FREDDIE IPSON

In 2005, at 18 years old, I moved from Utah to LA and into my aunt's house in Westwood. The goal was to attend The Groundlings comedy school, which I hoped would one day lead to performing on Saturday Night Live. Over the next few years, I completed three levels of the program and performed in shows, student films, extra work, audience work, and even booked a Little Caesars commercial.

Everything paused when my first love, who had moved from Utah to be with me, said she missed her family and needed to return. Instead of using comedy to cope, I sang a few original cathartic songs into GarageBand about the loss. I let my aunt listen, and she surprised me by saying she could actually use them in her dance classes. After hearing positive feedback from her class, I decided to make a full album — one that led to a producer hearing it and wanting to collaborate on a new album.

A few years later, my aunt made a deal with an infomercial company that wanted to film an at-home workout DVD series using her dance method. She also wanted to use music from the first two albums I had made years earlier.

Over the next five years, I composed musical arrangements for Body Groove workouts. Today, I have a small following through that music, with Body Groove facilitators continuing to use it in their classes.

Between Body Groove productions, I developed a passion for making games. I created and printed two of them. The first, Base Roll, is a baseball-themed game using dice and cards. The second, PIMPT, is a spin on the classic card game Golf. I recently sold out of the first large print run and am now awaiting the second edition.

While waiting for the games to be printed, I rediscovered a forgotten watercolor kit that had been gifted to me years earlier. I started doodling on the rooftop of a hotel in San Diego, where a stranger complimented my first attempt. Since that moment, I've sold 45 watercolor paintings, including several at a shop in Culver City known for its curated selection of wine and beer.

After 20 years in Los Angeles, I've realized this city offers a rare opportunity to create in many forms. I came here to do sketch comedy, and now I'm making watercolors. I’ve visited 14 countries and 20 states, but I always return back to Los Angeles for the creative opportunities