Justin Neely may be the most liberal arts-y person you’ll ever know. A polyglot (I had to look it up, too; it means one who is fluent in speaking and/or writing many languages), Justin has achieved impressive things in both the world of business and in the arts.

As with many guests on Pre-Made, Justin is navigating a significant life pivot, in this case from a career defined mostly but not entirely by IT and digital marketing to one that’s entirely focused on his art, at least for now.

In this episode, you’ll learn about:

• How a trip to the then-Soviet Union nearly derailed his college plans
• The dramatic impact the film Basquiat (starring Amherst College graduate Jeffrey Wright ’87) made on Justin
• How former members of Amherst rock band Rosemary Caine encouraged Justin to apply for and eventually land a side hustle he was unqualified to do at the time, and how that work propelled him into a business career in IT and digital
• The one person in the Amherst Class of 1994 Justin wants me to talk to next
• All about Justin’s artwork and its expression of his worldview, which you can explore on his website, justinneely.com

Justin and I both graduated from Amherst College in 1994, but I didn’t get to know him until the buildup to our 25th reunion. I’m so grateful we crossed paths when we did and that we’ve become friends.