Interview: Artist and Entrepreneur Jean Charles Mwibanire

Jean Charles Mwibanire is an Innovator, Consultant, Artist, Entrepreneur, Problem Solver.

MCL: Where were you born and how did you come to Buffalo, N.Y.?

JCM: The city of Kigali, in Rwanda; Located in central Africa.

MCL: How do you think your childhood help develop you as an artist?

JCM: I traveled throughout Africa and Europe with my family as a child. Meeting people from different countries with different cultures and backgrounds allowed an embracing/open minded attitude to develop from birth. I picked up attributes from many people in the world as a child. I also was engulfed in anime and cartoon network if I wasn't playing with a soccer ball, flute, piano or basketball. I drew pictures portraits caricatures and cartoons 24/7. My mind was 100% visual. Parents had me and my sister take lessons as kids but not much stuck other than the "do-re-mi-fa-sol" haha. Years later my father dies. Tension and separation came between me and my mom & sister. At this point I started "experimenting" and experiencing unfamiliar aspects of life through new people places and things which led to emotional imbalances that eventually have now been and still are being expressed.

MCL: When did you get into the arts?

JCM: I always drew since I could remember. Since I was a child, from doodles to full body traces, to tracing pictures and drawing originals (portraits, landcapes, anime, objects, etc). My parents had my sister and I learning the flute and the piano. We took classes but really just wanted to mess around with the sounds on our own. We were kids.

Took art class in grade school. In 7th grade I sold an exact copy of Vincent van Gogh's self-portrait done in thick oil paint (his style), and an oil landscape painting for a total of about $110 or $120. I can't remember the exact figure.

MCL: You are much into sports. What is more passionate for you ... Sports or art and why?

JCM: Ahhhhh. Let it be my 3rd year in college; I would say basketball! ... Simply because I was playing. Let it be a year ago; I would say Art! ...Art stretches the right half of the brain. The right half of the brain highlights aspects of life overshadowed by the left half of the brain. Art consists if life. It is colorful. An average 9-5 life with no color/creativity/art/ is full and gray. The colorful/art people, like nature, arouse these greys. They evoke something of them. Often, it is an emotion and an emotion can propel a person to act towards a thought/idea/concept and incites moves with a sense of direction. Art inspires people to do things, if they are 'alive', and direction (I believe) is essential in life. With no direction comes being stagnant, complacent and limited. Inspiration is essential. If it wasn't for good art inspiring other people, the world would be grey and dull, with a dominantly left brain society...

However i also understand that This question is subjective to each person and what ever brings clarity to their reality at any given time, wether it be art, sports or a 9-5.

MCL: Please talk about your painting. What draws you to it?

JCM: I don't really get drawn to it. Same goes for my music and photography. I kind of just spill remnants of myself into the given canvas, whatever the content or medium may be. Just about everything I do is "vent".

MCL: What is ARTBUS?

JCM: By definition: "Arts art crafts, in the sense of what a being conceives."

Artibus is a concept designed to open up artistic avenues for creative people and Artists. My business partner (s/o to Blair Helton) and I manifested a vision that tried to basically "put people on". After seeing the talent we are surrounded by in Buffalo, we both put forth effort and a lot of money to make artists involved successful and recognized (at least city wide if not nationwide). That was my main goal. When you are aware of how much effort, energy & time gets put into creativity, it is easy to empathize for people you see on a journey you can relate to.

MCL: Many people in the arts forget it is a business and don't develop their business side.

What advice do you have for them?

JCM: Spread your mind. There are different people on the world you may need to connect to in order to make your journey easier. Some people enjoy the art/right brain/colorful world but just as many live and reside in the left brain/business world. There is always a balance.

MCL: Finally ... Promote yourself. What's going for 2016-2017?

JCM: Concepts, Music, Visuals and Live Events ft. yours truly. All which will be on my website, launching next year. I may even be co-producing a live talk show!

Keep up to date with me on social media for more info on that (Website).

With that being said, shout out to The Most High. Thank you to you as well, Mark (and Rich).

Stay tuned. Tell a friend to tell a friend.

For information on Jean Charles Mwibanire:

Blog: BringJoyToTheWorld.tumblr.com

Instagram: @ayam.jc

https://www.instagram.com/ayam.jc/

Sound Cloud: @ayam.jc

https://soundcloud.com/ayamjc/business-man

Twitter: @BringJoyJC

https://twitter.com/BringJoyJC

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

Bring Joy

bringjoytotheworld.tumblr.com

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