“I realized that video and art was the direction I wanted to take, but there were so many hurdles that I had to face and it was because I let technology, people, and comparison – comparing myself to other people, I let that take over, and it really negatively affected me… until I realized that my life is my life, taking a step back and understanding not everyone’s life is as good as it seems, then I started being happier with who I am and where I am,” – Tanveer Singh

Tanveer Singh, also known as Johan the Artist, is a visual artist born in Montreal who uses multiple mediums to convey compelling stories, with his primary mediums being videography, digital and physical art. Leaving his hometown and moving across the country at the age of 13 allowed Tanveer to gain a unique perspective on the emotional and physical hurdles of uprooting one’s life at a young age. The Universal Radio Network’s Qashus had the chance to sit down with Tanveer about his beginnings, how he got into art, men’s mental health, and much more in this episode.

At the beginning of their sit down, Qashus and Tanveer talk about his early days and how he initially gained interest in art (4:20), how difficult it was to continue to make art and pursue it (10:15), how Qashus himself got into music (11:45), if there were any other realms that he was inspired by (17:10), and what his process is like when creating art (19:20). Next, Tanveer shares his thoughts on NFTs (21:23), Artificial Intelligence creating art (25:51), how he thinks AI within the art space will affect the industry (30:13) and how digital tools can affect an individual’s mental health (36:22).

In the middle of their conversation, Qashus and Tanveer discuss the importance of taking a step back and reflecting and not getting too caught up in your work (42:36), the steps needed in order to fully commit to the passions you wish to pursue (45:40), and not being afraid to diverge of what your parents want you to possibly to do for a career (52:45). Near the end of the episode, Tanveer gives insight on what he thinks are the positive and negatives that could come with having a side hustle (59:31), if he believes in sticking with one route or trying out multiple different avenues (1:01:17), and what creative projects he is currently working on (1:02:33).