ATHLETE 2 ARTIST
After a career ending injury, Blake McFarland retired from the Blue Jays and went full hustle on visual art.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI
Context is really important in my life, especially in relation to “happiness” and “success”. I was eager to find out more about both of these concepts and how art intersects these issues for others. In the spirit of this, I decided to dive into the deep end and go to Art Prize to interview hundreds of artists inside the Mobile Incubator.
I left the smallest airport I have ever been in, and when I landed in Grand Rapids, the airport was bigger than the one I’d left, but still not much more than one building really. It had a beautiful glass covered area to wait for my ride in the Mobile Incubator. Through that grand viewing area I saw a vintage ambulance with a lightning bolt on its side coming around the corner. To see the lights, the chrome, all of that coming at me, and the beaming face of Lucas as he drove up to the curb is something that I will always have burned into my memory.
Our first stop was the Convention Center to open the Mobile Incubator, and it turns out that night was the opening reception for all the artists and everyone would soon be walking right past us. I had a small microphone on my phone and seized the moment to ask people while they were coming in why they chose to come to Art Prize and why they support art. Over the next few days, we would ask more intense questions and form our “Question of the Day” series about art.
The Mobile Incubator was just outside a set of windows where a large anatomical sculpture made of tires towered over trash and debris. It was commanding, uplifting, and looked over me during those first few interviews. I learned that the artist was a retired baseball pitcher turned artist, and I would get a chance to speak with him the very next day.
The sculpture was made by Blake Mcfarland from San Jose, CA. Blake is a retired baseball player for the Blue Jays who’s turned into a full hustle artist for Goodyear, Lululemon, and arenas across the US. I was intrigued by his ability to adapt with the world. And I knew I had to sit and chat with him. Blake has empathy for recycling materials and changing something into a more purposeful creation. He has a surprisingly relaxed attitude to adversity, and a willingness to start something new.
The big lesson from Blake is that even if one career is cut short, you can take your time management and discipline into anything. Every season, Blake never knew whether he’d be cut, injured, or just not make the team for reasons outside his control, but regardless he always showed up for practice, and now he always shows up to his studio.
Just like he showed up for ArtPrize.
- Jes Thayer, August 13, 2018
DOCU-SHORT
PODCAST
DISCUSSION
Blake had to start over in a totally new career, but he brought an athlete’s mindset around time management to his art career.
Q: What have you learned about time management from other jobs that you can bring to your creative business?
One of the most important habits Blake had as an athlete was waking up early to work out. As an artist, one of his habits was promoting his work, whether over social media or going door to door dropping off flyers.
Q: Besides creativity, what are the most important things that you have to get done?