TRUST… En (Like 'trust - in')

When I think of the word ‘trust’, I think of reliability. I think of someone being there when you need them, to the best of their abilities, every time. It’s consistency.

Showing up with consistency is difficult. It’s difficult because it requires us to work in the times that ‘we don’t feel like it.’ It requires us to set goals and standards for ourselves to live up to, that we probably could ‘get away’ without doing.

As an artist, a brand, and a business, trust is very important to me. It’s not to be confused with perfection. It’s not that. What it is, however, is consistency. It’s showing up everyday, and it’s moving forward. Ever since day one, I’ve set a standard for myself to create excellent work that goes above and beyond. That’s super important to me. Everyday I’m pushing, and continuing to build a brand that you can ‘trust in’. That’s my goal at least.

Also, my middle name is ‘Trusten’ (pronounced like ‘trust - in). It’s not some fancy made up art name; it’s my actual middle name. I’ve always liked it because unlike my first (Jacob) or last name (Williams), it’s very unique. It also looks a lot like ‘Trust In’ and is pronounced exactly the same. In fact, I actually thought it was spelled ‘Trustin’ until late elementary school.

On top of that, it’s also my dad’s middle name (he uses it as a first name), and he’s a pretty cool guy. He’s taught me a lot about life, a lot about hard work, and a lot about art via music.

• Jake Trusten