About Today’s Subject:
Jeff Finley
Creator of: Weapons of Mass Creation Fest
Day Job: Designer/Partner at GoMedia
Age: 20s
Location: Cleveland, Ohio
Websites: GoMedia, His Portfolio, Weapons of Mass Creation Fest, Thread’s Not Dead: The Designer’s Guide to the Apparel Industry
Twitter: @jeff_finley, @wmcfest
We’re happy to share the inaugural interview on Create the Map
By hitting the “publish” button, I’ve officially posted the first interview on this website. It’s very fitting that it be Jeff Finley since he is, afterall, the founder of Weapons of Mass Creation Fest, an annual festival that’s all about inspiring and enabling the creative mind. Jeff embodies the kind of people I plan to profile on this website. Not only does he come up with ideas, but he acts on them. He takes initiative. He makes things happen. He’s a linchpin. And he’s just coming off of the high of seeing the Weapons of Mass Creation Fest soar to new heights in only its second year.
Jeff and I caught up on day two of the 2011 Weapons of Mass Creation Fest. We chatted out back at a picnic table about lots of things, including where the idea for WMC Fest came from, the first steps he took to launch the idea, how he dealt with doubt along the way, and how he got his big break in designing for bands. Something that stood out to me is that he’s developed his own path by studying others who inspired him, replicating their paths part of the way, and then venturing off in his own direction as he developed his own voice.
You have two options:
- A Taste (2-min clip). In case you’re busy and just want a little sample.
- The Feast (full 26-min interview). For those who are serious and want to dig deeper.
Option #1: A Taste (2-min clip)
Option #2: The Feast (full 26-min. interview complete with a viewer’s guide)
Viewer’s Guide for the Full Interview
Don’t cheat yourself. It’s best in its entirety. But I understand you’re probably busy, so I’m sharing this breakdown (with approx. time code) in case you want to skip around.
- Intro to what Weapons of Mass Creation Fest is (00:00:28)
- Where the idea came from for WMC Fest (00:02:20)
- The first step he took to make it happen (00:05:10)
- Doubts and fears along the way of launching WMC Fest (00:06:17)
- Why he didn’t give in to the doubt (00:09:20)
- How he deals with doubters (00:10:27)
- CliffsNotes version of his bio and how he wanted to make video games and direct films (00:12:37)
- How he got started in band artwork while working at McDonald’s (00:15:01)
- His first big break and how he leveraged each experience to keep moving ahead (00:16:11)
- Quitting McDonald’s, keeping costs low, jumping in, hustling (00:18:51)
- The path he thought he should take when he was in college, submitting resumes (00:19:53)
- How he took a different, non-traditional path (00:21:03)
- CG breakdancing (00:23:20)
- Where he finds the greatest meaning in life (00:24:05)
More About Jeff
In case you’re curious about Jeff’s bio, here’s one from the website for his new ebook, “Thread’s Not Dead: The Designer’s Guide to the Apparel Industry.”
Jeff Finley is a designer and co-owner of Go Media. An Ohio native, he has a background in illustration and cg animation and has a passion for business, marketing, social media, and building communities around brands. He’s been designing professionally since 2004 and got his start working with punk rock bands and indie clothing brands. Jeff was one of the original members of the t-shirt design community Emptees and won t-shirt of the year in 2007. In addition to designing shirts for major label bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, and even Britney Spears, he has designed and consulted with several indie apparel brands like Declaration, Disciple, Cure Apparel, Paint the Stars and more. He’s also founder of Weapons of Mass Creation Fest, a grassroots art, design, and music event in Cleveland.
What from Jeff’s story stands out to you the most?
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