Meet Cole Newman | Artist & Content Creator

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

Hi Cole, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Back in high school I started a company called coles cups where I painted water bottles for my friends. I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur and figured this would be a great way to get my foot in the door. My thought process was this is not my end game business but doing something now will give me the confidence to run with it when I get my big idea. Sure enough, four years later I went viral on TikTok for doing a different type of painting (pendulum painting) and after that first video I knew this was my “thing”. Because I already had that confidence I knew where to start it was smooth sailing from there. As I’ve gone further into this career it has made me realize how much of an impact I can have on people and just that small, intentional start has allowed me to get where I am today four years later.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have no traditional art skills, that being said I’m lucky enough to have the skills to come up with ways to have contraptions paint for me. I’ve always been fascinated with engineering and building things. 3D printing, mechanics, robotics, and physics, my goal as an artist is to make people question where the line is between art and engineering and if there even is one at all. Last month I set a new world record for the largest dripping pendulum painting, it was 20,000 square foot using a 250 foot crane to swing a 2000 pound paint bucket with 100 gallons of paint inside. Since the day I started this career that has been my north star, my ultimate goal and with the help of a team of 40 people we were able to achieve it.

Getting to where I am today was quite the roller coaster. In the world of social media I’ve learned the hard way that it “comes in waves” one month you videos are killing it and it feels like you’re on top of the world then out of nowhere they start to tank, I’ve realize you truly have to trust the process and keep posting or even take a break when they go down. There has been multiple times in my career where I thought it was all over, I would never be able to support my family or even myself because sales and views died down. Then when I thought all was lost, there would be another uptick. That wave type pattern allows me to have a great work-life balance because I can have a month or two of high intensity work then spend the same amount of time taking it easy afterwards.

There are two quotes that sum up my story and what i hope for you to take away from this: “everything you can imagine is real” -Pablo Picasso I have this quote tattooed on my leg I love it so much. It embodies everything I stand for, when i have an idea i know i can achieve it big or small, as well as having the confidence to know any idea i have in the future is also achievable no matter what. The second quote (i think i made up) is “any imperfection the artist sees looks intentional to the viewer” There might be a part of your work you absolutely hate but if you don’t mention it no one will notice. I think its a great metaphor for life as well, knowing that any problem you have now will make you better in the long run. When people look at you they wont see that struggle you had they will see the outcome of overcoming it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Banana Walnut pancakes and Cindy’s NY deli for breakfast then head down south to the DMA when it opens, specifically to check out the artwork that inspired me to create art in the first place: “Cathedral” by Jackson Pollock. Then we head to Kura Sushi in Carrolton, a revolving sushi bar that sends little plates of sushi for you to grab what you please, super fun. After that its off to fort worth to see the botanical gardens and the modern. I love the contrast of the bright colorful gardens filled with wildlife and serene landscapes then going to the modern art museum. After getting all our culture in for the day stop by the water gardens for a quick walk and checking out the stockyards before heading back to Carrolton to Ddong Ggo, A Korean bar food type restaurant to get some great food and soju to round out the day before heading home.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a shout out to my wife Avery. She’s been such a positive change my life and is always there to encourage me and support in any way I need. We just got married a month ago and it’s been the best month of my life so far.

Website: https://Colescolor.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colescolor/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Colescolor/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM7yrBeqwSUA6znUlrelLlw

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@colescolor?lang=en

Image Credits
Alexender Simoes
Joseph Nguyen
Yordanos Haile
Jacob Tran
Peter Sanjur