Today we’d like to introduce you to Mello Dixon.
Hi Mello, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began the journey in 2003. I have always been a HUGE fan of sports and the stories behind the athletes. I wanted to figure out a way to bring the history of the story to light. I came up with a concept to develop Wearable Art. I was able through very hard work and dedication to bring to life the images that I was so amazed by.
I dedicated 3 years from 2008 to 2011 to Mastering my craft. I call it Kanye’ing it where I spent those 3 years in a studio in Upstate New York and just worked and created day after day Night after Night.
Now truly 20 years into the art world I have been able to create timeless pieces of art that people can now wear and show off their own creativity. All of my pieces no matter how similar they appear are all one of a kind which gives full appreciation to the piece as art is supposed to do.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
There is no such thing as a smooth road. Starting out I became a young father and had to think about either giving up my dream or sacrificing my entire life in order to maintain my dream. I chose the latter. I have dedicated my entire adult life towards becoming the greatest custom art designer ever to live. The journey gets rough a lot. Plenty of nights the walls were closing in on me and plenty of time I wanted to give up. Plenty of times not feeling good enough. I have been validated by others which at times is only satisfactory for the moment.
Overall and through the years I have been able to develop a strong sense of security and worth for what I have been blessed to bring into the world. I respect the craft as well as others’ craft. I have been able to create relationships on every level and have had the opportunity to experience worldwide success. It does however come with a price. You have to be able to balance life and work which is never an easy task for an obsessive creator. Faith and meditation are truly a Godsend for me to be able to keep a strong mental focus on the overall goal which to be honest the journey can never end, and my recognition may never come until long after I am gone off of planet earth.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
So, my company is called Greatness Was When…! where we take monumental moments in Sports, Music, and World History and re-create them in fabric on garment, so it becomes Wearable Art.
I specialize in one-of-a-kind pieces of garment art which brings to life images and allows for my COLLECTOR as well as onlookers to re-live moments.
I am most proud of the journey and the reaction that I get from each and every Collector once they receive their piece. It is an awesome feeling when people contact me and say with extreme excitement ” you will never guess how many times I was stopped today while wearing my piece!” – I just laugh because I actually do know…lol it happens all the time I and I am just as excited for them as if it were me wearing it. That is such an experience
What sets me apart is probably the extreme amount of detail that is put into the work. Using garment as my canvas allows for lots of features to be added in places people would not expect.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
I would say develop a solid BUSINESS MODEL. Most people go in with a creative plan and an idea of how glamorous it’s going to be but without proper structure you will quickly find yourself doubting your abilities. Remember we have all beat the odds to even be alive. Believe in the gifts you are given and work them to the max.
Take in as much information as possible. READ, READ, READ! as many books as you can. Knowledge is power. I am a very competitive person and being a sports fan, I love competition. I have a method called the 52 to 1 rule which states.
– The average person reads 1 book per year. To be average read 1 book to be above average open the next book. There are 52 weeks in a year. You can have a 52 to 1 advantage on the rest of the world if your read 1 book per week. The score 52 to 1 in year 1. by year 2 – 104 to 2.
You can use this knowledge to develop an extreme advantage on your competition and be successful. It’s about putting in the work.
Contact Info:
- Email: mello@greatnesswaswhen.com
- Instagram: greatesswaswhen
- Facebook: Greatness Was When
