Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Almeida.
Robert, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I never knew exactly what I wanted to do growing up. I just knew that I wanted to help people and that I loved making art. There were moments where my art made people happy and that feeling became the goal. In 2012, I graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design from UF, and shortly after went through a tough break up and my parent’s divorce. I felt depressed, and in an effort to work through it, I challenged myself to letter one motivational phrase everyday and to share it on my Instagram, Dude, Be Awesome. I became my own daily cheerleader and I found it was actually helping others. In 2013, I started freelancing and painting murals with Chalk & Brush Co. The experience of bringing our art to the walls of local businesses was satisfying to say the least.
In 2016, I had struggled with posting my art because I had no direction and was not finding a consistent stream of revenue. This leads me to find a full-time position with SB Architect (where I’m working currently). Then Christmas Eve 2016, I had a near-death experience: I lost my grip on a pull-up bar and fell backward, my head hit the floor first, and fractured my skull. I’m grateful that no serious damage was done beyond the fracture, but I immediately decided to change everything in my life that wasn’t bringing me joy. I was living my life a day at a time, but I slowly started to feel like something was missing in my life. After three years of not posting, I realized I was lacking a creative outlet, so I made the decision to start Dude, Be Awesome back up again and I started to post! I’ve since started to grow a close-knit group of like-minded people and have started to get involved in the art community.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t been easy, and I doubt for anyone that any form of success has been easy. There are always roadblocks that will take you on different paths, yet you end up where you’re supposed to be.
Being let go from my first job was tough. It ended up leading me into a career as a self-employed designer which brought me to finding my passion for lettering and murals. Going from a typical 9 to 5 to working for myself brings the challenges of finding clients, handling proposals and contracts, being the accountant, project manager, art director, and the designer.
The toughest part was calling it quits. I had wanted to be my own boss so bad but I just didn’t have the passion or the right mindset to find my groove. My pride was hurt, but I needed to make money so I set it aside for my family. There’s a chance I’d revisit working for myself, but I don’t see it in the near future just yet.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
Dude, Be Awesome is motivational lettering to help you be awesome. I specialize in creating art that helps you get through your day, week, month. Some of the topics I concentrate on are breaking out of your comfort zone and working through the struggles that every creative goes through (something I’m an expert at).
I’m most proud of the connections I’ve made. I message everyone that follows me on social media. I let them know how much I appreciate them and that I think they’re awesome. The responses are so rewarding because there’s the opportunity to connect with someone across the world. It’s touching what a difference a few words can make. Keeping it human and real is what sets me apart. I make it a point to talk about topics closest to me and the magic happens when it resonates with the right person.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
There are three distinct points where I would’ve done things differently. The first being when I embarked on my freelance career, I wish I would’ve leaned in more and trusted myself. I was inexperienced and I lacked guidance, yes, but I was doing something few people dare to at the age of 24. I didn’t quit, I was only lacking the income and lacked the will to keep fighting for it.
The second would be never giving up on my art from 2016 to 2019. I was also lost in a different respect and it had me spinning because I was missing such a vital part of my life: creativity. Finally, I would have never gone to the gym on December 24th, 2016. This was the day I fell off the pull up at my gym and fractured my skull. My gut had been telling me not to but I was being stubborn, I felt like I had to prove myself. To this day, I’m grateful that I’ve had no side effects or alterations of my quality of life because it could have been much worse. I’m happy to still be alive.
Ultimately these three points in my life have taught me never to quit, never lose yourself, and never question your gut.
Contact Info:
- Website: dudebeawesome.com
- Email: robert@dudeimrobert.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/dudebeawesome
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