"what's the difference between the person who fails and the person who only succeeds?" @popdesil123

Dear Diary,

My name is Ethan Young, I’m a Fine studio artist based in Georgia. 

Varied, portraiture, playful. The three words I’d use to describe my style.

My favorite part of the process of creating has to be jumping into a material, style, or theme I’ve never tried head-on. Often, when I discover something new, I don’t sit back and take it slow; I dive right in and start a full project with it.

"Stop and Go" by Ethan Young. Used with permission.

In August of last year, I discovered glass casting, and better yet, a glass company with little to no publishing on how to work the material. Instead of running a few tests to hone in on the quirks of the process, I started a full-scale casting portrait

following the full lost wax process. I find that I get the best experience in learning a new material from failing in the process, and then having to troubleshoot. Not only does it help me find where my intuition or preliminary knowledge fails, or lets me get the most hands-on experience in the process, but it also lets me discover a number of ways to fix common issues that come up in a process that someone who's only played it safe may never know. Those discoveries let me push past my limits and create art I wouldn't have been able to if I played it safe.

Some of the artists that inspire my craft today are the ones I see finding success or posting their art on social media. Today, we get to see artists like Camilla Salina, Andrew Cadima, and Jessica Roveredo, where the internet has given these artists a platform for their honest creative expression without having to perform for the algorithm. They inspire me to keep creating art that's true to my voice.

"Glass Cleaner" by Ethan Young. Used with permission.

One of my favorite pieces has to be "Glass Cleaner". It's a Gelli Print in a hypergraphic style where I've simplified an image to CYMK components, and it was made in the middle of a snow storm. In Georgia, we don't often get snow. Cold rain, yes, snow, no. So in January of 2025, when Georgia shut down for weeks due to ongoing snowstorms, and I had art projects due, I had to figure out something. I had taken home a Gelli Plate before and had a stash of acrylic paint built up, but the only printer at my house was an inkjet, which would not work for the process. So, I had to brave the storm and drive miles out to my local print show with my flash drive in hand, AND... the flash drive died. I had to get my dad on the phone and teach him how to use Photoshop 2025, and then email me the files I need. After all that, I drove back home and started the print. And then I pulled a bad print, and then another bad print, and another until I ran through all my copies without a single good print. SO, I had to go all the way back with a new flash drive, brave the storm, and start that whole process over again in the middle of Georgia's worst snowstorm in decades. 

My advice? Never stop trying or failing. You'll hear from every single artist ever to fail and to keep trying, but they'll never really tell you why or how. Sure, failure is a step in learning, and without trying, you won't ever grow, but what's the difference between the person who fails and the person who only succeeds? The person who tries and fails will be guaranteed more opportunities than the person who never does. People who try and fail won't fall over when they are told no over and over again. They'll keep trying and keep reaching until they find the time when they're told yes. The person who only succeeds without failure is timid in the face of failing, and when they do fail, they'll failll hard and take a while to recollect themselves.

Until then,

Ethan

Featured image credit: "Can I Get One Ticket to the Adult Movie for One Big Adult Please" by Ethan Young. Used with permission.