Welcome to The Truth in His Art, your source for conversations at the intersection of arts, culture, and community. I am your host, Rob Lee, and I am excited to have you with us today. And I'm super excited to welcome my next guest, a neurodivergent artist known as the acrylic alchemist, whose work transforms pain into purpose through a unique process he calls acrylic alchemy. With over 100 exhibitions nationally and internationally, his art has found its way into the collections of celebrities and private collectors alike. Please welcome Michael Carini.
Michael Carini:Pleasure to be here. I appreciate the opportunity to share my story and hopefully connect with some artists out there.
Rob Lee:Thank you. This is gonna be fun. I'm glad we were able to kinda, like, you know, shoot the breeze a little bit before we got into the the main thing. Often, people don't get a chance to connect. It's just like, alright.
Rob Lee:I need what I need. You're gonna give me that right now.
Michael Carini:Very much so. We live in this world of immediate and now, now, now, and I think that what the art world really needs right now is is connection. I think we need to get back to connection.
Rob Lee:That's that's super important. And one of the things I wanna level set as we start out, could you introduce yourself and give us a bit about your journey as an artist? We all have a story, and I wanna hear a bit about yours.
Michael Carini:I'll try not to ramble too much, but I am Michael Carini. I'm a San Diego based artist. I do this full time. I left the workforce, invested a 100% in the dream, cut the parachute because, I'm a big believer that the parachute prevents you from flying. It doesn't prevent you from falling.
Michael Carini:It prevents you from flying. So I'm all in on the dream. I don't always have all the answers, but I do a lot of artists support content, try to share my journey to help others find their voice. And that's what it's about for me. I'm a neurodivergent artist with Tourette's.
Michael Carini:I had a traumatic brain injury last year, and I've never really felt like there's a place for me in this world. And I still often don't feel like that. But my art allows me to create one, and so I wanna help others on that journey as well.
Rob Lee:Thank you. That's, and we'll we'll dive a bit further into it. I'd like to give a like to give a bit of a taste. I call it, like, the trailer in the beginning. So if you will, talk a few a bit about some of your your early experiences, and I really like that that that that that point you were making about, you know, the parachute prevents you from flying.
Rob Lee:I like that. That's that's really good. But could you tell us a little bit about some of your early experiences both in life and in art that kinda set you on a path that you're you're on today? Like, you know, I was a creative kid. You know, I wanted to be an illustrator, and illustration is not what I do.
Rob Lee:I still love it. I still appreciate it. I like comics and all, but, you know, that's not what I do. I do this. And I I guess I stumbled upon this as a medium, as a as an outlet, perhaps, really in high school.
Rob Lee:So that's, you know, where the line starts, if you will. So for you, you know, sort of early experiences, what comes to mind when you think of art, when you think of, like, the life and the path that you're on?
Michael Carini:My entire life, I've always kind of felt like I don't belong here. Like, there's not a place for me. And it it does tie back to that being neurodivergent. But as a child, you don't really know or understand what that means. And it wasn't really until the past couple years that I started to realize that a lot of the decisions I made and the reason I do a lot of the things that I do is because of that and because I don't think the way that a lot of other people do.
Michael Carini:And so not feeling like I had a place, I always found, like I said, a place that I could create my own place within the art. And I seem to be recognized pretty early on. I remember I was probably 5, 6 years old, and I did a coloring contest at Ralphs. And I won concert tickets to see the Ninja Turtles in concert at Sports Arena in San Diego. So those are these core memories that kinda stick with you throughout life.
Michael Carini:So I I move forward, but I have that core memory. And then we come up on high school, and I struggled a lot with depression, suicide, issues of that. I came from background a lot of bad stuff going on at home, and I just never really felt safe. I came from a blue collar family, did not have a lot of resources, did not have a lot of money. I won a couple awards in high school for my art.
Michael Carini:I was still getting recognition for that. I had my first work in a museum, actually before high school in 98 in a student show at San Diego Museum of Art. So, every week, I run past the San Diego Museum of Art and touch the pillars and say my work's gonna be back in there again. But, again, that was one of those core memories where you think, well, you know, maybe there's some value to me even though I often don't feel like I have any value. And then high school won a couple more awards, and I I said, you know what?
Michael Carini:I I still wanna be an artist. I don't I didn't say I wanna become an artist because I believe that, I was born an artist, but what happens is life often conditions it out of you or people beat it out of you. Sometimes it's people that don't like you. Sometimes it's your friends and family. And I remember my family.
Michael Carini:I can't say that my family wasn't supportive, but as a blue collar family that is not artistic and that doesn't understand art and that doesn't really come to my shows, they said, hey. If you wanna do this, do it, but you're on your own.
Rob Lee:Yeah.
Michael Carini:And so I had to put myself through school. I went to loyal at Marymount. I worked 3 jobs, did an apprenticeship, did not go to a single party. I was just nose to the ground working my way through, but it's because I knew I was gonna have to hustle if I wanted to do anything. But coming from that blue collar family, I was a janitor when I was 14, working the 3 jobs during college.
Michael Carini:I worked the trash shift at Vons. I had to go there when it was still dark out and cut all the spoiled meats and stuff like that. So, it was hard for me to think that I could really reach a big dream, but, I I held on to the dream. And I don't wanna go on too much about this because I wanna be able to dive into the things that you wanna talk about, but I never gave up on the dream. And once I decided to fully commit to the dream and cut that parachute, that's when the doors really started to open.
Rob Lee:That's that's so important. I you know, as I think about, you know, just just some of those connection points, that's just how I receive it. Like, you know, I I had the support, but it was more like, we don't know what you do, but we love it because we love you. It was more of that for my my family, and it's definitely, like, yeah, you know, like junior because you know I'm a junior. Yeah, man, junior, he runs a radio station.
Rob Lee:I was like, I don't do that at all, but but thank you. Or even when I wanted to go into illustration as a kid, it's just like art supplies were always the thing, but it wasn't like, hey. Let's go to this museum. That's just not what what we did. But it was this this version of support.
Rob Lee:And, yeah, you know, I love that that point of not giving up on the dream and, you know, sort of figuring it out. Like, we we get these points where as we get older, maybe it's a Patton Oswalt joke, the whole thing about tens. Every time you hit 10 years, it's a new sort of milestone. You get one less birthday or what have you. And it's sort of this thing where I run into it even now, approaching 40.
Rob Lee:Yeah. Well, you haven't made the bag yet, or where are you gonna take this this podcasting thing? Don't you feel like you're wasting your time a little bit? And it's like, well, I'm enjoying it. And so I'm if I'm enjoying it and I'm still doing it, isn't that successful?
Rob Lee:You know, it's that that sort of adult version of kinda beating that the dream out of you, if you will.
Michael Carini:Yeah. And I looked at it as a benchmark too when I just hit 40. I I was experiencing and feeling a lot of the things you just described, but I also said, okay. 40, I haven't done some of these things. Now is the time to make it happen.
Michael Carini:Let's make it happen. Let's do this thing. Okay. What do we gotta do to make this happen now?
Rob Lee:Yeah. You gotta be an evangelist for yourself, almost like in an irrational confidence about it. And Yep. For a while in doing this and this is you know, as I was sharing with you before we got started, this is so different than what I've done. There's a lot of different moving parts.
Rob Lee:As as you touched on when we we you know, before we got started, you have, like, a normal rhythm, you know, when you work with a person regularly. You know what their quirks are, idiosyncrasies, all of that stuff. You know what their schedule looks like. But when it's just like, alright. I got 4 interviews today.
Rob Lee:1 person's gonna show up an hour late. This person's not gonna give me any of the stuff I need. And it's juggling multiple things. And it's a whole new thing, and it's all of this almost information that's out there for you to almost quit or almost give up. And but you don't because you're you're chasing the dream.
Rob Lee:You're chasing that unique thing that is maybe your curiosity, maybe your process. And speaking of this, this is a ham fisted segue. Let's talk about your process a little bit.
Michael Carini:I I I read about segues are my thing. That's my jam. So we we can we can go, like, down the rabbit hole. But, yeah, whatever you want, we can go there. So, I mean and that's the big thing about me is that I think that in a sense, you kinda have to be willing to take the segues in life.
Michael Carini:You have to be willing to kind of adapt and adjust. We talked about that a little bit too before we got on here of, you know, life is gonna hit you with these things, these obstacles. And a door closed just means, okay, that door is closed. Now I can focus my energy on the door that is open. So it all comes down to how you choose to interpret things.
Michael Carini:And when you have the hunger for it, you find a way to make it work. And as an artist, I feel blessed because artists, we're creative people, so we find creative solutions. So I definitely feel down on myself at times, and sometimes I feel hope I do feel hopeless at times. I do feel like, oh, jeez. I'm going backwards or I was I should be here by now or I did this before, and I feel like I'm going in the opposite direction.
Michael Carini:But I do have this sort of, eternal optimism and hope. And the idea that if I just keep going, there is a possibility that it might just work out. But if I quit or go in the other direction or the the road that others take, then I'm guaranteed to fail.
Rob Lee:Talk talk a bit about and this this is a a good question, I think, like, because I've been experiencing I've been feeling this, you know, that that feeling of hope, like, especially when you're doing something creative. Like, you know, I'll I'll have an an awareness. Like, man, I got a lot of interviews this week. It's not looked at, like, as a lot of work this week. It's like I have a lot of times where I need to block out time to do x, y, and z, but it doesn't feel like work.
Rob Lee:You know, it's different than if I gotta go to work, man. I got a lot of projects to work on. That feels like work. And when it's this and I got a good rhythm and a good week going, I have this feeling of, like, hopefulness and almost like, I get the stunt and show what I know how to do again, you know, like, multiple times. So I wanna ask you about your process in a moment, but talk about that a little bit, sort of that feeling of of hope and where that comes from, You know, just just on a day to day, it's on a on a human level.
Michael Carini:I think it comes down to I just I want more, and I wanna show people it's possible. And you just described it perfectly. I've had a lot of things lately that feel like they're not going right. The the art market's tough right now. People are not spending a lot of money.
Michael Carini:The economy's down. Art's the first thing that people cut. As a full time artist, I'm feeling it. I live in San Diego. Cost of living is high here.
Michael Carini:But I had 2 art openings Saturday night, And before that, I was kinda feeling down, but I I was like, okay. But I I have something coming up. You know, that's exciting. So go to the art openings, and I have a couple really good exchanges with people. And I think that everybody wants to have hope.
Michael Carini:And so for me, it doesn't take a lot. It just a tiny a good interaction with somebody, a good conversation with somebody feeds me Yeah. For a long time. Like, I can take it a a long time. I I can put in the work.
Michael Carini:I can hustle, and I can go off of that because I wanna make this happen. I want this more than anything. I wanna succeed more than I'm willing to fail. I mean, failing is easy. It's easy to let go and just say, hey.
Michael Carini:I can't do this. I'm not gonna do it. I'm just gonna take the the easy road. I wanna do the hard thing, and you have to do the hard things to get where people haven't been. If you do the same things that other people have done, you're only gonna get to where those people have been.
Michael Carini:So you have to be willing to embrace that, and I think that that's where I embrace now the neurodivergent aspect. It that is also my strength. It's what allows me to hyperfocus in and just say, hey. I'm gonna be relentless on this. And I'm somebody that, as I mentioned, struggled with depression, suicide.
Michael Carini:I didn't learn until I was 28 years old that my father actually committed suicide. Oh, wow. Because I'm adopted. So I didn't learn that until I was 28. And at the time, I was kind of having those feelings myself.
Michael Carini:And once I learned about that, it actually sent me in the other direction. I'm like, okay. I don't want to I don't wanna live that life. I don't wanna be that. So I'm gonna hold on just because now and it has been my firm belief that if I just keep fighting and I don't give up, there's always hope.
Michael Carini:And the only way to lose that hope is to just give up. You give up, there is no hope. But if you keep going, it may be small, but the hope is still out there.
Rob Lee:It's a really good point. And thank you for sharing that. It's, you know, I I I taught a class, in podcasting in the last, you know, 6 months, and we talked a little bit about being vulnerable on podcasts. And just when folks are sharing their their story and, like, the realness behind it, you know, we we haven't dove into your art yet, and we're talking about, like, the real life components about it. And, you know, that's that's great.
Rob Lee:And one thing that I'll share before moving to this next question that aligns with what you said there a second ago. So it's no secret, right, that Rocky 4 is one of my favorite movies. Alright?
Michael Carini:Good movie.
Rob Lee:That's what Rocky saved us for the Russians. And it came on the year it was born. So, you know, I referenced that podcast that movie a lot in podcasts. I did a movie night talking about it, and I did a podcast dedicated to old movies, and that was one of the movies featured. And, you know, I think during the pandemic, they had a like, when it was at its height, maybe 2020 or 2021, but I think it was 2020, they, Stallone was releasing sort of the director's cut of Rocky 4, and I started following him.
Rob Lee:I just remember he had this quote that he would say all the time, just keep punching. And that's that's that's stuck with me when it goes to, like, it sucks today or this is wack or whatever. This episode didn't go good. Well, this one's going great. But that episode didn't go good, you know, just keep on punching.
Rob Lee:That's that's just what it is for me. So I wanna move into this question. You you developed a unique process called acrylic alchemy. Can you explain what it is and, you know, sort of what what's baked into it, sort of that that approach? Because I'm just turning pain into purpose.
Rob Lee:So talk a bit about that.
Michael Carini:So 2,002, 2006, I was at Loyola Marymount, and I was big fan of a show called, Fullmetal Alchemist. And so Yeah. I was blessed to be able to take a lot of independent studies. So while I was up there in LA, a lot of times I have have a reverse schedule where I would sleep all day. I'd get up at night.
Michael Carini:I'd have a smoothie, some snacks, and I would just paint all night while watching anime. And it was great. That was the light. And, I was I was obsessed with the show. I loved I loved the emotional connection, the the vulnerability in the show.
Michael Carini:And so 2009, had an assault in battery that, gave me a concussion, multiple facial fractures, and severe eye trauma. And this is what I saw flashing through my head. So this represents life growing from death, and that's essentially when I say acrylic alchemy was born. And the principal idea behind it is equivalent exchange and the idea that I will use my pain to create something positive and beautiful for the world because I was somebody that has had a lot of trauma, and it's easy to lose yourself in the trauma. It's easy to lose yourself in the pain and all the difficult things, all the obstacles, all the shit that happened to us in life, all the bad things.
Michael Carini:And it it still gets to me at times, but if you can find a way to use it, you can take away the power that it has over you. And so I started putting all that in look. So you had mentioned, hey. We've talked a lot about life, but we haven't talked about art. But my art is really just my life.
Michael Carini:I'm a storyteller. I put all my emotions, all my feelings into the work. So whatever I'm feeling, good or bad, I put it into the work. I pull it out. So I pull it out of me so that I can heal.
Michael Carini:And I have a collection called my open wounds collection. And the idea is that sometimes you need to tear yourself open and expose your wounds so they can breathe and heal. If you leave it inside of you, it'll eat your lives. Sometimes you've gotta pull that stuff out of you. And why not put it in the art where other people can connect with it and you can actually turn it into something beautiful?
Michael Carini:And I didn't wanna allow all these situations to have that power over me. So I said, you know what? I'm gonna take back the power, and I'm gonna decide that I'm in control.
Rob Lee:Wow. Wow. That's I mean, let me guess. You you would acquire your smile. Like, what's going on?
Rob Lee:Because there's too many overlaps that are there because here's the thing. Fullmetal Alchemist, it's it's a running bit that, you know, my my partner, she'll say, like, yeah, because it's about brothers. You know, it's always that because I have a brother and everything is connected to that. But it's, you know, Fullmetal Alchemist, Supernatural, and, New Japan Pro Wrestling. When I had these really big periods of, like, depression and just I'm out of it, for whatever reason, those things brought me back.
Rob Lee:It was like a cup of coffee in the morning. It's like, I am up and I'm here. And those things the those those those medias, they they hold a special, place for me. So when you've mentioned it, my mind lit up because when I saw, like, alchemy and your your style, I was like, hold up. Saying, is there gonna be a full metal alchemy that you said is equivalent exchange?
Rob Lee:I was like, look. I've used that on a date in the past.
Michael Carini:Well, and professional wrestling for me too, and I think it's the storytelling. It's something that's reliable. It's something that's consistent. It's something that we can hold on to. And sometimes that's all we need is we just need something to hold on to.
Michael Carini:Even if it it just may take 30 seconds, sometimes we just gotta walk through that 30 seconds. And sometimes we just need to be able to survive, to fight another day. And I know what that feels like, to feel like there's I don't have anything to hold on to right now. So that's why I try to be so vulnerable in my work is I wanna give somebody else that thing that they may need to hold on for that couple seconds to get past that super dark point. And they're not saying it's gonna be easy afterwards, but to just carry them through so they can continue to to fight this difficult battle.
Rob Lee:Thank you. So so when you're when you're in a in a spot, like, you know, coming up on 16 years. It'd be 16 years in, February. So looking at it, I'll be 40 in January, 16 years in February. That means I've been podcasting since my twenties, thirties, and going into forties.
Rob Lee:You're a very different person over that time. Maybe. I hope. And, you know, I know folks will listen. They'll say, yeah.
Rob Lee:You know, I remember you you were talking about this sort of stuff, and you've matured or you've regressed or whatever it might be, but it's me being me. I'm sharing as you you were talking about, like, you're a storyteller. You're you're sharing the real thing and get your your East Coast sentiment as you touched on before we got started. You know, it's very much you. So how do you, like, strike that balance when capturing sort of he's very personal and he's raw emotions with the energy associated with it while still being relatable to a broad audience?
Michael Carini:I would say that I'm not relatable to a broad audience, and I would say that I shouldn't be relatable to a broad audience because I am not necessarily for them. And this has been a difficult thing because as an artist, it's like you wanna be successful. You wanna do big things. I had an agency at one point. I thought I was gonna be working with a bunch of big companies, and it didn't happen and it kinda hurt me.
Michael Carini:And I had to think about it. I said, well, I don't think like everybody. I don't speak like everybody. I don't do the things that everybody does. I am neurodivergent.
Michael Carini:I do think differently. My brain works differently. And once I just started focusing on being myself, I find that that's when I'm the happiest because I it's so easy to lose yourself in trying find that balance. So sometimes what you need to do is not be balanced. Everybody talks about balance, and balance can be a great thing for a lot of people.
Michael Carini:For me, it is not. I have to be authentically myself, and I may not reach everybody, but I will reach the right people. And one of the things I've talked about a lot lately is that your art will not be for everybody, but make sure that your art is for you. Because if you're being authentic, people will connect with that. There will be somebody out there.
Michael Carini:Your people are out there. Sometimes you just gotta find them. But if you're making work that's really not you, that your soul, your heart's not in, it's gonna be felt, and the person that's gonna feel it the most is gonna be you. And then you're not really doing what you wanna do. You're just a a fragment of of something.
Rob Lee:Yeah. Yeah. That's a really good point. It's a good distinction there. Like, you know, you gotta keep what makes you unique.
Rob Lee:You gotta keep what makes you feel, like, connected to purpose. So, you know, when I I get these gigs that'll pop up, hey. We're looking for a podcaster. I was like, sure. Or we're looking for someone to document this and so on.
Rob Lee:I was like, well, I do this. I don't really do that. And and at a point early on, when it's a notion of getting success, oh, the people are asking about me. Oh, you know, I'm I'm pretty. This is great.
Rob Lee:Yeah. And, you know, wanting to give them what I think they're looking for. And after a few of those instances where it didn't doesn't work out the way that I would hope or way that I was anticipating, and then I feel like, I kinda sold myself short. I was like, what's the unique quality that makes me me? And I was like, no.
Rob Lee:Now I'm very much protective of it. You brought me on for what I do, not the sort of other way around. And being protective of that, I think that's a really important distinction that you're not gonna be for everybody. Maybe some of those gigs and maybe some of those guests, they don't come on. It's like, well, maybe they'll catch up later.
Rob Lee:That's the way I start looking at it.
Michael Carini:Yeah. I think that that's true. And, go where you're you're celebrated, not where you're tolerated. And that's one of the things that I deal within the art world. I do a lot of the art support talks, and I just got some new gallery relationships.
Michael Carini:And a lot of times people will be like, oh, you work with a bunch of galleries. You must be so successful. Well, I I do some things, but it all comes down to the quality of the relationships, and not every relationship is gonna be a good relationship. It's like relationships with a significant other. There are some very toxic relationships that are not good for you that hold you back.
Michael Carini:Yeah. And same thing with the galleries. You know? There's, opportunities where you can build a good relationship. I have a couple that I really, really love working with.
Michael Carini:There's a couple I'm trying out right now, And I'm so kind of on the fence because I'm like, okay. Are we really gonna be a good match? Because it's so easy in the initial stages to pretend the that phase of the honeymoon period and people just trying to say what they think others wanna hear as opposed to being genuine.
Rob Lee:Yeah. So I wanna I wanna move into the to this piece right here. Like, you you touched on earlier sort of, you know, what some people would deem as just, hey. Success. Your work is being shown in this museum, and you you touched on a moment ago sort of the gallery relationships and, you know, having, you know, your work in a collections of celebrities and and pop private collectors.
Rob Lee:So, you know, what does what keeps you grounded when you have one of those really, like, wow. Yeah. They they bought one of my pieces. This is really cool. Or, you know, what keeps you evolving?
Rob Lee:What keeps you grounding? What keeps you evolving as, you know, and as an artist at this stage?
Michael Carini:Well, there are times that I wasn't so grounded, and there were times that the ego did get a little out of check. When I was a little younger, probably about 10 years ago, I was moving a good amount of work, doing pretty well, and I started to feel pretty good about myself and start to think that I was something special. And then life will humble you. And I'm glad that it did humble me, though, because I think that I'm a better version of myself, in many ways right now. Not in all ways because, you know, there's things that go in different directions.
Michael Carini:But overall, I I think that I do have more humility now, and I think that that's an important thing to remember that I'm not better than any other artist out there. Even though I do some stuff, I'm not better than any artist out there. I'm not better than some kid that picks up a crayon and starts authentically sharing a story and coloring. I'm I'm not better than anybody. I'm somebody that works hard and is trying to share my story.
Rob Lee:I like I like that point where, you know, I like the way you were just gonna say, I do some things. You know, I I I responded the same way. It was like, hey, man. You're successful. You're on this billboard.
Rob Lee:I said, I've been on a thing.
Michael Carini:I I
Rob Lee:don't know who to
Michael Carini:Well, one of the things I did that kind of people are like, you did what? Is there's a thing that artists usually have to have called the CVA, curriculum vitae or however you pronounce it. It's basically like your artist resume. It shows all your shows, all your press, all that stuff. It's just as hyperinflated, document of BS that ends up being 20 pages long.
Michael Carini:So in 2020, I set mine on fire. Like, literally set it on fire and collected the ashes and worked them into a painting. And so now when I work with galleries and they say, we need your CV, I send them a CV, a digital document that and it says 2020, set my CV on fire because what I've done in the past doesn't matter. What matters is what I'm doing today, and I'm a big believer that people get complacent or com they have a little bit of success, and they think, oh, I've done stuff. I'm special.
Michael Carini:I am not special. I will never be special. I think I can do some special things, though, but I'm always putting in work. Every single day, I'm putting in the work, and I wanna be a hustler until the day that I die. So I don't wanna rest on the things that I did before.
Michael Carini:I want people to look at what I'm doing right now, and you judge me based off that. You decide if you wanna work with me based off that. If you don't wanna work with me, that's okay. Not everybody's for me. I'm not gonna be for everybody.
Michael Carini:Maybe you don't wanna work with me, but somebody out there will wanna work with me. And one of the galleries that I'm working with right now, she loves emotional work. She said, Michael, just just a question on your CV. It says you've set it on fire. Is that what you want me to put up?
Michael Carini:I'm like, well, that's what it is. She's like, well, she's like, well, I'm gonna put on your CV the show that you have at our gallery right now, but I'll kinda leave it as is otherwise. I'm like, okay. Yeah. That's fine.
Michael Carini:But, yeah, I'm kinda firm on it. I've said, hey. I'm not gonna go back and try to figure out what other shows or press I had in the past 4 or 5 years. I made a statement, and that's what artists are supposed to do. We're catalyst for change.
Michael Carini:I'm making a statement. My statement is that I wanna be judged on what I'm doing today and not this bullshit system of, like, resumes and whatnot. So look at me. And if I'm for you, I'm for you. If I'm not for you, not for you.
Rob Lee:That's that's a really great point, and it touches on this one item I had. And, you know, I'll backdoor into it. You know, sort of you know, I read that George Carlin used to get rid of his old jokes, you know, as a means to just kinda stay in practice, stay in the joke writing practice. And, you know, earlier in doing this podcast, every, like, 6 months, I would just get rid of my questions. You know, it's a it's a habit of not recycling the old insights and really, like if this is curious, you'll if if you're curious about this particular insight, you'll arrive back to it because you are always gonna have that question.
Rob Lee:It's just the artists are different. And, you know, and I think it allows for a deeper, more refined version of thinking and approach to the questions or approach to the work overall. And, you know, when I read that, that you you set your your your CV on fire, I was just like, metal. And it's it's something about that. It's again, like, look.
Rob Lee:I don't I'm not doing the safety net. I'm not doing the parachute. I'm not, you know, playing by these these rules. And, you know, one of the things and it's funny. You know, when I do this, I'll have guests come on, and a lot of times, you know, we're we're trying to connect.
Rob Lee:We're, you know, as we touched on, there's a vulnerability to it. There's, you know, this is my art project, if you will. And, you know, I'm very, you know, cautious as to who I bring on and who I invite on because there are a lot of folks that come into the space, which feels really weird to say, but come into the space, and then they're not supportive of their own interviews. But this is the thing that's really interesting. Every now and again, I'll say, alright.
Rob Lee:I'm just gonna put up the most the most recent content, the last 50 episodes for sake of argument. And then suddenly, from someone who didn't respond to me when I let the episode let them know the episode dropped or whatever, Hey, bro, I noticed that the episode isn't on bah bah bah. I was, like, well, yeah, I get rid of my old surveillance interviews from 2 years ago. Why why do you care about it now? You didn't care about it when it came out.
Rob Lee:It's it's very interesting, And I find at times folks kinda shoot themselves in their own foot, but I'm doing it in an effort to let me stay current. Have I gotten any better? I can look back and listen to it to see, like, alright. Because there are instances where maybe I've interviewed the same guest, twice in the span of 5 years. And this is like, oh, okay.
Rob Lee:This was a better question. This was a better interview, or I kinda asked that question again or but kinda seeing what that growth is. But to your your point, I'm trying to see where I'm at now in judging me versus me, I suppose.
Michael Carini:Yeah. And it's a matter of, like you said, it's thinking over regurgitating and living over existing. And I think that too many of us have just got trapped in the system of, oh, it's Monday. I get up. I go to work.
Michael Carini:I drive to work. 9 to 5, I punch a clock. And I just got to a point where I was I was at the point that I was gonna give up on life in 2019. I had gone through the system. I had done it.
Michael Carini:It seemed like I was going backwards. I'm like, you know what? I'm ready to give up on life, so why not just cut the parachute and go all in on the dream? And if I fail miserably, at least I can fail going after what I really want and believe in. And in failing there, at least there's there's a sense of success in that failure.
Michael Carini:There was no success for me and even the success of the life that wasn't meant for me.
Rob Lee:Right. Yes. It's it's always trying to, like, find that balance. And when you you see folks and and I say balance in this way, where you see folks who they feel like they're one foot in, They feel like they're kinda like dipping the toe in. And, like, I I I get very, what's the word I wanna use?
Rob Lee:I get very sensitive to folks in in the whole podcast realm where it's like, I do this, and I see folks, yeah, I could just drop in. It's a marketing tactic. It's this. It's that. It's an influencer thing, and I'm like, it's it's not that.
Rob Lee:It's not to say that it's not always that. It can be that, but what is your intent? What is your focus? What is your reason? Because it's what folks find.
Rob Lee:It's a lot of work that goes into it, so you can't BS and say, yeah. I can just dabble in it. And, you know, I tried to and we we talked about this a little bit before we got started. I try to configure my life around it to make, like, hey. I'm a podcaster.
Rob Lee:I identify in that way that does this, this, and this. Part of that is the day job. Part of that is the fitness thing. Part of that is the relationship, friendship, social things, all of that stuff. But if if we're doing an SEO search, podcast is the first thing in that.
Michael Carini:Yeah. Yeah. And then, I mean, again, I I don't pass judgment on anybody. I understand why people want to have comfort. I it's scary.
Michael Carini:And I'm and I'm in a situation where I am not married. I don't have kids. It's just me. So I can take these. So I understand people don't wanna take those risks in other situations, but I have to say that once I committed, that's when things changed, once there was no plan b.
Michael Carini:Because because even a couple months ago, the the art market, like I said, has been brutal across the board. A lot of people are trying to pretend like it's not, but I've talked to my galleries across the country. I've talked to other artists across the country, and they're all saying the same thing that the market definitely seems to be down for the vast majority of us. That's the reality of the situation. So I was thinking, well, at 40 years old, what could I do?
Michael Carini:I I used to work in sales in a corporate level and make some good money, but then I was making less money at the time that I left, which is why I left. I'm like, why am I going backwards in life? So now at 40 years old, could I go back and work a minimum wage paying job, start at the bottom, have to go punch a clock, drive there, listen to somebody else's nonsense rather than controlling my own schedule, having to grind a little bit harder, but knowing that on any given day, I could wake up and I could sell a painting for $1,000, $5,000, maybe $10,000, $20,000. And then last week, I did sell a piece for $1,000. And then I had, after my show this past week, somebody else buy a piece for $1100.
Michael Carini:And so I'm not I'm not again, numbers are just numbers, so I'm not trying to say, like, don't think anything of that if you sell your work for less, if you sell your work for more, just do your thing. But, but just then I was like, see, this is why I need to stay the course because I can create something that I can sell for far more while being able to better manage my health and wellness. Because that's the thing is when I left the workforce, I could so much better manage my mental health and my physical health. Every day starts off with me. Yeah.
Michael Carini:I do the social media thing. I don't particularly like it, but you know what? It's part of the hustle. Sometimes, the answers you think are in the work that you're avoiding. So a lot of people out there like, well, I wanna be a successful artist, but they don't promote their work.
Michael Carini:So I don't like being on social media despite how it may come across. I'm actually a big time introvert that keeps to myself and doesn't leave the house for the most part. But I get up, I do my social media on every platform, every single day. I do my artist support content. Then I go hit the gym for 2 to 3 hours, or I go for my run.
Michael Carini:6 days a week, that's my routine. And then I come back and, like you talked about doing the podcast, then I do the studio work and I do the painting. And 24 hours a day, I'm doing the communication. Like, if somebody contacts me from another part of the world or another city, another country, I have to close the deal when I gotta close the deal. So it's a 24 hour 7 thing.
Michael Carini:So I'm hustling all the time, but I would rather hustle for the thing that I want and hustle towards my dream than towards somebody else's. Because you're either working towards your dream or you're working towards somebody else's. And you can try to say otherwise. But if you really look at things, that's the truth.
Rob Lee:That's a good point. That's a good point. I I wanna touch on I got 2 more questions I wanna I wanna touch on because there there is this this this, I came across this this phrase, you know, artistic, artistic act of sacrifice. I I often think of art and creative work don't always don't get the recognition that it deserves of their sacrifice that goes in it. It's it's not sometimes it's literal, but it's not you know, and sometimes it's figurative, but there's blood that goes into some of these things.
Rob Lee:It's physically taxing for some, emotionally draining, and be financially burdensome. I had a conversation recently with a an artist who's talking about some of the weird financial gains that happen. Hey. Bring your stuff here. Sure.
Rob Lee:But at your expense. And it's like, okay.
Michael Carini:Hate to play situations and vanity galleries. Yeah. And there's a lot of deception and and, you know, there's people trying to manage and run the market the way so they can select it. Like so I get it. But, yeah, there's a it's easy to be led astray.
Rob Lee:And and I and I encounter it in in this where, you know, very very similar where I'm bucketed as an artist or or this or that, but, you know, it's sort of like, how are we gonna pay you, and how can we position you at the most advantageous way? So I find a lot of times it's like I show up, I invest, invest, invest. I sacrifice, if you will, and we'll get you on the back end. Sure. And it's just like, ah, but if I were a performer or I find that when me or let's say an artist that I'm thinking of when I have this this point comes with a very business mindset like here's a contract, Here's some deliverables.
Rob Lee:Here's some dates. Oh, no. No. We usually don't work in that way. But if you will, could you talk a little bit about some of those sacrifices that, you know, from your vantage point that you've made or you've you've heard of other artists that that make that just often we don't really think about?
Michael Carini:Do you mean more so in the artwork creation or in a in a different sense?
Rob Lee:In the artwork creation and even, you know, sort of, like, the promotion side of that full, like, trajectory, that full process. Because, you know, I'm talking about sort of the being out there and, like, how do you get your your stuff out there? You know, you might have to if you're working the a day job will have you. I gotta take this day off. I gotta do this event because it's good for my career.
Rob Lee:But, also, you know, if this microphone stops working, I gotta choose, like, alright. Mortgage is next week. What are we doing? And and thinking about how I'm gonna recalibrate some of those things. And I imagine, you know, sometimes people making choices on what am I eating versus do I have paint?
Michael Carini:Yeah. I've had to make that choice before. I mean, I mean, referring specifically to the artwork is Sure. You sacrifice the soul. You put your heart, your energy into the work.
Michael Carini:And I think that, again, if you are completely vulnerable in your work and you put whatever you're feeling into it, good, bad, whatever, a lot of artists talk about, oh, I have, creative block. I'm feeling depressed. I don't feel like creating. And they say, well, how do I get out of that? And I say, the truth is you're not gonna like the answers.
Michael Carini:You gotta get to work. You gotta do the thing. And the the easy way to do that or not easy way, but the easiest way to do that is to warm up your creative muscles the same way that you would warm up the body. So do a little light priming or some sanding or some color mixing. But whatever you're feeling, if you're feeling anxiety or blocked up, put that feeling of being blocked up in the work.
Michael Carini:And if you're honest, if you're vulnerable, if you put your soul in the work, there's value there. Will everybody see that? Absolutely not. But the right people will see you. And so I trust that if I tell the authentic story, make the authentic work, that eventually I will connect with the right people.
Michael Carini:Like, this past weekend at my exhibition, there was a young lady that came up to me. She said, my boyfriend has one of your works. He's moving to Chicago, and he's sending the piece there. And she showed me the piece. It was a piece that depicted an angel embracing a suicide victim at the moment of impact.
Michael Carini:So it was a very deep, dark piece, a lot of emotion, very intense piece that I created. And the guy that had it wanted his girlfriend to come say hi to me and wanted her to her to get a picture with me. And he felt so connected to the work, and he knew the story behind it. And so there were times recently where I questioned myself. I said, well, you know, does it maybe scare people away?
Michael Carini:Because when you think about work that's commercial friendly, people like stuff that's not threatening, stuff that's not gonna make them think too much. Stuff that's kind of like, secondary thought, it's passive. It's not anything that's gonna really turn their world upside down. And I make a lot of the work that will turn your world upside down if you're willing to dive into it. But, I have this understanding that not everybody will see it.
Michael Carini:There's a lot of people that go through life with blinders on, but I put the Easter eggs in there for the people that are willing to dive deeper, and I just trust in that process. But I it does, as you mentioned, there's a time where very recently I had to deal with the very real reality of me potentially being homeless because the market's been that bad. And I said, well, you know what? And that's why I was thinking about, well, do do I go get the minimum wage paying job? And I said, if I go get the minimum wage paying job, I will be stuck there forever, and I will still not be able to pay my bills.
Michael Carini:So if I'm still not gonna be able to pay my bills, I would rather quite literally die fighting for the thing that I want and that I believe in, and I will go out like that if I have to go out like that. And so I have had to choose at times, Am I going to buy the supplies and cut back on the amount of meals that I eat during the day? And there have been times that I did eat less because I had to choose between those things. There was a time that the only thing that I had was a journal that I could paint words in. I only had one guy.
Michael Carini:My black paint and I have my journal, and I couldn't afford to get anything else. And so for a while, that had to suffice for my creative outlet. I have an entire body of work that is essentially just my recycled paint palettes. And I created that collection, what I call my beautiful accidents collection based on the Japanese aesthetic of Wabi Sabi and Shibuya because there were times that I couldn't afford to get anything else. And so I had to create art out of what I had.
Michael Carini:And so a a number of times, I've had to adapt and find the creative solution to sustain and to survive. I've had to give up a lot of things. I've had to make a lot of difficult choices. I don't go out. I don't party.
Michael Carini:I don't do a lot of things that other people do. I have my schedule that is like I said, I do my social media. I go out. I do my workout. I come back, and I do the art thing.
Michael Carini:I am committed to the dream above anything else. And I've even told my partner in life that painting will always be my mistress. I will always put the art before anything else. And so I acknowledge that I cannot be the best partner in that regard. And I'm very honest and candid about that because I don't want to create problems for somebody else.
Michael Carini:And I wanna be honest about who I am and what my purpose is, what my calling is in this world and where the majority of my energy needs to go because people may come and go. And I have, at times, been on this journey and have tried to invest in that other thing, in those relationships, and had people suck me of my good energy because they love the romantic idea of the artist only to turn me on my head and leave me broken and have to rebuild. And so I said, for this reason, I need to make sure that I am always putting the art first. And so that is the that is a sacrifice that I make.
Rob Lee:It's a good point. And then, you know, because everything is a pop culture reference for me, Terence Fletcher would really appreciate you. A little
Michael Carini:whiplash reference Appreciate it. It's just a
Rob Lee:little whiplash reference in his 10th anniversary. Yeah. Yeah. I, you know, I I joke about it. I I I say this.
Rob Lee:I've said this a lot on the podcast before I move into this last question. I I just say, like, podcasting has been the most stable long term relationship I've ever been in. Yeah. And and it it is the key. It's it's a relationship.
Rob Lee:Like, sure, you know, there's a movement and stuff because, you know, it's never you know, it it it can it can be taxing. You could do all of those things, but it's always there. It's always there and, you know, being committed to it and and and sticking with it and putting it first, considering another person. They had to be real special. Like, I was touching on earlier of, like, I'm very mindful of where I put my time at.
Rob Lee:Yeah. But, you know, that situation, that person, whatever it is, has to be really special if I have something booked or if I'm doing something related to podcasting. You know, I travel for this. I'm doing events for this all to sort of move that needle, and that's the that's what's that's what's in front. And then everything else is just kinda like, alright.
Rob Lee:Everything else is gonna fall into place because this is set. That's the priority.
Michael Carini:And you have to you have to know who you are. You have to know what your purpose is, what your intent is. You have to move with intention. And I finally when I move with intention, that's when things open up. And then, yeah, you have to work the other things around it, but you will do things because they are your priority.
Michael Carini:And the things that you don't do, you can say what you wanna say. People have excuses, but if it's a priority, you do it. Simple as that. It is what it is.
Rob Lee:I I tried to do this thing. I've done it for a few different times because I'm I'm a shy extrovert. I I I had to realize that. Right? And I used to think I'm just an introvert.
Rob Lee:It's like, no. You get some energy from people. It's just like, but not everybody. And it's very, you know, at at times. Right?
Rob Lee:And, you know, it it was recent where my attendance was requested by multiple people in multiple places, all related to some work I've did. And it's just like, I can do a lot of stuff, you know, and I did a lot of interviews, and it was just like, hey. We want you to come out to this event you helped us promote. I was like, that's fine. That's great.
Rob Lee:But I just wanna be a recluse right now. I just wanna, like, let the let the beard draw, Alan Moore, that thing. And, you know, I don't wanna go to all of these things. But for me, you know, and maybe this is my my own little notion, but the notion of success in that regard is at least there's consideration. I I appreciate the invite.
Rob Lee:I'm probably not gonna show up because the format of alchemist is on, and I wanna rewatch. Like, what are we doing? So that's that's one of the things.
Michael Carini:Well, Well, for me as an artist, it's a blessing and a curse because I can get away with some stuff. Yeah. And and I joke with my partner about that. I'm like, you know, I don't know that it's good that I'm able to get away with certain things as an artist because I you know, I may lean into that, like, the idea of being myself. And, I mean, I I do the very serious stuff where I talk about mental health.
Michael Carini:I talk about suicide, but I also do a lot of joking stuff. And part of that's to kinda balance that out because it does get very dark very quickly. But I do some stuff where people might look at me and be like, this guy is out there. But, I mean, I get away with it because I'm an artist, and I figure, hey. We gotta shake things up.
Rob Lee:Yeah. It's it's it's sort of shaking what that status quo looks like, and I wanna be able to do that a bit more, like, as I think about where I'm refining what this is and, you know, as I shared, you know, before we started that, you know, trimming down sort of the amount that I'm doing. And it's not of of disinterest of this particular thing and this particular podcast. It's more of I'm interested in a litany of other things. Like, I wanna get back to the movie podcast.
Rob Lee:That's why I'm able to flex sort of those comedic and improvisational, like like, muscles or what have you, and really get into the weeds and nerd out on some stuff that I really enjoy and nerd out on the fandom side of things. And this is this is fun. This is always super enjoyable, but this is definitely structured in a way. The conversation piece is very fun. The things around it have more structure than, let's say, the movie podcast or just doing a screening and just, like, just connecting, you know, and in that way, it's it's something about that that I really, really dig.
Rob Lee:And, you know, not having an expectation. They kinda touching on what you were saying about, I can kinda do a little bit of this, a little bit of that. I can do a little bit of everything. It that's the thing that that's that's freedom. It's not having a governor on you.
Rob Lee:You know what I mean? It's just like, oh, well, I'm gonna do this. This is this is what I wanna do.
Michael Carini:Well, since you mentioned the movie podcast, I need your advice. So the thing I do every Tuesday as part of my mental health routine is I go to the movies because it's only $7. So I need your input on what I should see today.
Rob Lee:I am very tempted to see the substance.
Michael Carini:You know what? That's what I was leaning towards. It's at 5 o'clock, so I was I was leaning towards that. I was I was either gonna see that or I was gonna go see Deadpool and Wolverine for a second time just because I figured, you know what? I can kinda turn the brain off, and already seen it.
Michael Carini:So if I kinda miss stuff, it's not a big deal. But I have heard good things about the substance, so I was kinda like, maybe I should go see that.
Rob Lee:Yes. That's probably the move. That's probably the move. But I'm gonna I'm gonna let you I'm gonna let you get to it. I don't wanna hold you up any longer, so I'm gonna hit you with this last question.
Rob Lee:And the the last real question, I got 4 4 rapid fire questions for you, but here's the first one. Hey. Well, here's the the last real question. This is more of a summation because there's a lot of jewels that have been dropped doing this podcast, and this is, you know, one side of the things that you're you're known for. You're known for your art, but you're known for your insight.
Rob Lee:So what advice would you give artists that are trying to, like, navigate sort of their their creative path, a very unique creative path? Like, I'm doing something very original. Yeah. I'm doing something that has to sacrifice. I'm doing something that might be dark and is definitely not for everyone.
Rob Lee:What advice would you share?
Michael Carini:It it really comes down to finding yourself. And so with the content that I do, sometimes I may come across ridiculous. Sometimes it may seem stupid. Sometimes it may seem insightful. But it's just me kinda sharing the totality of who I am and putting myself out there.
Michael Carini:And I think that some people are connecting with that. Not everybody. I'm not for the masses. I don't think I don't think that I'll ever go super viral because I just don't think that who I am, and I don't think that's my place. But it's about finding yourself and being authentic to yourself.
Michael Carini:And it is okay if you don't know who you are because I've been on this journey for a long time, and I'm still figuring out who I am, and I'm still changing. And I wanna tell people that even when I give advice, I always tell people, when I give you advice, what I'm saying is not right or wrong. I'm just sharing my own story. So my truth is not gonna be your truth. So maybe I share something and you said, well, I don't agree with that.
Michael Carini:Well, I can still help you and that that lets you know what you don't want. So, I think there are too many influences out there and there's too much BS and people pretending about, oh, take this formula. And and there's a lot of videos about how to just go viral, but it's going viral for the sake of going viral and there's no actual content that's being created. And I like to let people know. 1st and foremost, for me, I'm an artist over a content creator.
Michael Carini:And I think that if you just get back to the connection and being yourself, that you will find the right people. And, I understand the draw of numbers and going viral in in that validation, but that validation is fleeting that it passes. And until you find that within, you'll never really be happy. And I still struggle with that, so I can't say that I'm happy all the time. I struggle big time with that.
Michael Carini:But I'm honest about it, and I hope to help some people.
Rob Lee:That's that's a really good point, and I'll I'll close on my 2¢ on that because I relate to that in in the last year being able to do the education thing and and and teaching young young young whippersnappers in the podcasting space, you know, it's just like, just do something that feels like it's for you. Don't don't do the influencer thing. That's like, how many goofy entrapment, you know, and entanglement podcasts entanglement's the word. How many entanglement podcasts about Will Smith and Jada Pinkett were there in 2021? Don't don't do the thing.
Rob Lee:Be topical if that's what you're doing, but don't do something for the clicks or you know? And and and sometimes it's just like, he's gotta be straight up and down about don't do it for chasing the bag. Do something that matters to you and the bag will come, quote, unquote, or whatever that success metric will come. But sometimes the success metric is being able to do it and still being interested in doing it and enjoying the the hustle and the grind of doing it versus, well, you know, I hate what I do, but at least it went viral. That that who can't you still gotta do it.
Michael Carini:This is And people may not support you on the journey. Your friends may not support you. Your family may not support you, but you, at the end of the day, have to decide who you are because you have to live with yourself. And can you live with yourself? Will you be happy with who you have become and what you have done?
Michael Carini:It's a
Rob Lee:good point, and that's where and that's where we're closing the real questions. Alright. Here's the rapid fire portion. This is the portion where everyone gets nervous. You're not nervous.
Rob Lee:You're a cool cucumber over there, so you're good.
Michael Carini:I'm not nervous, but I feel like you might go, like, total curveball where this is something that I'm not at all expecting. But it is what it is. I mean, hey. That's the fun stuff. So if I get stumped, I get stumped.
Rob Lee:No. You're gonna be good. You're gonna be good. These are all questions you can answer. Everyone could be.
Rob Lee:Oh, here here's the first one. You mentioned earlier remember whenever it's it's like an alert. Whenever someone mentions Ninja Turtles, I gotta ask them, who's your turtle?
Michael Carini:Raphael because he's got the attitude.
Rob Lee:Okay. See, again, this is this is why we're connecting here. See, when I was younger, it was Leonardo. When I became an adult, it was Rafael. If you ask my brother, he was like, you were just both.
Michael Carini:And I was
Rob Lee:like, and bump his. He was like, exactly. Here's the next one. See, that was a very easy one. Here's the next one.
Rob Lee:What's one tool or material you couldn't you you could not create without I that's worded weirdly, but it's one material tool that you need to create that is just like, I can't do this without this one tool?
Michael Carini:Soul. The greatest tool you can have is soul.
Rob Lee:Love it. If your art had a soundtrack, what song would play on repeat?
Michael Carini:Oh, Jesus. That it kinda changes by the day, but I'm really kind of into the hip hop stuff. Yeah. Like that. And not like the mainstream hip hop, more of the underground hip hop type stuff with some substance to it.
Rob Lee:Okay. Alright. And, this is this is this is one since you're out there in in in Cali, in San Diego, you're based there. What is a surprising place or even a moment that you found inspiration that has shown up in your work?
Michael Carini:I can't so what I'm I'm gonna answer this in kind of a weird way. I'm gonna say the zoo. Okay. And the reason being is that the zoo is my comfort place. It's where I like to go, and I'm able to kind of ground myself and find myself a lot of times.
Michael Carini:I'm so close here. I'll go over there, and I'll just walk around for, like, 30 minutes like a person would normally go for, like, a evening walk type thing. And I I love animals. I know some of the animals at the zoo by name. And so it's just my place that I'm able to find myself and kind of get back to me.
Rob Lee:Yeah. That was good. That was good. Yeah. I I had one.
Rob Lee:I I walk everywhere. And, when it comes to mind and it turned into a question, that same day, I was in Austin the first time I got paid to leave Baltimore to do interviews in a different city. And I was just like, okay. There's some legs here. I like this, and it wasn't even the money thing.
Rob Lee:It was a validation marker, but it was one of those things of, I'm curious about this, and I'm gonna do it regardless. It'd be nice to be paid to do it, but I don't really care about it because the plane ticket is already booked. And while, you know, I'm just kinda exploring, going to coffee shops, and all of that different stuff, I have to be looking at a bumper sticker. It's a 106 degrees. It's dumb hot.
Rob Lee:And I see this bumper sticker that reads, artist the new magic. And I immediately pulled up my notepad, which I always have on me, usually an ugly book or something like that, and I wrote it down. And I was just like, this is gonna be an insight for a question. And I did it I was down there to do, I think, 4 or 5 interviews, and that showed up in 2 interviews to that question. And it was just like, that's inspiration.
Rob Lee:That's an observation. There's something that showed up, and I can do that through line. If I wasn't walking here, I wouldn't have had that question.
Michael Carini:Yeah. Absolutely. It's powerful too.
Rob Lee:Absolutely. Well, that's kind of it. I think we covered a lot of ground. We got we got deep. We got in there.
Rob Lee:So there's 2 things I wanna do. I wanna thank you for coming on and spending some time with me. This has truly been a pleasure. I mean, it's it's always always cool to connect. We got some overlap there, sir, so we'll we'll be talking.
Rob Lee:And, and 2, I wanna invite and encourage you to share with the listeners where they can check you out, check out your work, social media, website, all of that good stuff. The floor is yours.
Michael Carini:I'm pretty easy to find. You can look me up by the name Michael Carini, c a r I n I, also Carini Arts. I am acrylic alchemy on Instagram and Carini Arts on Facebook. Hey. I'm also on OnlyFans because you gotta do what you gotta do.
Michael Carini:It's I'm only PG 13, but, hey. When I first started my page, I can't tell you how many people clicked on that wondering what I was doing there. So I'm on like, hey. As an artist, you gotta get creative. I do the stuff that people are afraid to do.
Michael Carini:I do my own thing. I am unapologetic about it. I got some cool shirts. I got some artist support content. So just check out my Linktree, and you can find me, join me on this journey.
Rob Lee:And there you have it, folks. I wanna again thank Michael Carini for coming on to the podcast, the acrylic alchemist, for spending some time with us today. And for Michael Carini, I'm Rob Lee saying that there's art, culture, and community in and around your neck of the woods. You've just gotta look for it.
