Meet Tyler Hearn | Creative Enthusiast & Operations Leader

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

Hi Tyler, how do you define success?
My view of success has changed as I have aged, as I can imagine is similar with others, but I also think and hope my definition continually evolves as I continue to grow. Early on in my life, I thought success was solely quantitative, and money was a direct contributor to success. The more money you have, the more things you can have, obviously means the more happiness and success you have, right?

While some successes can be measured quantitatively, my definition of success today, is almost entirely qualitative. To be successful, I want to feel that I am making a difference for myself, others, my family and friends, my pets, animals, people I don’t know, the planet, and so much more. I feel successful if I impact others for the better and I feel successful if I make decisions to better myself. I want to go out of my way to inherently change others positively – in one interaction, for a measurable period of time, or over the course of a lifetime. Ultimately my success is defined by how impactful I am during my time here.

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.
I am a tactile person, and always want to keep my hands busy, whether with traditional fine arts, crafts, wood working, gardening, yard work, building furniture, and more. My passion for art and creativity started at a young age. Growing up, I was keenly aware that my mom was a great illustrator and artist, who would doodle and sketch any chance she got, and that passion never faltered.

I too loved coloring and sketching growing up, but in high school, I had the chance to dive into ceramics and realized that I found what I loved most – working in the 3D space. I followed through in college where I originally went to major in biology and for a split-second thought about some sort of medical career, when I quickly changed to sculpture. I earned a BFA in Sculpture from the University of Colorado, Denver, and have never looked back.

While I jumped into software, marketing, and advertising after college, and currently continue working in that space, I always have tried to carve out the space to be creative in my daily life. I am slowly but surely pushing that into a career for myself now with my developing brand.

I consider myself a curious creative – I always want to learn new skills, techniques, and practices. I have a history of traditional art – painting, sculpture, ceramics, along with more craft driven skills like knitting and sewing, in addition to newer practices like digital illustration. I love all mediums and want to continue to learn new skills. Even more so, I want to share what I know, with anyone who wants to learn. I am an avid believer that everyone has a creative bone in their body. Even if you aren’t ever going to be a professional artist, chef, or carpenter, using your creativity is such a powerful way to learn more about yourself and hone in on skills and parts of yourself which you may not have known existed.

I hope to grow my brand and business one day to include workshops and trainings for all skill levels, to build a community of creatives. Keep an eye out on The Waking Walrus!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Week long trip…well we would be driving all over – starting in the mountains for sure. I would head up to some of the best spots that are a close-ish drive from Denver – Silverthorne, Frisco, Breckenridge, then shoot up to Steamboat Springs and take in the sites. Steamboat has an awesome alpine botanic garden that you can walk through, and we would have to get some food at either Bésame – a fantastic Spanish restaurant, or Salt & Lime for some tacos and tequila.

In Denver, we would have to hit up the Denver Art Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art, along with Denver Botanic Gardens, and wander the cool shops of South Broadway. Places that I love to eat in Denver include: Parsley & Bailey, City O’ City, Watercourse, Shish Kabob, Historian’s, or some great food trucks like Mu Denver, The Vegan Van, or Wong Way Veg.

Depending on how much time we have – heading to some National Parks like Rocky Mountain, and The Great Sand Dunes are always on the top of my list for visitors. There is so much to do and see, I would want to give a tour of the entire front range and mountains if possible!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that deserve some credit and recognition in my story – and while there are too many to name, I do want to specifically name a few. First and foremost are my parents, without whom I wouldn’t be where I am today. My mom is the emotional creative people-pleaser, while my dad is the pragmatic, sensible man with an insatiable wanderlust. What does that make me – an emotional people-pleasing creative pragmatist? Not sure if there is such a thing, but I will say that they are two opposite sides of the coin, which has always given me a wide gamut of perspective, which I have always appreciated. They have also always pushed me to do what makes me happy – bottom line, and for that and too many other reasons, I am so fortunate.

In addition, I have to callout my dear friend Nikki, who gave me this shoutout. We met years ago when she moved to Colorado, and have been connected ever since. I like to call her my hippie friend in the mountains, because she’s just that ray of sunshine and positive energy that helps to recharge my soul.

Others include my closest friends and family: my partner Jason for always supporting me even when I destroy the garage or house with another new idea or creative endeavor, my friends – Nick, Mercy, Vanessa, Allison – they are always the most supportive crew who push me to pursue more, do more, and achieve everything I want. They are my partners in crime and life, and I wouldn’t want to navigate it without any of them. There are so many others, and while I can’t name them all, each one of the people I have had in my life over the years has helped me become who I am today. Thank you all!

Website: https://thewakingwalrus.com/

Instagram: @thewakingwalrus

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