

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Dave Weisberg, an artist with a full-time day job. I’ve been creating artwork in one form or another for the last 30 years. Looking back, it would appear to have occurred in various phases consisting of abstract pen/ink work, moving then into oversized abstract acrylic paintings on wood panels and stretched canvas, then came hand-lettering and calligraphy, words and language surprisingly became the subject matter for years. Self published a couple books with notes, and poetry and prose of some kind. It really wasn’t about writing a book, more just a project that would continue some kind of creative momentum. An old friend and I used to say, “wouldn’t it be pretty cool to see your own book on a bookshelf, or at least your own shelf…”. Turns out it’s not that difficult a thing to accomplish. Anyway, I decided it was probably time I joined the 21st century, digitally speaking that is, and started drawing again but solely working on a tablet. While the learning curve was a little steep for me at first, I found the tool so much more forgiving as well as enabling me new ways of creating my work. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing what the creative phase turns out to be…

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
It wasn’t a precise moment, but an experience I never thought I would have. For the sake of brevity, I invited myself on at trip to the Peruvian Amazon with my Cousin and Uncle. We spent a week hiking, exploring, meeting communities traveling the river and witnessing nature at some of its most exquisiteness. I celebrated a birthday there, glimpsed the rare, endangered and unclassified. I felt and witnessed a connectivity in our world that I had not experienced before or since. But I still often fondly recall the warmth of those I met and remind myself that there is still enormous majesty in the world.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
A bit cliche but “Don’t be so hard on yourself, you’re doing great, And don’t forget to change your mind from time to time”.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
Less is more. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”. The ever growing perspective that more “stuff” will make someone a happier person I find to be an absolute falsehood. Perhaps a leftover lesson learned from being in the jungle.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. How do you know when you’re out of your depth?
Is the sun up!? Seriously, all the time. When I encounter something I’ve never done before, I try to look at it like an experiment. Good, bad or otherwise, we’re gonna get results. I do the best I can with the skills, knowledge and experience I have acquired along the way. Other than that, what more can we expect from ourselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Abstractink82.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/abstractink82
• Other: https://cottonbureau.com/people/dave-weisberg