 
											Audio By Carbonatix
Phoenix is brimming with creativity. And every other year, we put the spotlight on 100 of the city’s creative forces. Leading up to the release of this year’s Best of Phoenix issue, we’re profiling 100 more. Welcome to the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives. Up today: 31. Ben Willis.
“I guess you could say I don’t get out much,” Ben Willis says.
The 31-year-old Tempe artist and 2014 Contemporary Forum grant winner divvies up most of his time between teaching and creating. “I teach painting and drawing during the school year, but until classes start back up I am working part time at Blick Art Materials in Tempe and locking myself in the studio during off hours,” he says.
See also: Carley Conder of Tempe’s CONDER/dance: 100 Creatives
Originally from Cincinnati, Willis studied art at Ohio’s Miami University and moved to Arizona in 2010 to pursue his master’s in fine art, which he completed in 2013.
And instead of leaving the classroom behind, Willis has kept one foot firmly planted there. This fall, he will teach at ASU, Phoenix College, the Shemer Art Center, and Tempe’s Edna Vihel Center for the Arts. That’ll be when he isn’t locked in said studio.
“I am working on a new series of portraits based on long lasting relationships that will feature swimming, Willie Nelson, canyons, abstraction, road trips, the man bun, dogs, patterns, rivers, hiking, my Princess Bunnies, safety crews, the Bengals, yoga, and low carb diets.”
When he emerges, it’ll be quite the sight.
I came to Phoenix with T-shirts, shorts, flip-flops and I’m pretty sure I brought some underpants.
I make art because it makes me happy.
I’m most productive when I have coffee, music, and doors that lock.
My inspiration wall is full of… my what?
I’ve learned most from the passage of time. It’s similar to looking back on other aspects of your life. Why did I bleach the tips of my hair? Why did I continue to watch Lost after the storyline had dissolved? Revisiting my artwork, however uncomfortable, shows me what I should have done and what I won’t do again.
Good work should always… How about this instead — good work can be anything. There is no single quality that defines it. Viewing art is a personal experience and there are a lot of opinions in the world.
The Phoenix creative scene could use more affordable art. Painters end up with rooms full of unsold pieces that once hung proudly in galleries with ridiculously inflated prices. We create this economy where paintings go unsold and potential customers end up with boring framed posters on their walls. I’m guilty of this myself, but there are times I aspire to be more like my friend Eddie. He once took everything in his studio and set it outside with $20 price tags. Minutes later a pizza delivery guy drove away with a 5-by-6-foot masterpiece strapped to the roof of his beat up Accord. All people deserve to own beautiful, original artwork. At this point artists with fragile egos and attachment issues are the barrier.
See the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives:
100. Bill Dambrova
    99. Niki Blaker
    98. Jeff Slim
    97. Beth May
    96. Doug Bell
    95. Daniel Langhans
    94. Nanibaa Beck
    93. Nicole Royse
    92. Ib Andersen
    91. Casandra Hernandez
    90. Chris Reed
    89. Shelby Maticic
    88. Olivia Timmons
    87. Courtney Price
    86. Travis Mills
    85. Catrina Kahler
    84. Angel Castro
    83. Cole Reed
    82. Lisa Albinger
    81. Larry Madrigal
    80. Julieta Felix
    79. Lauren Strohacker
    78. Levi Christiansen
    77. Thomas Porter
    76. Carrie Leigh Hobson
    75. Cody Carpenter
    74. Jon Jenkins
    73. Aurelie Flores
    72. Michelle Ponce
    71. Devin Fleenor
    70. Noelle Martinez
    69. Bucky Miller
    68. Liliana Gomez
    67. Jake Friedman
    66. Clarita Lulić
    65. Randy Murray
    64. Mo Neuharth
    63. Jeremy Hamman
    62. La Muñeca
    61. Kevin Goldman
    60. Emily Costello
    59. Kerstin Dale
    58. Vara Ayanna
    57. Nathaniel Lewis
    56. Ruben Gonzales
    55. Lisa Poje
    54. Bobby Zokaites
    53. Frances Smith Cohen
    52. Julie Rada
    51. David Miller
    50. Xanthia Walker
    49. Kyllan Maney
    48. Cary Truelick
    47. Constance McBride
    46. James D. Porter
    45. Allyson Boggess
    44. Abigail Lynch
    43. Ashley Cooper
    42. Jaclyn Roessel
    41. Brandon Boetto
    40. Melissa Dunmore
    39. Gavin Sisson
    38. Rossitza Todorova
    37. Monica Robles
    36. Josh Kirby
    35. Jesse Perry
    34. Yai Cecream
    33. Nathan Blackwell
    32. Carley Conder
