Will Rochfort on Persistence, Opportunity & Saying Yes

Learn how to navigate a creative career path and find your professional direction. Artist Will Rochfort shares how persistence leads to success. Explore our courses → https://drawingamerica.com/all-courses/ In this conversation, we discuss the pivotal moments that shaped Will's career—from discovering Norman Rockwell and finding his direction as a painter to saying yes to unexpected opportunities, building a career independently, and learning when to say no. Chapters: 00:00 Will Rochfort on persistence, opportunity and saying yes 00:35 Discovering Norman Rockwell and finding a direction 02:31 Selling his first oil painting 03:03 Moving from illustration to fine art 04:57 Why Norman Rockwell's storytelling still matters 07:15 Saying yes to every art opportunity 08:45 The tiny newspaper ad that changed his career 13:18 Becoming his own agent 15:33 Work ethic, the studio and work-life balance 18:20 Building a 1.2 million-follower Instagram audience 20:00 The first time he said no to a project 23:37 The responsibility of an art student 25:12 Is illustration a bad word? 27:21 Will's childhood roots in drawing and making 28:35 Encouraging young artists Explore our courses → https://drawingamerica.com/all-courses/