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Toyota and UPROXX have teamed up for Next Forta series that puts emerging creatives in the passenger seat of the All-Electric C-HR. Joining the creatives in the driver’s seat is Grammy-nominated DJ, producer and songwriter Illenium, ready to talk creativity, big dreams, and how to build a career that lasts. In his program, LA stylist and designer Toreno Winn left the journey with tips on getting to the Next Gear, how to build a fan base that will stick with you through every test, and how to stop sitting on finished work and get out into the world.
We left the show with a ton of advice worth writing down – about holding things back, about building a world instead of an eye, about working with a new creative team, and when to evolve versus start over. This edition, presented in partnership with Toyota, shows everything that Toreno has come away with, from Illenium, an artist who has already moved into the Next Gear.
On building followers
Meet your fans in the comments and in the meetings.
“When I first started, I was so excited. I was blown away that I was getting fans…I’d be on Facebook fan pages and I’d see meetups at these shows…I’m still friends with some OG fans from like 2015. Real friendships. It’s completely different parts of our lives now.”
Taking care of what they think is the limit.
“Always be present and always involved and care about their ideas – to some extent. You have to be your own artist.”
When you finish your work
Nothing is ever going to be ready.
“There is never a perfect situation where everything is ready.
Put things out in the open instead of waiting.
“I went with it, more exposure is better, and let things be rough around the edges. I’m a perfectionist in some respects, but a lot of times, especially with your art, the art can be part of not being perfect.”
Learn to love the chaos
“You have to be able to adapt and stay in that gray area where it’s kind of constant chaos, but it’s also a great atmosphere to just keep flowing through and figure out how to ride that creative wave.”
On the construction of the world
The work begins with the story.
“When I’m ready to write a record, I really think about the story first, and the overall vibe, and what I’m really inspired by…
Measure every other piece against it.
“Every time I get a song that I’m excited about, that I feel fits that palette, I’ll think about it that way.”
Keep your world consistent
“I love cyberpunk vibes. Post-apocalyptic, Dune, tech – all kinds of stuff that goes into world building that I feel good about. It’s so much about the right style and the right colors.”
Working with a new creative team
Learn the world you are all building together.
“That’s such a big part of it – getting to know the world, because most artists care deeply about the world they create … it comes down to a simple question – What am I most interested in right now?”
Challenge your team not to get them out of the vibe.
“Finding ways to be creative and do something new that challenges yourself and who you’re working with, but don’t go so far overboard that the vibe is off.”
On evolution vs reinvention
You don’t have to reinvent yourself every time.
“You create your brand, you create your image. You don’t necessarily have to reinvent yourself every time you do something new. You have your heart, and you’ve done that for a reason. So how do we build on it?”
The full reset every cycle is exhausting.
“A lot of artists are like, we have to completely rebrand every project. And I think that’s tiring. But you don’t want to be tired and boring. You have to find ways to keep things interesting for you.”
Focus on what matters most to you.
“Some people are geniuses and every record they put out changes things for five to ten years. I love that, and I can love that. But when I get to writing, that’s not necessarily what I’m thinking.”
Getting to the next gear
You will know when it works.
“Maybe eight years ago, my second time, I could see almost every center starting to fill up with people wearing my jersey… That’s when I knew everything was really working, because it was spreading.”
Be addicted to what you build.
“Me and my team would sit down and be like, what do we want this world to be? Creating that with people, and then seeing that really explode out of the show — it’s the coolest creative endeavor. That’s why I keep doing it. It’s addictive.”
Take the jump.
“That’s my biggest advice to anyone who asked me, ‘How did you get to where you got?’ Just take a leap of faith.”
