Meet Jeff Dekal | Artist & Seeker

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

Hi Jeff, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking is crucial to live a life of purpose and fulfillment. It proves passion and highlights so many things that make us uncomfortable. Vulnerability, danger, mystery. How do we truly know ourselves if we can’t understand our composure when we are faced with those aspects of life? Everything is a risk to a degree especially the things that make life amazing. Don’t be frivolous but don’t be a coward. Strive for discipline and balance but leave room to go all in when the time is right and worth it.

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.
At this point in my journey I’ve learned much from failures, have been exposed to a wide array of influences, and put in a lot of focus to develop the aspects of my work that give incite to who I am. All of those things are responsible for the place I occupy in my industry. But I think the interest and curiosity to seek, overcome, and develop our Selves and the obstacles of life are what elevate people into a higher state of being. Having the functionality and capabilities to do those things makes me proud, humbled, and very thankful. I came into my industry in a very aligning way. I had worked my entire life drawing and painting, going through all the frustrations and pangs of the awkward creative lifestyle to come to a moment where an editor gave me a shot on a big project. That was my foot in the door and from that point on I never stopped working, travelling, and networking to maintain my spot. It’s not that it was easy or hard, it’s that it required complete devotion and so much sacrifice.
I’ve learned to embrace, develop, and speak my own voice. It’s easy to let our insecurities suppress us. It’s easy to let pre-existing social currents pull us through life. It’s harder to ignore those things, work on ourselves, learn from our failures, and speak our truth.
I’ve learned that success is a recipe and one that often needs adjustment. We need to be fluid and open but unfaltering and directed and we need to really care about what we are doing and who we are doing it for.
I’ve learned that we crumble without relationships and health. Work isn’t possible if those things are not secure. Today I take balance very seriously and consider the nurturing of my mind, body, and social circle one of the most important parts of my job.

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.
Hoping that my friend was not used to the tropical beauty of South Florida, I would turn to nature. Fairchild Tropical Gardens and an airboat ride through the Everglades would be the start. We would get to the beach since it is Florida, but I would choose the Normandy Isles area for it’s quaint and maintained retro Miami vibe. The Standard on the Venetian islands would be a stop as well. We would visit local farmer’s markets, walk through Wynwood, find good architecture around the city, and hang out at my friends’ music and art studios.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First would have to be my mom for the support and conditions she has facilitated throughout my life that has allowed me to nurture my talent as well as being my biggest fan by far. I also have been fortunate to meet many people who have guided me through the maze of networking required to make connections in my industry. One major person is John Ulloa, editor in chief of Creature Entertainment, the first independent comic company I ever worked for. He is still a close friend. And literally every editor that has ever hired me, every fan that has ever supported me, and every person that has ever loved me. And my late Grandfather, an enormous role model for me.

Website: www.jeffdekal.com

Instagram: @jeffdekal

Twitter: @jeffdekal