Story & Lesson Highlights with Bijan Machen of South LA

Bijan Machen shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Bijan, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
ArtCenter College of Design, my graduate school Alma Mater, recently awarded me the 2024 Young Innovator Award. They are recognizing my innovative art and celebrating my social practice work with my arts education organization, the We Uplift The World Foundation. I feel honored and quite proud to be recognized by such a prestigious institution for my work in the arts. I am abundantly grateful!

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Bijan Machen — I am an abstract painter, musician, and founder of the We Uplift The World Foundation, an art and technology education organization. My life’s work lives at the intersection of art, music, and empowerment. I believe in creating art that inspires abundance and encourages people to maximize their potential. Whether on canvas, through sound, or working in the community, I channel energy into form — creating experiences that encourage people to prosper, persevere, and live with purpose.

What makes my practice unique is that it is more than aesthetics — it is rooted in energetic vibration. My brushstrokes are deconstructed music notes; they carry rhythm, harmony, and improvisation, much like the saxophone I was classically trained on. Art for me is not a product, but a frequency — a call to abundance, to experience love, and actualize progress.

Through the We Uplift The World Foundation, I expand that vision outward, creating education programs that merge art and technology to equip youth with tools for self-expression, opportunity, and sustainability. Our foundation is devoted to ensuring that creativity is not a privilege, but a necessity.

Right now, I’m working on new paintings, musical collaborations, and an exciting wave of projects that use art and digital innovation to amplify culture. But more than anything, I’m committed to building a world where beauty, empowerment, and possibility are accessible to all.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I used to believe that art was only an extracurricular activity — something you did on the side for fun or self-expression, but never as the centerpiece of a life or career. I wasn’t taught that art could be a sustainable, lucrative, and deeply impactful full-time path. Over time, through my own journey, I’ve learned that art is not just viable — it is vital. It can be a profession, a platform, and a powerful vehicle for change. Today, I live fully in that truth, building a life and career where creativity is not the side dish, but the main course. I love being an artist.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me presence, humility, and empathy in ways that success never could. When everything is going well, it’s easy to move fast and overlook the quiet lessons. But in moments of pain and struggle, I discovered resilience, patience, and the sacred truth that we are all connected. Suffering strips away illusions and shows you what really matters — love, community, and purpose. Success is beautiful, but it often celebrates the outcome. Suffering reveals the process, the humanity, and the depth of the soul.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What truths are so foundational in your life that you rarely articulate them?
This is a beautiful question — one that asks me to peel back the curtain and speak quietly about the foundation beneath everything I do. Here are the truths that quietly steer my life and practice, things I feel in my bones but seldom state outright:

Art is a form of service.
I rarely explain it like this, but my work isn’t only for me — it’s a conduit for healing, a mirror for possibility, and a way to lift others. Creation is stewardship; a true act of service to the world.

Discipline is the engine; inspiration is the spark.
Romanticizing inspiration is easy. The truth is that routine, craft, and devotion turn fleeting inspiration into a body of work and a life that matters.

Vulnerability is strength, not weakness.
Letting people see the unfinished edges of my process has opened doors, collaborations, and deeper human connections that polished certainty never could.

Constraints are creative gifts.
Limits — of time, materials, & money — force invention. Some of my most important breakthroughs came from having to work within a boundary. I recommend that everyone embrace the abundance mindset, appreciate where you are right now and innovate your way forward. It’s Manifestation SZN!

Abundance is cultivated, not assumed.
I believe in abundance, but it’s not passive. It’s a practice: generosity, hard work, and persistence create the conditions for abundance to flourish. You also gotta have faith in God to provide you with everything you need right now.

Legacy is relational, not transactional.
What matters isn’t only what I make, but who I empower to make more after me. Investing in people — especially young creators — is how my work truly becomes eternal. We Uplift The World 🌍

Joy is a discipline.
Joy is not incidental to success; it’s a daily practice I choose to protect and prioritize. That choice changes the art, the business, and the life. As Grand Master Mantak Chia teaches, we must practice the “inner smile” at all times and create joy from within. Smiling a lot is a major key to creating consistent success.

Each of these truths informs how I paint, compose, organize, and lead. They’re quiet commitments — the private grammar of my public work.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
For a long time, I lived by what others told me was best — following the “safe” paths, listening to expectations that didn’t fully honor who I am at my core. But over time, I realized that true fulfillment comes from alignment, not approval. Today, I no longer move according to what I’m told to do — I move according to what I feel I was born to do. My art, my music, my education foundation — these are not just choices, they are my calling. And living in that truth has brought me more freedom, joy, and abundance than I ever could have imagined.

I wake up every day feeling blessed, fulfilled, and grateful to be living in my purpose. I encourage everyone to support the arts and to empower other artists in your life. Listen to “Lambo Māch” music, watch the Abundance Universe podcast, and check out my new personal development art book “What Is My WHY? How You Can Use Ikigai To Clarify Your Purpose”.

By reading this article you are contributing massive positive energy to my life and making the world a more abundant place. Thank you!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bijanmachen.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/bijanmachen
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bijan-machen/
• Twitter: @bijanmachen
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@bijanmachen

Image Credits
Portraits by @Lichiban + StudioLXR.com