Meet Barton Damer | Owner and Founding Artist of Alreadybeenchewed.tv

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

Hi Barton, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Risk taking is a scary thing and it’s actually a tough battle to determine.. am I being irresponsible with this risk I’m about to take? Quitting your job to start something new.. risky! Whether you’re hiring… or firing, there’s a lot of risk in entrepreneurship. It can be just as scary to get comfortable in business as it is to push forward and take risks. There are many times I look back at decisions I was terrified to make, but had I not made them… at the very moment I made them. it could’ve changed the trajectory of the studio all together.. in a bad way. But at that time, it was more comfortable to feel like I didn’t need to grow, hire, etc.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
As a studio, Already Been Chewed reflects many of my favorite passions – not only in style – but in the client list as well. My biggest fear has always been growing a company that I wouldn’t want to work for! I’m very proud of the opportunities we have as a group of artists at Already Been Chewed. Working with international brands that value creative has been incredibly rewarding.

Being a solo artist originally, and then taking on the challenge to build a more sustainable business model with a team has been incredibly challenging and fulfilling! It’s really been about discovery and recognizing opportunity. I believe the saying is “Most people don’t recognize opportunity because it is dressed in overalls and looks like hard work.” That truly describes entrepreneurship! You have to work hard and you have to be able to recognize opportunities and maximize them. That’s a lot easier said that done.

Today, we are an international team of artists working together to create unique visual identities for some of the most iconic brands in the world!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would recommend hanging out in Deep Ellum. Definitely need to wait in line at the Pecan Lodge and get the PitMaster sandwich!! Then check out The Pointe Skate Shop a few doors down. Lower Greenville is awesome too. I love going to HG Supply Co. and visiting the Laboratory, a sneaker resell shop. For dessert, head over to Trinity Groves and check out Kate Weiser chocolates! We work them every year to provide custom ABC chocolates for our clients!

The canvas hotel is a really cool place to spend the night while in town, especially if you are into fitness! They give you a free pass to Sanders Fitness – which is a private club where Melvin Sanders and team are known to train professional athletes from the NBA and the NFL (you may see Dak Prescott or Zeke Elliot in there if you are lucky!!) Additionally, check out the Katy Trail for a great hike with restaurants and bars along the way if you want to undo all of the exercise! lol

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My family deserves the #1 credit for attributing to my success. My wife and kids are very proud and supportive of our business.

My style has always been heavily influenced by my skateboarding roots, love of hip hop, graffiti and a faith in God. You cannot reverse engineer starting a 3d animation studio in Texas – 12 years ago -that would go on to work with Louis Vuitton in Paris, Marvel and Disney in Los Angeles… along with a lot of other iconic brands around the world. Had I told you that was my plan 14 years ago… no one would’ve advised that!

Website: www.alreadybeenchewed.tv

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Linkedin: alreadybeenchewed

Twitter: bartondamer

Facebook: alreadybeenchewed

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ALREADYBEENCHEWED

Image Credits
All images copyright Already Been Chewed