426 - kaNO

Self made artist, character designer, and animator kaNO brings his east coast mindset to teach you kids a thing or two about aiming your hustle in the right direction. From selling drug dealers his art to permalancing at Warner Bros. Animation kaNO has experienced more aspects of the art world than some do in three lifetimes of work. The through line across his career is that kaNO has never forgotten the value his creativity brings to each project. His own work has validated that time and time again and separates him from a slew of other artists punching in and checking out. Across any day job he’s ever chosen to take, kaNO was always advancing his own career by finding the fire escapes and open windows wherever he was that lead him into the next opportunity and if you listen closely you'll recognize that this type of focused intensity is what it takes to succeed like kaNO has.

Talking Points

• Will you still be a kid at 60?
• The alter ego of kaNO and working at Warner Bros.
• Retaining your artistic value by building your own world.
• Using you day job as a Kickstarter for choosing what will shape the rest of your career.
• Fluidity and linework that use textures as a contrast.
• Finding the beauty in the struggle and holding onto it.
• How having less time keeps you motivated when you do have it and the benefit of surrounding yourself with like minded, motivated people.
• Aiming your hustle in the right direction.
• Are Uncles cooler than Dads (the definitive guide)?
• Licensed To Ill's important role in both Mark and kaNO's childhood.
• Selling to drug dealers.
• Homemade nunchucks and being raised by TV.
• Getting in where you fit in and focusing the vague definition of artist.
• Our parents mentality on college and finding a career in creativity.
• kaNO's animation career and injecting your style when you can.
• Venture Bros. shop talk.
• Intentionally permalancing or signing on as an employee.
• Pop culture gets pushed by social media to keep up.
• Putting out the work and expanding your network.
• Always read the plaque.
• Getting a better rate by learning to pitch.
• Climbing the ladder isn't the only way up a building.
• Using ideas over budgets and understanding how people will relate to what you're making.
• Adding value to something that's worthless.
• Painful price points to gain appreciation.
• Putting yourself in bed with Nike and chasing what you want.
• The importance of having your own space to create.
• Being financially and emotionally bulletproof.
• Recognizing what you bring to the table.