LRA: What other interests do you have besides painting?Aaron: Such a loaded question. I have all kinds of interests. I like just about everything creative. I'm a regular guy. I love cars, motorcycles, women, and I definitely love music! I gotta have it! If I don't have it playing in the background, I'm sitting at my keyboard making some of my own. I love playing the piano and beating on the snare drum and I just bought a guitar to expand the madness. I just like to create. Similar to my art, I'm not trained so I just play. Music is just art in audio. I'll sit down at a piano and play with it like paint on canvas. To me, it's all music. Other than that, I'm a huge UFC, boxing and football fan. The great thing about drawing and painting is that I have the ability to express my interests through it.
LRA: What hardships in life have pushed you to succeed and break all expectations?Aaron: I've experienced quite a few hardships, but one that has had the biggest impact on me is my fight against multiple sclerosis. I had always been active in martial arts growing up; I taught hip-hop dance classes in school, choreographed and performed step shows with my fraternity. The disease has had quite a negative effect on the use of my legs so it forced me to focus on another talent that I had in art. I've learned through my personal situation not to take anything for granted. I went from doing flips, kicks and tricks to not being able to walk across the room at times. God gave me a gift with this art stuff so I intend on enjoying myself and doing what I do.
LRA: What advice would you give aspiring young artists?Aaron: Do you, be an individual! There are no duplicates of any of us on this earth; be an individual and create your own sh!t. Artist Justin Bua told me "inspiration plus perspiration is omnipotent." I was turned away by UCLA's art program. I could have thrown my hands up and been done with it, but I kept at it. I took an art class at UCSB where they told me that my work wasn't art, but I felt like the pieces that I was creating were coming out for a reason, so I kept creating them. My advice overall would be to believe in yourself and your capabilities... and do the damn thing. Don't pay too much attention to what other folks say, we live in a world of critics and haters. Believe in your talent and give them a good reason to hate.