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The virality of social media can make it seem as though success is instant, but what does it really take to turn artistic talent into a thriving business?

This is a question that many artists, or their well-meaning parents, may ask. And one that artist Sean Brown has found his own answers to.

After his hand-tufted rugs in the shape of CDs exploded in popularity over the pandemic, Brown’s houseware brand Curves really began to take off.

His houseware designs are now carried by high-end retailers like Canadian company SSENSE and Brown has been featured in the New York Times, Rolling Stone and Vogue magazine.

So while his handmade CD rugs went viral quickly thanks to social media (his original tweet has nearly 85,000 likes), Brown and his manager and business partner Iva Golubovic emphasize that their brand has been far from an overnight success story.

Golubovic says the idea behind Curves highlights the important notion that “your career and creative path curves, it is often not a straight line and there are many different ways it could go,” something both Golubovic and Brown experienced before reaching this point in their careers.

Brown’s began in fashion design after dropping out of high school. He started a clothing brand called Bamboo, selling items in Chinese takeout food containers. Even early on in his entrepreneurial journey, Brown understood the importance of packaging, marketing and branding.

In 2010, he started Art of Reuse, which Golubovic described as “vintage pop-up shops before vintage pop-up shops were a trend.” Brown and his friends would go vintage shopping and put together curated stores. They had pop-ups in Toronto, New York and San Francisco, and would often sell out.

Brown then started a menswear brand called Needs & Wants. It began with a one-sleeve letterman jacket, an idea he first mentioned to Drake’s manager, Future the Prince, who was a friend and mentor.

The jacket was featured in GQ and gained popularity after being widely shared by blogs in 2013.

Brown quit his job in the stockroom at Aritzia, which would be his last time working a “traditional” job. He continued focusing on the brand until 2016.

Brown wears many hats and is often called a “multidisciplinary artist.” He says his titles often transform from just being an “ideas person” to a facilitator, consultant and artistic entrepreneur.

Through fashion design, he was introduced to notable names in the music industry and started doing creative direction for artists. Brown worked with Combs Enterprises (Diddy) and Toronto musician Daniel Caesar, meeting him in 2014 when Brown featured Caesar in an issue of his fashion brand’s newsletter.

Later, he would shift his focus fully to his work with Caesar when he was asked to be the team’s creative director.

This experience allowed him to work in multiple creative areas while offering a window into how an independent artist could build a brand from the ground up. He also produced artwork for artists like Jessie Reyez, A’maal, SZA and Normani.

Golubovic started her journey on a different path. She completed a degree in film theory at Western University and a business degree at Ivey Business School. This led her to video production, which she enjoyed as it married both business and creativity. In 2017, she crossed paths with Brown. Similar to her career in production, their partnership and brand is a balance between business and art.

“It’s the only way I’ve seen it work honestly,” said Brown.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, everything stopped and Brown found himself asking “What direction does my creativity go in now?”

Looking around his new, empty apartment, he thought, “I should start decorating now that I’m going to be here for the unforeseeable future.” He bought a rug and hated it, which led to the idea of creating a rug shaped like a CD. Then he pitched the idea to Golubovic, who loved it and immediately began working on ways to turn the idea into a reality.

Zach Aburaneh started the houseware brand Curves alongside Brown and Golubovic, after meeting the pair through a mutual friend, and working on events and galleries together: “He oversees all company operations.”

Being your own boss can create a business pathway that prioritizes artistic ideas, Brown and Golubovic said, and was the reason they started the branding company Initial Thoughts. Through the company, they create branding that is conducive to art and often veers away from marketing and business structures that contradict that.

However, both believe that people need to talk more with youth about what they truly value and want to do in life. Educators should discuss alternative career paths or bring in guest speakers to talk about their varying career journeys.

Although Brown chose to pursue his artistic passions over continuing his formal education, Golubovic said Brown learned organically through hard work and applying himself in his field.

“He is very excellent at what he does and he spends so much time just researching, allowing him to hold conversations with any fashion person, many architects, musicians and more,” said Golubovic.

“Whether you choose school or not, you will have to educate yourself to find success.”

It’s important to pursue your passions, no matter what field you choose, she added.

“A lot of people don’t know what they want or like and that, to me, is the most scary thing in the world,” said Golubovic.

Brown said North Americans can be more conservative, and artistic and creative fields are often overlooked in school.

“In places like Europe, they set people up to be fashion designers. There are no limitations,” said Brown.

“I would rather be happy knowing that I at least worked at that thing if it doesn’t work out, then doing something I hate.”

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