Ryan sits down with Jared Emerson

 What's up? Welcome to the latest edition of the Radical Company podcast. We're in the holiday season. It's December and I'm late buying gifts, but nonetheless we are here in the studio at camaraderie.
 Ready for another episode, which I am. I've been wanting to do for a while. Jared doesn't know that, but world renowned artist speed painter Jared Emerson's here with me today.
 And I've been wanting to do this for a while, known Jared for a couple years through local things that we've been involved in, but this guy's so hard to pin down because he's taken off like a rocket.
 Jared, man, really excited to have you on the episode today. Things for having me, man. This is pretty cool. And I appreciate that intro. Very nice.
 I know. Well, we've got both audio and video. We're looking at one of Jared's paintings here on the cruise, a little different haircut, but Jared was sharing some stuff pre-upsood here, some of his stuff. I'm in envy.
 I mean, before we kind of get into the story and all that, I'm, you know, being an NFL junkie and all that, we've got to talk. We're painting shoes for my man Carson Wins.
 Yeah, right now, we've, I've been, man, the last couple of days have been brutal. I mean, they've been great from a creative standpoint, but yeah, I customized Carson's shoes for him.
 And to me, it's a great thing to do because I also believe in what he believes in and his purpose and point with just telling people about Jesus and loving people.
 I mean, he's got a food truck in Philly and he feeds people for free, like how awesome is that? And it's legit. Really, you know, good food.
 So he has me do different, different cleats for me cheer and this year, this is the third pair for him. And then I'm doing about nine other players. So from Zachards to different guys on the team.
 So sweet. I want to get into everyone you've painted and been involved in a lot of the bigger names and sports. I know you're getting involved with some of the just amazing people you've been able to either be in front of or paint.
 Definitely want to get into that. But, you know, I told you this, you know, from we like to have rad people doing rad things.
 On the who's list of my speed dial, who I go or walk by or see periodically, you're on that list, man. And I appreciate it.
 It's just something about the speed painting that blows my mind, your talent, your ability, how down to earth you are. There's just, you know, there's just some characteristics about you that I think are really unique in starting with your talent.
 And, you know, I appreciate that. Yeah, I'd love to just start there maybe a little bit for people listening, you know, given that, you know, kind of synopsis on you, you know, your background, what got you into art and the arts and kind of your some of those philosophies that we've talked about, you know, in how you paint and what kind of keeps you moving.
 Wow, that's a lot. You know, what keeps me moving is I think every day just just coming up with new concepts and ideas. And I think you, you hit, especially where I am my career now is like you don't want to say hit a wall, but you come to a point where you're like, okay, what's the next best thing? What's the next thing I need to do?
 I mean, my story is it's kind of long. So, you know, if you got a lot of time, we could deepen. But I've been doing art professionally for about, I want to say, 17, 18 years.
 Yeah.
 And moved to West Palm Beach. I'm originally from Michigan, a pair of mission in a small town between Lansing and Flint.
 And ended up migrating down to West Palm Beach after college and then from there moved here to Greenville.
 So basketball was a big part of my life. I know you love sports.
 And, you know, I had that kid, Talha, dream of just becoming that athlete. And, you know, Michael Jordan was the guy that I looked to, you know, growing up.
 And, you know, I was just like, man, if I could be like Mike, like that would be ridiculous.
 And, but as I grew and got older, I realized that basketball was for all the wrong reasons. It was.
 And I was pretty good back in the day. Now, I think I'm an old man and can't quite keep up anymore.
 Well, you are a shooting guard, a point guard. What?
 I was a point guard, an shooting guard, you know, I would play the point and then pass it to myself and then, no, I'm just.
 You were that kid?
 Yeah, no. No.
 Yeah, I was pretty decent. And then in college, I ended up blowing my knee toward my ACL and that kind of just took my dreams away.
 So when you think of ambitions and hopes and I felt like everything just went away.
 So I spent a few years trying to figure out what I'm going to do in my life.
 And college wasn't really the thing I wanted to do because I didn't know what I was going to do.
 And so I became an artist.
 And it wasn't until I got into it, I think it was figuring out, okay, now how do you make a living at it?
 And, um, man, it's, I think it's kind of crazy because you do, I think until early, like you do portraits and stuff when you start out.
 I mean, they don't say starving artists for a reason because there's a lot of talented people in this world.
 And with that talent, also, you have to figure that out.
 I mean, from an ad agency standpoint, you know, the marketing, the business side, you got to, you got to kind of embrace that and learn that too.
 Besides the creativity.
 But a lot of artists, I think, can't or don't because, you know, they're just so involved with their creativity process.
 And that's why you see a lot of artists. They need someone that guides them.
 Like, I have a manager, I have an assistant.
 I have people surrounding me to make me better and encourage me and uplift me and push me and drive me.
 So when I get to a point where I'm like, they're like, listen, you got this or just get your mind right and we'll get back to it.
 So, and then taking care of, you know, people, paperwork, you know, all that kind of stuff.
 It's not something artists want to deal with.
 No.
 I think for me getting into it at the time was just like, man, how do you, how do you do it?
 So I was doing portraits for people for 100 bucks, you know, take me three, four weeks, you know, and little pencil sketches.
 And I'm like, you can't make a living doing this, right?
 I mean, you can, but I'm going to be on the streets.
 Yeah.
 Big time.
 So it wasn't until I actually got into the speed painting.
 I think things just kind of took off.
 But my pastor at my church, which is here locally in Simpsonville, Brookwood, he was like, you know, you're talented at what you do.
 You should paint on stage and I was like, are you crazy?
 Did you know that was a thing?
 Yeah.
 I mean, I did.
 I did. There was a guy named Denny Dent in the 70s and 80s that was a speed painter.
 You know, they got all these brushes in their hands and it's you're watching.
 You can go on YouTube and check different different ones.
 And now there's, I mean, there's a ton of guys.
 I shouldn't say a ton.
 There's, there's a lot of guys and girls that do the speed painting.
 You know, I don't think anyone does it quite like me.
 I'm probably a little biased, maybe.
 But it's definitely a flare to you.
 I mean, I've seen enough of them now, you know, that it flare in a style and a energy with your shows.
 And I call them a show.
 I mean, but whether or not you like that term, but I perform it.
 Yeah, show a performance.
 Yeah.
 You know, one of my close friends, he always says it's the gift, right?
 Because I believe God gives us all gifts and it's what we do with them.
 And that what just we do with them, how we impact people through them.
 And that's why I'm thankful that I'm in the genre that I'm in, you know.
 Just be able to create and do it in front of people.
 Because before when I started when I was doing these portraits, right?
 Like I want to be in my own little world secluded creating.
 I don't want anyone to see what I'm doing.
 Let me just do it.
 Yeah.
 And then I got to this transition of when he asked me to paint on stage, I'm like, that's crazy.
 Why?
 It's a complete 180, I think, knowing, you know, coming up in graphic design and art and all that.
 Graphic designers or artists like just like what you just said, they like to get in their corner,
 to do their masterpiece or their average piece or whatever it ends up being.
 Right.
 And then show everyone.
 And this is like a 180.
 Yeah, like check out what I did.
 Yeah, what was this?
 And then when you is transparent and vulnerable of showing that art real time, that's a whole different thing.
 It is.
 And I think that's one thing that scared me to death, right?
 Okay.
 How do I let people watch me do what I do?
 Like, what if I screw up?
 What if I mess up?
 But then you learn the process of studying, preparing yourself.
 And I think that's like anything.
 One of my close friends, George Hincappi, he's, I mean, cyclist, 17 toward the Francis,
 like we've become close over the years.
 And one thing that I think just by knowing him that he taught me was like, you don't just get on a bike.
 Like, it's a lot of work.
 Yeah.
 And it's a lot of suffering.
 It's a lot of pain.
 But if you're going to do it, you have to train.
 All right.
 You have to train.
 And you have to get better and better.
 And you have to push yourself.
 And it's the same with me.
 And a lot of like, Proud that from the NFL and NBA and MLB, you see in the backside of these guys.
 And even some local guys is like, you see the hard work that they put in to get there.
 It's like when you watch LeBron on TV or, you know, back in the day, Michael Jordan.
 They don't just show up on Sunday.
 Yeah.
 Yeah.
 They don't just show up on Sunday.
 It's like, uh, Cristiano Ronaldo, right?
 You have, um, and messy.
 You have, you have different guys that, when you see the top of their game, they're usually the last guy in the gym, the first guy there, right?
 Yep.
 And so for me, I've taken all that energy because I, I can say I was a lazy artist, right?
 I was a lazy artist and you can't get anywhere being lazy.
 So I learned that you have to have a good work ethic.
 And I always say this in the words of the great lyricist, Macklemore.
 Oh boy.
 In one of his songs, he says, the greats were great because they paint a lot.
 Now, he didn't say they're great because they're talented, they're gifted and all this other stuff.
 He said they're great because they paint a lot.
 And if you look at some of the greats, I mean, they have bodies of work.
 And then a lot of them have works and a lot of people have never seen.
 It's because they work hard at what they're doing.
 They realize from friends and these other athletes what they put into it is like, hey, I wasn't, I was a lazy basketball player too.
 Back in the day, I thought I was just more talented.
 So I wouldn't work as hard, but you have to work hard.
 And these guys that show up on Sunday, they work hard to get to that point.
 So I realized for me, I'm going to be the best artist I can be.
 And I, and I want to be, I want to be the best speed painter there is out there.
 I want people to say this guy is ridiculous.
 But it doesn't mean that I have to be the best out there.
 Does that make sense?
 Totally.
 I'm going to strive to be the best, but if I'm not, I'm still going to give it my all.
 I'm still going to keep going.
 And it's the same when I get up and perform.
 If I think I'm going to mess up or screw up, then I probably shouldn't be up there.
 But if I know, and I'm confident enough to get this done, but I'm prepared in the process, then, hey, it's, it is the most, how do I, how do I put this?
 When I get up there, I'm anxious, I'm nervous, I'm a wreck, usually.
 But once I get up there and I stand in front of that canvas, like nobody's there, it's like a, it's just like an experience.
 I'm in my own world.
 But that's again.
 And I just go, and I just go, yeah, and I love it.
 Now, I don't think this, but like Picasso said this, I heard this from a great artist in town, Rick Stanbridge.
 He always said, you know, Picasso, when he looked at a canvas, there was a war going on between him and the canvas.
 And usually the canvas always won.
 Right.
 Unless you were Picasso.
 Right.
 I think he won his fair share.
 Right.
 So to me, it always was, I kept that in the forefront of my mind.
 So when I get up there, it's like, hey, here's this, here's this battle.
 If I don't win, like I got to give it my all.
 But the challenge is I'm going to, I'm going to try to win each time.
 Yeah.
 It makes total sense.
 So it's, yes, it's been awesome to do.
 I think do what you love, do what you're passionate about.
 But most importantly, you know, have a purpose in it too.
 Yeah.
 So I know I want to talk about some of your experiences and some specific people.
 Because there's some big names that you've painted and, you know, have the, you know, opportunity
 be in front of it.
 They've had the opportunity to watch you.
 But talk about, you know, you talked about making a living.
 You talked about that mindset switch.
 You know, maybe for someone that might be listening, because we do have a lot of artists
 and different people that listen.
 You know, it's kind of chicken.
 Yeah, I mean, I mean, can't hire a manager to make money.
 Can't make money.
 Like how did, when did that switch kind of happen for you?
 Was it finding that niche of speed painting, which then opened a lot of doors, because that's not,
 it may be more prevalent now, but 10, 15 years ago, when you first started that certain,
 I don't think it was as mainstream, if it's even mainstream now.
 But what, when was that switch for you?
 So I think that switched for me.
 So I'm, I'm a man that I believe in God, right?
 I believe that he died for my sins and yours and everyone else's.
 And for me, there was a struggle of God, what do you want me to do with my life, right?
 And again, just like basketball, I hope some dreams and ambitions to be successful, famous, this, this, this, right?
 And I realize that that's, you know, you can have it all and it can all be taken away, but you're still going to be you.
 And you're still going to have to live and you're still going to have to go and survive.
 So I think I tried to figure out, okay, if I'm going to do this, I got to be the best at it.
 And I'm going to keep working hard.
 So first was what I just, just told you all about working hard and putting that work ethic in.
 And the second part is, okay, how do you sell painting?
 Like you do a painting, how do you sell it?
 Well, you have to, you do have to market it, you have to push it out.
 Thankfully, I haven't had to as much, but I, before I was speed painting and people don't want you to do the process,
 you got to bring the process to them, right?
 You got to bring the artwork to them and show.
 So I, I, I think it was that transition of, okay, if I'm going to get into the speed painting thing,
 like I, I saw that video of Danny Dent and they have a guy that comes here, Greenville.
 He's come for a long time.
 So I was like, okay, I could do this, but let me be the best at it.
 And then the first time I did it, I had a few brushes.
 I actually tore my MCL the week before I did my first speed painting, right?
 Which was at church.
 And I was, I was a mess.
 I went up there, I was hobbling, right?
 So I think there's a YouTube video you can watch.
 If you just, if you just search my name, like not something I'm very proud of, right?
 Not something I'm very proud of, but through that process, like I said,
 being scared of death, it took me to a transition of, hey, this is, this is what I have for you.
 So I believe it was God telling me, okay, listen,
 you've been searching for all these things your entire life.
 If you just listen to me and go down the path I have for you, it'll blow your mind.
 And I can literally say that it has blown my mind.
 I have done more than I've ever dreamed or envisioned.
 Like I've always wanted to play basketball.
 It's a palace of Auburn Hills with the pisses, you know?
 But that dream never happened.
 But guess what?
 I was able to perform with B-O-B at a halftime show at the palace of Auburn Hills.
 So instead of shooting hoops, I was throwing paint.
 Like how cool, you know what I mean?
 Like that transition, how cool is that?
 So in that moment when I realized God showed up for me and said, listen,
 here's a path I have laid out for you.
 I'm looking at, like I don't know what this looks like.
 I don't know if I can continue to do this.
 But this is where I'm going to go.
 And once I made that commitment,
 I feel like God's always protected me, right?
 He's always provided for me. He's always taken me there.
 So to answer your question, you have to work hard, you get going, right?
 Then you start selling stuff.
 People see what you're doing and they get interested in what you're doing.
 And I think more than just there are, I think people are.
 Like even yourself, you've said just the process and the performance.
 You see that it's intriguing to people.
 I mean the radical podcast.
 You know what I mean?
 When I think about it, even though it's me and I do it from people's perspective,
 it's pretty radical, right?
 It's a pretty cool thing to be able to do.
 And I've done it from the biggest arenas in the, you know,
 some of the biggest arenas in the world too, you know,
 a small little party with five people.
 Yeah.
 Those are more nerve-wracking though.
 The five people versus.
 You feel like every stroke is under it.
 Like one person's looking at each stroke.
 Yeah, every little thing.
 So.
 So, you know, and then once you keep going, it just happens.
 But to give you a little example of that, like I did a,
 I did a painting on a yacht.
 It was Rick Henry's yacht.
 Like a hundred million dollars.
 Right.
 So, this guy named Clint Boyer, NASCAR driver called me up one day and he said,
 man, I want to do something nice for this buddy of theirs,
 which he does very well.
 I won't say his name, but I guess a billionaire.
 And what do you get a billionaire, right?
 So he's like, I figured I'd call you.
 I'm going to get him Jared Emerson.
 I'm like, that's a good tagline.
 What do you get a guy that already has everything?
 Get a me.
 We'll do a painting and just have fun, right?
 There's some tricks to that.
 Yeah.
 So, um, he was like, man, we're going on the shot, you know.
 Someone's always coming.
 Someone's always coming.
 So, I would end up being on the yacht.
 I'm there.
 And Guy Fieri was there.
 Emerald Legasi was there.
 Clint and Jimmy John.
 So, I'm like, you know, these guys have done some big stuff.
 But they're all food guys, right?
 Right.
 They're cooking cafes on the side.
 They're like, Jared, can we help you with the canvas and stuff?
 And I'm like, no, but I'll take some of the cafes, which was an amazing experience.
 But in doing that, it was a nervous wreck.
 I'm on this yacht.
 The crew was freaking out.
 But I'm trying to prepare.
 So, I had to paint a logo and then I had to paint, I think I painted Jimmy John's kids.
 So, the kids are there.
 Three kids.
 I got to paint them with my fingers.
 It's kind of dark out.
 We're on a yacht.
 And I'm like, nervous wreck.
 But I just get into it, right?
 And literally two, three feet away, or probably five feet away to the side.
 Emerald's just sitting there, you know?
 And didn't move at all.
 He was just so intrigued by seeing that paint being moved with the finger.
 It was just crazy.
 And every once in a while, I'd be like, bam.
 Just playing.
 But talk about nerve-racking experiences.
 How did it turn out?
 But also, it was great.
 I think it turned out great.
 You know, I'm always skeptic on myself.
 Like, I wanted to be a little better at this.
 But they love that it turned out great.
 Clint was happy.
 And it was just a pretty neat experience of how you can go from some of these big things.
 It was a big thing, but it was a small group of people.
 Right.
 And a little more intimate.
 So, you get to meet people in those settings as well, which is pretty cool.
 I know you've painted.
 You know, we talked about Carson Wentz and doing the shoes now.
 But Jerry Rice, you want to talk about, let's talk about some of the other athletes you've, you know, been around and...
 So, yeah, Jerry Rice, I actually, with the BMW ProM, I don't know, this is, I don't know, nine years ago, 10 years ago, maybe 11.
 I don't know, it's been a minute.
 But I think my first athlete I painted performed that was there watching was Jerry Rice.
 And it was pretty cool because just this past year we did a cruise ship with the 49ers.
 So, I do a lot of different cruise performances from K-Love, 49ers, Steelers, Green Bay Packers.
 We're trying to get more teams to do some different things.
 But it's been pretty neat just to meet a lot of these guys.
 So, but Jerry was just on the 49ers crew.
 So, I did another painting with him.
 You know, when you think of the greatest of all time in a sport, he's the name you think of when he comes a football and wide receivers, right?
 Yeah.
 When you think of quarterbacks, you think of what Joan Ameth, you think of Brady, you know Tom Brady.
 You probably think of a bunch of others.
 I don't want to upset anybody out there.
 You got, yeah, you've got a lot of guys that are amazing.
 So, just having conversation with these guys, I think as an artist in my creative process, like I think of what they do.
 And I actually watched a movie. I think it was Jerry's in it, Wayne Gretzky and someone else.
 But they're talking to them about the aspects of sports and what makes you great at what you did.
 And I think each of those guys would probably tell you, I don't think I was great, right?
 Like I wasn't the fastest, I wasn't the strongest, I wasn't this.
 But what I was is I worked at my craft, right?
 Like Jerry told me his dad used to throw him bricks and catch bricks.
 And then he told me that he would, at night in the dark, he would just toss the football up and catch it, toss it up and catch it.
 So, he understood the feel of the ball.
 Wayne Gretzky, if you watch this portion he talks about as a kid, he would watch the hockey game on TV, right?
 And he would just follow, he would get a pad of paper and a pen and he would just follow the puck and just follow the puck where it went through the whole game.
 And then at the end he would look at his scribbles and where he had the most scribbles, that's where the puck is the majority of the time, right?
 I'm listening to this going, that's pretty cool.
 Like when you think of the creative aspect to that, so he figured out, okay, this is where the puck goes.
 And he'll tell you I wasn't the fastest, I wasn't the strongest, but based on angles and everything else, I know where the puck's going to be.
 And even though I'm probably not the fastest, based on the angles, I'm going to get to the puck faster, right?
 I'm going to know how to get to the puck.
 And he said, probably my greatest strength was my creativity.
 And so as an artist, I truly, wholeheartedly believe that your creativity will get you very far.
 Albert Einstein, right?
 One of the greatest quotes to me, he said his creativity is far better than knowledge.
 I'm sorry, not creativity, he said imagination is far better than knowledge.
 Which imagination, when you take, not saying knowledge isn't good, because knowledge is everything, right?
 But when you take the imagination and expand that knowledge, what can it do?
 Yeah, knowledge can be learned, creativity and imagination is unique to any individual.
 So as an artist, it's that imagination creativity that you continue to build inside of you and then let it out is what really I think impacts people.
 Impacts yourself too in the process, because I might be in a studio one day and just be scribbling or thinking of something or trying to figure something out.
 And then it's like, it clicks and I'm like, whoa, this is good.
 And then there's other times where I'm like, man, I'm so frustrated, I can't think of anything.
 So I find things that inspire me.
 And a lot of things that inspire me are, first of all, God inspires me to just keep working hard.
 But also music, I listen to all kinds of music, so it just depends sometimes on my mood.
 You like Kanye's new album?
 I do, actually, I do.
 Yeah, I am God.
 I mean, what a switch he's made.
 Yeah.
 And you know, I think, first of all, as a Christian, you want to believe that he's real with it and everything else and I think it's huge.
 And I think he is.
 I truly think he is and we all have our own, I think, ways of living life and how we do things.
 But yeah, I think it's pretty cool.
 But yeah, the albums, I bump in a little bit in the studio here and there.
 I'm enjoying it.
 We play it here a lot.
 Nice.
 It's offices.
 So lots of inspiration.
 What's, you've had so many opportunities and now the doors have been opened.
 What's been your, there's a favorite.
 If there's a, or like, you know, some of the people you've met and things have done are unlike lots of people's bucket lists.
 But for you personally, what's been like?
 Well, I don't know if I'd say there's a favor.
 Or maybe one that sticks out or another.
 Like I was telling you, when I go through my phone, I'm looking at different pictures.
 Like then I just keep scrolling and scrolling.
 I'm like, well, I forgot.
 I did that or forgot.
 I did this.
 There's not a specific moment.
 You know, I was on this tour called Winter Jam in 2014.
 And that was pretty epic because you're, you know, pretty much even front of crowds over.
 I think over the period of time, it's three month tour of four or five nights a week.
 You know, Arena sold out all over.
 We did the Georgia dome.
 Rest in peace.
 Rest in peace to the Georgia dome since it's not there anymore.
 But, you know, just doing that, it was very impactful.
 And I think it was just an experience for me that I'll never forget.
 You know, I'd love to do it again sometime if they, if they won't have me back.
 You know, but just, just even that aspect of maybe even taking on where we do a segment works.
 Like I do a couple paintings and just entertain people for a few moments with different genres of music.
 And then go into the, the concerts, you know, with the musicians.
 And because everyone loves to go to a concert and feel that inspiration to me as well when you think of Kanye and his new album,
 his old albums, when you think of his creative process.
 Like back in the days, you think, man, what's up with this guy?
 Yeah.
 But as I've seen him go, whether it's been up or down or whatever, you know, I think he is a genius when it comes to being an artist.
 Oh, yeah.
 The creative aspect.
 I also think of Virgil with Louis Vuitton.
 I mean, he started off white.
 Right.
 Just kind of, I guess in some aspects of the basic concepts, he kind of made new again, right?
 Yeah.
 And I love that.
 I love, I love seeing that.
 I know you're getting into more, like merchandise and doing, you know, the speed painting I think was like.
 I mean, a little, a little bit.
 I want to get into more, but it's just finding the right, right, right, feel and right collaboration with whoever.
 Like, I don't make clothes or I don't make, you know, things.
 But I paint, like, you can go to any clothing store and find paint on jeans.
 But I mean, I've been doing it for 13 years.
 I didn't used to see that too much unless you're painting a house, right?
 But I've always worn, yeah, I've always worn splatter on my pants.
 And we've talked a few people about doing something.
 So I just never has come to fruition because I think it's just my time.
 I've been traveling, I've been doing this.
 I'd love to do that.
 Maybe more.
 Collaborate with someone.
 But when I go on these cruises and travel to different, when we do the tours, we sell small prints of stuff and t-shirts.
 So right now I want to do a couple of hoodies.
 I got some ideas.
 So.
 How about a radical hood?
 Coming to that.
 You need someone to move.
 Like a radical commission or something.
 Yeah, I can do that.
 No problem.
 I've been doing some, some jean jackets over the last three years.
 So I've got the cruises.
 Like I'll do, like I do the Steelers.
 One where I painted the gloves on the back.
 Like Juju, I did a few paintings like Juju and James Conner and some Mean Joe Green with the Steelers.
 So I painted in that jacket and then I think I had Juju sign it.
 So it's in my studio.
 So I have different things that people come by and look at.
 You know, maybe buy.
 But some of those things I don't like to sell.
 I just like to show.
 That's got to be hard for you, I would think.
 Like with all the experience, all the people you're meeting, you've got to be racking up some memorabilia.
 A little bit.
 I didn't use to.
 I didn't use it.
 Like when I started, I didn't.
 Because I was very like, I can't.
 I don't want to ask someone for autograph, picture, you know, whatever.
 And I've learned it's fine.
 We're all living the moment.
 We're in this new age of technology and everything is right now, right here.
 And I think that transitions for me even with my speed painting.
 You know, we talked about not letting people see your process, right, versus seeing your process.
 Well, people, you know, you've got to paint fast.
 If it's in front of people, they get bored.
 You know, you've got to do it fast.
 And it's same with, same with technology.
 It's everyone's just hands on and just going, going, going.
 I forget where we were going with that.
 No, I was about memorabilia and different things.
 Yeah.
 In how many, how large your addicts going to have to be even?
 That's right.
 So you wrote your.
 Yeah.
 So I didn't use to do it.
 But now I have like Carson sent me a jersey sign it.
 Just very nice.
 Just signed it and said some nice things to me on there.
 So different ones.
 Jerry Rice.
 So I have a painting.
 I did have him like for myself.
 So he signed that.
 I have a few others like me and Joe signed a Coke bottle for me.
 Nice.
 And he's he's signed my jersey a painted and stuff.
 So I get Steelers fans that come to the studio.
 And they're like, what?
 You know, see, I grew up in Michigan.
 I'm a Detroit Lions fan, you know, painful.
 And I never liked the Steelers.
 And the main reason was because they won all the time.
 Yeah.
 So actually, this first cruise I did with the Steelers,
 this is kind of funny story.
 But they're like, Jerry, we want to do a Q&A with you.
 You know, with all the fan base and we'll have some players there.
 And I'm like, they're not going to want to do a Q&A with me.
 They're like, they're here to see these athletes.
 They're like, you'll paint a few times first.
 So they'll see you.
 Yeah.
 Some people show up.
 So I was like, all right.
 Well, they showed up.
 There's a packed room.
 There's about five or six players that came out.
 And so they're like, all right, let's get this going.
 So I got up there and introduced myself.
 Jared Emerson from Perry, Michigan.
 I'm a hardcore Detroit Lions fan.
 And that everyone's looking at me like, what the heck did he just say?
 And a couple of people were like, boo.
 And I said, listen, I just wanted to, before I get into Q&A,
 like I just have a question for everyone here.
 And again, full house Pittsburgh Steelers fans.
 I said, I've always wondered from the bottom of my heart,
 like, what is it like to actually win?
 And right then, they were like, just blew up, you know?
 And then, yeah, stroke there.
 You go, hey, what's it like to be the winner of this team in history?
 Crest eyes.
 Yeah, melted it.
 Right.
 So, you know, I think that's part of being a fan of a team
 that's never really won anything.
 Right?
 You have to suck it up and still support them and what they do.
 But still be happy for these other teams.
 So I grew up hating the Steelers.
 But now having a, you can say maybe an affection for them
 because I've got to meet a lot of their players.
 Current and former, even Mike Tomlin,
 I did a painting in Pittsburgh with him that I did.
 And just meeting these guys and just,
 and that's the thing.
 Like when people say, what's your team?
 I mean, lines are my team.
 But like, I root for Carson to be the best quarterback.
 He can be.
 I root for his team to try to win another Super Bowl.
 You know, Duane Allen, he played,
 he just won a Super Bowl with the Patriots last year.
 I think he's with Miami.
 I'm from Clemson.
 Yeah.
 Yeah.
 Great guy.
 Love him to death.
 And, you know, you want to see these guys do well with the Duane.
 And if they don't do well, you just want to be there for them
 and let them know that you love and care them no matter what.
 And then when they're on their highs,
 you want to let them know that, hey,
 I don't need to be there with you.
 But, you know, I'm proud of you.
 And, you know, keep it up.
 Keep doing what you're doing.
 So I'm probably more of a player fan now.
 Versus a team fan.
 Because, you know, you get to know some of these guys
 and just want to see them do well.
 Like, I love James Connor.
 Like, great guy.
 And he's overcome some with cancer and everything and doing what he's doing.
 I got a lot of admiration for him.
 And just he's a young guy.
 And, you know, it was an honor to do a painting of him.
 And I got to let him know that.
 Like, it was more an honor for me to paint him with his fans.
 Didn't do anything.
 So, that's pretty neat.
 What's the future hold?
 I mean, where are we headed?
 I know that's a loaded question.
 It's very loaded.
 But, I mean, if you're gotten the ship,
 where are you taking it?
 You know, riding the wave?
 You know, I think you continue riding the waves,
 but you're also looking for the bigger waves, right?
 You're also looking for the bigger thing.
 To me, the ultimate thing for me is like,
 and take this the way I'm saying it is,
 the goal is the Super Bowl, right?
 It's the biggest event in the world.
 Well, I guess they say, maybe to us Americans.
 I think it's in the top five in the world.
 Right.
 And the US definitely, it's one A, B, and C.
 So, you have that as hate.
 So, that's the ultimate.
 Yeah, I'd love to paint there.
 Now, if someone else does it or some other artist, you know, that's fine.
 But that's the goal.
 It doesn't mean I actually have to do it.
 But if I did it, it would be the biggest event.
 I can see Kanye and you on stage at the Super Bowl.
 I see it.
 You know, like Jesus is King.
 Yes.
 Now, Jesus, how wonderful that would be.
 Kanye, if you're listening or your handler.
 That's right.
 Let's do it.
 That would be epic.
 It would be.
 And that could be done in a way where it's just, you know,
 a beautiful setting.
 So, that's there, right?
 You put that up in the air.
 You put that out to the, you know, prayers to God.
 And if it happens, it happens.
 If it doesn't, it's no big deal.
 But back to when I told you, like, you have hopes and dreams as a kid, right?
 But then I believe God's transition those to something different.
 So, I've been able to live out those dreams that I wasn't able to.
 So, once you live out those dreams, then you set new goals, new dreams, right?
 So, I think that's the wave I'm on right now, as I'm looking for those
 the bigger waves of, okay, what I do and how do you impact people?
 And part of it is coming up with new ideas and concepts.
 Like, you can, I mean, I get artists and athletes that send me videos of different people
 they saw online or whatever.
 And, you know, for me as an artist, I usually pick apart the videos.
 Right.
 It's the time lapse, okay?
 How long was that time lapse?
 Do you see it move and change, you know?
 So, to me, I'm like, hey, I just did this painting in three minutes or five minutes or eight minutes.
 But you time lapse that, you can time lapse that in ten seconds, right?
 Yeah.
 The beauty of these things, right?
 So, for me, I'm always a skeptic on something.
 I think a lot of videos are cool.
 So, I kind of think the same way with me, like when people see a video of me,
 and they're like, was that real?
 Like, does that really happen?
 So, part of me is like coming up with a concept for a cool video, right?
 To do.
 One thing I started doing.
 I know a company that does.
 Yeah.
 Something good stuff.
 I need to take a look.
 Sameless plug.
 But it's coming up with the concept of ideas to do the videos, right?
 Yeah.
 And the biggest thing for me is usually time.
 Because I'm always going, I'm always doing things.
 And I'm a big believer in, you know, people want to hire you for something.
 You do it, and you stick with it.
 If something bigger comes along, I'm booked.
 Yeah.
 I'm booked.
 I can't, right?
 If something like Super Bowl came up, we may be able to work somehow.
 I don't know.
 But it's just, you know, continually moving forward.
 I think I'm trying to do thinking of new things.
 And, like I said, videos and ideas of what to paint.
 I was going to say this.
 So two years ago, I started painting on glass, right?
 It's like an acrylic.
 So I'm actually facing the crowd.
 They're watching me.
 And I paint something almost.
 That paints the stuff in an air.
 So I have an art show every year.
 It's in September.
 This year, it's September 24th coming up to 2021.
 I mean, 20.
 Sorry.
 I'm getting a year ahead.
 2020.
 So September 24th, I believe.
 So I do art show here locally.
 And Ed Zen.
 Yeah.
 I was there for this.
 Right.
 Would you think?
 Sorry.
 And I've lost my painting though.
 Oh.
 You know.
 Listen to that.
 You use it as, here's the thing.
 If I'm, if I'm on a Jackable painting, it's going to be my own show.
 Because I have control.
 I can do whatever I want, right?
 Yeah.
 If someone's paying me to do something, I'm going to make sure I do it right.
 Right.
 And get it right.
 But it was fun.
 It was fun.
 I thought it was good.
 I would move right to the next painting, right?
 So just throwing it out there.
 If everyone thinks that I'm just perfect every time.
 Yeah.
 But I want to see that.
 You can see the acrylic next year, maybe.
 Yeah.
 Well, the year before, which you probably missed.
 I missed.
 I did a Retha Franklin on glass.
 Okay.
 And the year before that, I did a Frank Sinatra.
 Okay.
 So it's, it's, it's pretty neat to see because it's almost like it's transformed
 myself in the ear.
 And I'm in between.
 It's very tough to do because, you know, if you focus on the crowd, then your space gets
 blur.
 If you focus on what you're doing, the crowd gets blur.
 So you can still see everyone.
 And what's going on.
 Yeah.
 But it can also be fun, too, because you can play with it a little bit.
 Right.
 But I'd like to do something with that, maybe multiples.
 And, you know, some of the things I do, it just takes production.
 So it's figuring that out as well.
 Where can people find you?
 Where?
 So if someone's listening, they want to hire you.
 Someone wants to go learn more.
 And you've got the website.
 Where can they find you?
 Right now I'm sitting here in.
 Radical.
 Radical Studio.
 We're going to digitally find you.
 So digitally.
 Instagram is budgetared collection.
 I need some more followers.
 So I usually post, I probably don't post as much as I should, but I usually put a lot of
 stories on here and there.
 But Instagram is one where you can see different things and multiple stuff that I do.
 So I go from, you know, maybe a video here and there to showing a painting or just something
 I'm doing or an event that I'm at.
 But Instagram is my main, probably my main thing I'm kind of using now.
 But my website is the Jared, not the Jared, it's Jared Emerson.com, Facebook is just Jared
 Emerson.
 Art reaches everyone.
 It's my business slogan, because I believe art does reach everyone.
 Because art isn't everything from this table to our clothes, to some microphone, it's
 building.
 It's conversation.
 Yes, it's an art form.
 And I think art reaches and touches people in so many different ways.
 So yeah, that's where you can find me and I live in Greenville, South Carolina, my studios
 right here, right downtown, the street.
 Available worldwide.
 Available worldwide, yep.
 So I've actually been to India, China, almost every state in the US, except for Hawaii,
 have not painted in Hawaii, which we're working on.
 Yeah, it's fun.
 So if you got any ideas?
 I got some ideas right there.
 There are a couple of friends that are there actually.
 Nice.
 So I can work on that.
 All right.
 But man, I really appreciate you coming on.
 Oh man, I appreciate you having me.
 I've known you for a couple of years, consider you a friend and respect and admire your passion
 for art and Christ and everything that you're doing both in the world and locally.
 Appreciate it.
 And yeah, man, I think people are going to love this episode.
 I hope so.
 Listen, if you get some time, go home, throw some paint, you never know what, never know
 what might happen.
 Yeah, just keep, you know, if I encourage you or listen or just keep dabbing, keep pushing,
 keep creating, keep, keep being creative, take that imagination to the next level because
 this day and age, we need more of that versus just looking at our phones, you know, we need
 some bone, bone, bone, yeah, can't agree more.
 Well, we really appreciate Jared Emerson coming on today.
 Go check out him at all of the places that he said.
 That's it for today on the Radical Company Podcast.
 See ya.