01. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
Oh boy, this is a list:
I had three out-of-state gallery shows.
I made $20,000 in one month, thanks to Kickstarter.
Interviewed for TV.
Stepped into a wrestling ring, where one of my paintings was destroyed.
Had a movie star commission a painting from me.
Became friends with many wrestlers who up to now I had only watched on TV.
Made the full-time switch to being a professional artist.
Named the best sports artist in Kansas City by The Pitch.
Featured by WWE on their website.
02. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more?
Yup and yup!
03. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes!
04. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes.
05. What countries did you visit?
The US of A.
06. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?
A healthier body
A regular passive income stream
An interview in Juxtapoz magazine
Show my art as part of Wrestlemania
07. What date from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 4th. I was invited to show my work in Humboldt, IA as a part of the 4th of July celebration where they unveiled a gorgeous statue of Frank Gotch. I made many new and great friends and really felt that I was doing things right with my life.
08. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Raising $20,000 in one month via Kickstarter.
09. What was your biggest failure?
Failure? I dunno. I had some mistakes I made, but every setback is something for me to learn from and grow from, so no, I don’t think I had any failures.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Luckily no. Go figure, I get out of my hellish day job and my blood pressure goes back to normal.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Paint.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
My cats Monkey and Korma. They amaze every day.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Former bosses. They were really, well, not good people. Crooks. Getting away from them was a great moment.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent. Bills. Food.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
The whole Kickstarter experience.
Being in-ring when the painting was destroyed.
Getting a studio.
Becoming a full-time artist.
Showing my work in Humboldt, IA.
Being a part of the Wrestling Hall of Fame induction ceremony.
16. What song will always remind you of 2012?
“Runnin'” by the Pharcyde. One, it’s a jam and I listened to it a bunch this year. But I also like the lyrics, about how you can’t keep running away from the things in your past that have been holding you back. Once you face those hang-ups, you’re free to move forward.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
Happier.
ii. thinner or fatter?
A little thinner.
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Losing weight.
Painting.
Spending time with Katy.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Getting pissed off by a boss who ended up being of no consequence.
Having a day job altogether.
20. How will you be spending Christmas?
If it’s like this year, I’ll be busting ass on paintings for everyone in my family, and then seeing the delight on their faces when they open them up.
22. Did you fall in love in 2012?
Stayed in love.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV program?
Doctor Who.
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
I don’t hate. That’s a sign of weakness.
26. What was the best book you read?
Traditional? Tough Shit by Kevin Smith
Comic? Fatale by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
28. What did you want and get?
A switch to full-time artistry.
Hit my Kickstarter goal.
A studio, and then a new studio.
29. What was your favorite film of this year?
Skyfall, I guess. Man, I just don’t watch a lot of movies anymore.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Had dinner with family. 32.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
With the completely awesome year I had, I’d be a bit of an asshole if I asked for more, wouldn’t I?
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
Rob 3.0. Jeans and a t-shirt. Now with a hoodie!
34. What kept you sane?
Katy and the cats. Painting.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Pablo Picasso.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
Health care. Being self-employed with a pre-existing condition definitely makes that an issue.
37. Who did you miss?
No one, really.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
Paul Andrews, my studio-mate. The guy has his stuff together and working with him has been a real pleasure.
Also, my Metro Pro Wrestling family. Them welcoming me into their group has been an amazing experience. Thank you to Chris Gough, Justin Appleberry, Doug Marshall, Heather McQuinn, Howard Moritz, Jeremy Wyatt, Mark Ptansik, Mike Korklan, Derek Stone, and…geez, I shouldn’t have made a list, because everyone’s been so great and I don’t want to leave people out! Meeting Brian Kelley in person this year was also a highlight.
Becoming friendly with Gerry Brisco, Jim Ross and John Layfield has also been something that I just couldn’t have considered happening even a year ago.
The wrestling world has overall been really great to me. Thank you, friends!
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012.
Ignore the people who give you a list of why you shouldn’t do something, and instead listen to the ones who give you a list of what you need to do to achieve your goal. Life is full of people who have never attained something they truly want, and they don’t want you to do it. Also, when you start doing something of worth, people turn on you in droves. That freaked me out a bit, and depressed me more. A lot of people in my life let jealousy get in the way of letting me share all of the excitement with them.
But you know what? Fuck ’em. They didn’t do anything for me beforehand except hold me back.