We had the good fortune of connecting with Ian Steele and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ian, what inspires you?
Stories, fictional or not. Primarily experiences and the experiences that I can picture from stories told to me by others. It’s like reading a book of fiction, you sit there reading while your mind expands and immerses itself into a whole new universe. Living experiences was something I never had the opportunity to do much in my youth. I got to see friends and occasionally travel if my family could afford to do so. It just wasn’t in my cards, so what really inspires me is hearing the experiences others offer to tell so I can dive my mind into their life and see through their eyes. As I grow older, I am starting to get out there and experience things for myself which is just adding in such a positive way to the things that inspire me. It’s really fun to draw creativity from these stories, even if they’re as simple as a friend going out for the night, or staying in.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is my music and the projects I work on within the entertainment field. I create music that fits who I am and my emotions. A lot of the time to me, it feels like my emotions speak the best through my art, much better than I could ever articulate them into regular spoken words. What really sets me apart from others in my field is my attitude towards success and my acceptance that there is never a wrong way to do something when it comes to art. Honestly, where I am today is entirely due to education and the mentorship of others. As I grew up and started learning more from the influence of others and their stories, I began to see that there is no real golden ticket. I was told that the closest thing to a golden ticket was hard work and education, which was the worst answer to tell a kid who wanted to be the next rock star. The more you learn and the harder you work, you still won’t have a golden ticket. However, if you truly put in the work, you’ll start to see more regular tickets to destinations that you never knew you could want. When I found out that music was the path for me, I buried myself in work and education. I attended meetings, talked to anyone who would share, and took classes to expand my knowledge of the music industry just so I could be a part of it. This isn’t hard, but it’s never easy. Time is the most precious currency we have as humans, and I have spent a large portion of my time just listening. That’s time I wished I could have been working on my art that I’ll never get back, but I am happy with the end result. What I am most proud of and excited about is that I am finally taking off my student hat, and getting to dive back into my art and what makes me happy. I’ve been to and completed college twice in different fields and I have learned a lot on that journey, I can’t wait to share it with who ever would like to listen. What I want the world to know about my brand is that I am happy with what I do and I hope that I can help them in some way with whatever they have going on in their life.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Denver is an amazing place, and there is so much to do and see here. If it’s a week-long trip you would definitely fill it by seeing the classic tourist spots like the museum of art and the Santa Fe art district. However, the real culture in Denver is the people and local artists that support it. Every night we could hit a different spot, not in any particular order, but just go and see what amazing talent Denver has to offer. Lions Lair, The Marquis, Cervantes the Otherside, or Ophelias. All of them are sweet, and can definitely have a good time. Additionally, food in the RiNo and 5 Points part of town is always a must. CoraFaye’s Cafe is my current favorite and a must.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Dave Kennedy. It’s crazy to me to think about what my life would look like without Dave. He’s my mentor, friend, and idol. Ever since we met when I was just a kid, he’s always had nothing but encouragement for me. He believes in me and I can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for my life.

Website: thisiseastlin.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisiseastlin/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-steele-b487b747/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thisiseastlin/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisiseastlin/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjjymFtPYLkG5PlcTU-RLgA

Image Credits
Photos by Jon Steele and Tori Enyart

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.