Trey Speegle
The Work Questionnaire.
What made you go the way you chose to go?
I’ve changed direction a few times. Six years ago, I quit my job as Art Director of Us Weekly to devote myself to making art full-time. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, once said in an interview that he made major life choices based on a “Regret Minimization Theory.” I adopted his theory, somewhat. When I could see 50 on the horizon, I knew that if I didn’t really “go for it,” as they say, I would seriously regret it.
What’s the greatest difficulty you had to overcome to do what you’re doing now?
Fear. I think it’s the same for everyone… for some it’s fear of failure, others it’s fear of success… but it’s always fear.
That and starting where I was, not where I thought I should be.
What’s the greatest difficulty you face on a daily basis to keep on doing what you’re doing?
Being clearer and clearer about what I want. It’s so easy to become distracted by the mundane activities of life. When I am really clear about my goals, they manifest rather quickly. I always think that universe is like a restaurant, so being super specific about what you want is very important. You can’t just order “food” and get a very satisfying meal.
When did you find yourself thinking, “Well, this is it. I’m really doing what I want now”?
When I was graduating from high school in Texas, I couldn’t wait to start my interesting, adult life. And I remember vowing to make life a true adventure and seek all varieties of experiences… and I think I have really stuck to it. Two years after that vow, I was living in New York. Being an artist is like being a wizard… wearing that pointy hat. I have carte blanche to do anything that I want and magically, it’s “art”.
How did you set your activity up? What was the process that led you to do what you’re doing?
Like everything in life, one thing led to another… I inherited a collection of paint by number paintings from my late friend, comedy writer Michael O’Donoghue. He had some 250 of them that I helped organize into an exhibit nearly 20 years ago. After his passing, I suggested to the Smithsonian the idea of a paint by number retrospective, which they mounted 10 years ago, using key pieces from my collection… at that point I had 500 or so. I had been making “word-art” pieces for years and at some point the two ideas merged. Today, I have close to 3,000 paintings & kits, that I use as material and inspiration for my work.
How do you imagine the future?
Day by day, minute by minute… we all create our own world with our thoughts so… I am becoming more and more careful about crafting the kind of life I truly want. I’m a big believer in the Law of Attraction. It’s simple, we all do it constantly, consciously or unconsciously. First there’s the thought, the initial idea; then the idea, when clarified, turns into an emotion where you can really feel and inhabit; and then there’s the action. This is creative process applied to living. I love this affirmation/ contemplation. ‘What do you want… and what are you willing to do to make it happen?’
What would you consider to be the main quality in order to survive in your field?
Enthusiasm coupled with gratitude: they are the main qualities needed for any field, for life in general. If you can’t continually renew these qualities, life becomes a chore and a bore. My ex-patriot artist friend David McDermott (one half of of the duo McDermott & McGough) once said to me, ‘My job is to be in a good mood’. Sounds simplistic, but it’s not so simple.
And what is the indispensable flaw that someone should have in order to get into your business?
Flaw… hmm, well optimism isn’t a flaw really, but I think no matter what the odds, blind optimism is required. If we really knew the odds, we couldn’t even get out of bed…
Filed In: Art
September 17, 2011 at 5:00 pm