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

Photo courtesy of Gordon Eriksen (http://gordoneriksen.com/)