Meet Richard Banfield | Artist, author, advisor and product builder

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

Hi Richard, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I started my first business it was less a thought process and more a gut feeling. Since I was a kid, the idea of creating things was attractive to me. I’m more of a maker than a consumer. Through my teens I was a prolific artist and loved creative activities like LEGO and building BMX tracks in the open fields behind out house. A business felt like an extension of that generative mindset. My first business was making t-shirts.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My current art work has been deeply informed by the recent passing of my wife. She showed us what it means to be fragile and strong at the same time. A concept we’ve learned to call antifragile. Kristy’s struggle with cancer is a case of antifragility that’s very close to home. Our experience with cancer is that it’s a thief. It steals your time. It steals your connections to the things you love. It steals your sense of normalcy. It steals the opportunities to go out into the world and be with friends, or just spend time in nature. It makes you feel invisible. But behind this invisibility is a fighting spirit. A tireless desire to be seen and heard through the veil of the noise of the disease. I hope to capture that antifragility and resilience in my paintings. I’m also donating a portion of every print sale to cancer research and care through the Pan-Mass Challenge. This organization connects my artwork to real improvements in cancer treatment.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
This might be a little counterintuitive, but exploring cities should be a little pointless. Having an agenda or a specific place to go can blind you to the amazing restaurant, shop or experience that is right under your nose. Boulder has so many hidden secrets that need to be discovered with a sense of wonder. As the algorithms optimize for the places that have the most money or the best social media expert, a lot of the most interesting places get lost in the shuffle. Instead of a list of favorite places, I recommend walking or riding around and following your nose to the thing that get your attention. Get lost!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow, as a 53 year old the list of people I’d like to recognize is very long. Most important on that list would be my dad. he was an entrepreneur who showed me that you just needed a little grit and courage to make something happen. He believed in himself and that made a big impression on a small shy kid like me. My dad is almost 80 years old now and he still works, writes and hits the gym every day.

Website: www.richardbanfieldart.com

Instagram: richardmbanfield

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardbanfield/