Category: Artist at Work

Artist at Work

Top Ten Reasons NBCUniversal Should Bring Me Aboard as a Creative Team Member

Grand Providentia United

#10 – I align with well-established principles of resourcefulness and live according to a conservational philosophy grounded in efficacy and accountability.

In 2008, when I first moved into the Sarasota Industrial Park, I discovered that an architectural design company had recently moved out and that they’d discarded a large quantity of medium-density foam blocks. I considered it a boon and carted the best pieces back to the S.M.art studio to use on sculptural armatures. As a result of my resourcefulness, it was never necessary to buy block-foam during my 11 years in business.

#9 – I prefer to focus on cooperation over competition. I find fulfillment in working with others toward shared successes.

At the peak of our productivity at Moore Art Expressions there were ten of us working enthusiastically for a common cause. A shared dedication to individual expressions of creativity became a unifying force among us and the results were clearly evident in the aesthetic impact of the projects we produced.

#8 – I consistently prioritize the improvement of my communication skills. Whether I’m communicating verbally, visually, or via written correspondence, I strive to be clear and concise with the messages I send.

As a visual artist and an entrepreneur of modest means, I’ve found it necessary to build my own brand, ring my own bell, and organize and direct promotional events from start to finish. I’ve come to realize that this is business as usual for individual artists who venture to make a living by way of their calling. Through practice fueled by necessity, I’ve become proficient in this area of artistic expression.

#7 – As a child I was introduced to industry standards and protocols, blueprints, and schematic drawings by my father, who began his career as a mechanical draftsman and later transitioned to digital drafting as CAD became the standard in the industry.

Out of high school, I landed a job at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, CT. My father was a marine draftsman there and my maternal grandfather and uncle worked there as well. For three years I installed pipe hanging systems on Trident submarines following blueprints and adhering to tight procedural tolerances and requirements. Sketches, plans and standards ultimately became a familiar language woven through my work experience in the arts and the skilled trades. This familiarity made the transition from real-world sculpting into 3D modeling and animation much less intimidating given the XYZ orientation system used in computer graphics.

#6 – I’ve been employed by private individuals, small businesses, large corporations and non-profit organizations. Through the years, I’ve regularly asked myself one simple ethical question when it comes to working for others to earn a living – ‘If I were paying myself for the work I do, would I be completely satisfied with the performance or would I be left wanting more for my money?

It’s not about working hard, but about working smart and nurturing a positive attitude. I’ve labored in some relatively difficult industries under leadership that wasn’t always beneficent or even fair, but at the end of each workday I always ask myself if I feel good about my performance. There’s always room for improvement, so I try not to judge myself too harshly. Rather, I just keep moving forward.

#5 – For a total of twelve years, I worked in logistics, driving various types of heavy equipment used in warehousing. For another 17 years, I worked as a skilled laborer in industrial manufacturing facilities and on construction sites. As one might expect, I’m well versed in occupational safety programs and best practices.

I’ve never been seriously injured on the job, and I don’t expect I ever will be. I practice mindfulness and invariably aim to stay present and aware in the workplace. When it comes to safety, I strive to lead by example.

#4 – A sizable portion of the work I’ve done in the arts has been done in the capacity of “ghost artist”. I’m still being asked to sign NDAs on occasion, but clients who know me well recognize the amount of respect I have for trademarks, copyrights and intellectual properties. For me, discretion is paramount when it comes to working for other artists and creative enterprises.

More often than not, the artists and organizations that I’ve worked for have been generous in their willingness to recommend me to others and also in allowing me to use images of the projects we’ve collaborated on as promotional materials in career development. These are a few of the clients and associates who trusted in my discretion when it came to these matters.

#3 – In a holistic way, I see myself as a ‘Practitioner’. In my experience, the cycles of learning, mastering and teaching are ongoing and perpetually evolving. I moved beyond the delusions of perfectionism long ago.

For me, one of the most exhilarating features of creativity is found in witnessing the progression of individual art projects. Equally exciting though, is promoting the evolution of artistic aptitudes in others and encouraging their mastery over materials and processes.

#2 – At this moment in my artistic evolution there is only one place for me to move up to – my heart keeps insisting that the one place is NBCUniversal. I would love to take part in manifesting the magic Universal Pictures has been delivering with their films and in their theme parks for more than a century.

Timeline of films by Universal Pictures that have influenced my life in the arts:
1) Three years after this fourth-grade photo was taken, “Jaws” was released. With some whining persuasion, my parents agreed to take me to see it in the theater. A jaw dropping audio/visual adventure to say the least!
2) The year of my high school graduation I saw the “Blues Brothers” in that same theater. I’m still proclaiming that “I’m on a mission from God” on rare occasions.
3) This photo represents 4 generations of Moore’s and includes my son Christopher at 18 months. A couple years after it was taken, Universal released “Jurassic Park”. Watching that awe-inspiring film in the theater convinced me to apply to the BFA Computer Animation program at the Ringling College of Art and Design.
4) The year “Twister” was released I entered the animation program at RCAD. Our young family visited the Universal Orlando Resort many times during the following years. “Twister… Ride it Out” was one of my personal favorites at the park.
5) In 2023, my first year at the Savannah College of Art and Design, I saw “Oppenheimer” at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival. This epic film was the icing on the cake for me. I knew without a doubt I needed to find a way into the Universe of Talent at NBCUniversal.

And here it is! The #1 reason why NBCUniversal should bring me aboard as a creative team member –

#1 – I’ve been preparing myself physically, intellectually and spiritually for a position at NBCUniversal throughout my entire life, and more specifically since I graduated with an MFA in Film and Television from SCAD in June of last year. I have an unwavering confidence that the Talent Acquisition Team at Universal will place me where I’ll be of the greatest value to the organization. I’m ready, willing and over the top excited to start the next leg of my artistic journey within the Universal cosmos of creativity.

I’ve been reading the fantastic press releases about all the amazing projects in development around the globe, and each and every one of them has been stoking the fires of my passion to build new worlds. I’m fully fueled and ready to launch into a creative career at NBCUniversal!

Artist at Work

Just Add Resources!

Grand Providentia United

Investment Fuels the Fires of Invention

Historically, artistic endeavor has been commissioned and supported by those who have access to the necessary resources to transform subjective ideas into objective realities. Having owned and operated two commercial art businesses over the course of 11 years and having funded both businesses primarily through income generated by the art projects I was able to secure and produce, I’ve certainly learned to appreciate the value of capital investment. During those years, I regularly found myself funding the most recent projects with the balance payments from the projects most recently completed. This way of conducting business requires constant hustle and affords very limited time for enjoyment of the process. As an artist who truly appreciates the learning curve that leads to the mastery of materials and processes, I can say without hesitation that I prefer to work with ample and appropriate resources on hand.

“It takes money to make money!”, they say, and I would definitely agree with them, but I’d also add that it takes a number of other equally important resources to grow a profitable business. In my experience, the most valuable resource of all, is the human one. A creative team might have all the time and money it needs to produce a successful outcome, but if the members of that team lack the skillsets, talents and initiative needed, the project could quickly fall to pieces… and there’s certainly no profit in that.

Attitude is everything in all areas of human endeavor. When it comes to creative industries, having the right teammates can transmute the outcome of a concept or project from average to extraordinary in a heartbeat. To see Moore process photos and descriptions, just click over to the portfolio page on this site – https://grandprovidentiaunited.blog/art-gallery/
Through the process of conceptualizing and producing the thesis film “Third Eye from the Sun” and writing a thesis paper to support the film, I learned the importance of maintaining the personal initiative to see a project through to its fruition against all odds. The challenges were many, but the will to succeed overcame all obstacles. Here’s a link to “Third Eye from the Sun” – https://vimeo.com/1097614638/d48cb9a6d3?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

I’ve learned to acknowledge and embrace my personal value as a human resource as well. I’ve been practicing creativity in all the affairs of this lifetime since I was a toddler. I believe that I’ve sufficiently earned the privilege to publicly affirm the positive contributions I’ve made to the arts and culture through my continued dedication to the field. I regularly celebrate victories, both minor and magnificent, and I look to the future with high expectations of what’s to come. Past accomplishments and achievements are water under the bridge, but they are also steppingstones that have brought me to ever increasing personal fulfillment. And as for the many challenges and learning experiences I’ve weathered, they’ve only further enhanced my appreciation for a well-executed art project.

Perhaps the most important feature of the human resource is the mind. Original thoughts and ideas, inspired visions, and authentic concepts have the power to transform the mediocre into the miraculous. The perceived value of a masterfully crafted work of art is arrived at by consensus. Humankind has evolved a highly sophisticated sense of aesthetic appraisal which subsequently leads to an assigned price tag. Growing up in Hope, Rhode Island, I never thought much about getting rich or being famous, but I did dream about making powerful art; art that would inspire positive change in the world. Over the decades, that dream has transformed into a clear understanding of my higher purpose in this world, as a human being and as a creator of visual art which rises above and moves beyond the expected.

I’m sure there are those who would assume that I’ve come to some kind of high point in my artistic career; that I’ve used up my allotment of inventiveness and burned through my conceptual storehouse of fresh ideas. Well, from where I’m standing, I see only a multitude of creative peaks I’ve yet to scale, and the only reason I’d agree to look away or back down would be if I were asked to compromise my artistic integrity for a paycheck. That’s a form of regret I refuse to invite to the dinner table. Intellectually, I’m ready to raise the bar and bring ideas to life, whether I’m employed by an established organization or I’m founding another startup. I’ve always been careful to encourage the work of my unbounded imagination, and I intend to continue dreaming and realizing those dreams until I can imagine no more. It may sound strange, but in mind and spirit, I feel like I’m just starting out.

When I was a child, I regularly experienced the sensation that my hands were expanding until they broke free of the confines of my bedroom and spread outwards to the world at large. Of course, I could see that they weren’t actually expanding, I knew it was all in my head. But that “knowing” didn’t quell the feelings of awe I experienced whenever this sensation took hold on my spirit. Retrospectively, I can imagine that my hands were symbolically signaling the desire to create something out of nothing.

In the assessment of my value as a human resource, I’ve found it necessary to make an honest appraisal of my physical abilities and the health of this body that my mind and spirit inhabit. I’m pleased and grateful to report that I feel more robust and energetic now than I have since my mid-forties. When the pandemic surged into reality in 2020, I decided it was time to start taking the responsibility for my own health and welfare much more seriously. I initiated a daily routine of stretching and calisthenics followed by a brisk 3–5-mile walk. I started reading the labels of the foods I was eating, eventually cutting out high fructose, GMOs and chemical additives. I buy organic when it’s available and prefer to prepare meals fresh rather than buying processed ingredients or factory prepared frozen dinners. I haven’t resorted to vegetarianism yet, but I do try to buy ethically sourced meats and eggs, thus avoiding the factory farmed alternatives. I’ve allowed my intuition, and the signals that my body sends me, to be the guides when I’m making choices between what’s healthy and unhealthy. I’ve learned to trust in the process of authentic living, knowing that I’m the creator of my own reality.