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It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)
Year: 2023
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 12 × 24 inches
Artist: Andre Alsup
Inspiration: Skateboarding, overcoming fear, taking risks, and finding humor in life's biggest challenges.
"It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll." It's a classic AC/DC lyric, but I've always felt like it applies to a lot more than just music. Especially skateboarding.
One of the things I love most about skateboarding is how it completely changes your perspective on the world. Suddenly, everything looks taller, steeper, and a whole lot scarier than it actually is. A set of stairs, a handrail, or even a little drop can look absolutely terrifying when you're standing at the top of it with a skateboard under your feet. And sometimes, just looking at something is enough to convince yourself that there's no way in hell you're going to do it.
That's where the idea for this painting came from.
I wanted to create something funny, ridiculous, and a little exaggerated that captured that feeling of standing at the bottom of something enormous and wondering how you're ever going to conquer it. So I painted a tiny skateboarder standing at the bottom of a ridiculously massive vert ramp, staring up at something that seems to stretch endlessly into the sky.
The bright pink background, simple cartoon character, and absurd proportions make the whole thing feel playful and almost childish. It's not supposed to be serious at first glance. It's supposed to make you laugh and maybe remember a time when something in your own life seemed impossibly big.
But there's actually something meaningful behind the joke.
Skateboarding has taught me a lot about fear. The anticipation of trying something new is often so much worse than actually doing it. You can stand there for hours convincing yourself that you're going to fall, get hurt, or completely embarrass yourself. And sometimes you do. Sometimes you eat shit. That's just part of it.
But then there's that moment when you finally commit. You stop overthinking, push yourself forward, and actually land something you never thought you could do.
That feeling is almost impossible to describe. It's euphoric. It's this incredible rush of excitement, relief, confidence, and disbelief all happening at once. Something that seemed completely impossible just a few moments earlier suddenly becomes something you've accomplished. And the funny thing is, once you've done it, it usually doesn't look nearly as scary anymore.
I think life works the same way.
We spend so much time staring up at the things that intimidate us, whether it's a new opportunity, a personal challenge, or something we're terrified of failing at. We build these obstacles up in our heads until they seem impossibly large. But sometimes the only way to realize what we're capable of is to stop staring at the obstacle and actually give it a shot.
This painting is a reminder not to take everything so seriously. Life is intimidating enough without making every challenge feel like the end of the world. Sometimes you have to laugh at how ridiculous something looks, accept that you might fall on your ass, and try it anyway.
Because whether you're skateboarding, chasing a dream, or just trying to figure out life, it's a long way to the top.
But the feeling you get when you finally make it is worth every fall along the way.
Year: 2023
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions: 12 × 24 inches
Artist: Andre Alsup
Inspiration: Skateboarding, overcoming fear, taking risks, and finding humor in life's biggest challenges.
"It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll." It's a classic AC/DC lyric, but I've always felt like it applies to a lot more than just music. Especially skateboarding.
One of the things I love most about skateboarding is how it completely changes your perspective on the world. Suddenly, everything looks taller, steeper, and a whole lot scarier than it actually is. A set of stairs, a handrail, or even a little drop can look absolutely terrifying when you're standing at the top of it with a skateboard under your feet. And sometimes, just looking at something is enough to convince yourself that there's no way in hell you're going to do it.
That's where the idea for this painting came from.
I wanted to create something funny, ridiculous, and a little exaggerated that captured that feeling of standing at the bottom of something enormous and wondering how you're ever going to conquer it. So I painted a tiny skateboarder standing at the bottom of a ridiculously massive vert ramp, staring up at something that seems to stretch endlessly into the sky.
The bright pink background, simple cartoon character, and absurd proportions make the whole thing feel playful and almost childish. It's not supposed to be serious at first glance. It's supposed to make you laugh and maybe remember a time when something in your own life seemed impossibly big.
But there's actually something meaningful behind the joke.
Skateboarding has taught me a lot about fear. The anticipation of trying something new is often so much worse than actually doing it. You can stand there for hours convincing yourself that you're going to fall, get hurt, or completely embarrass yourself. And sometimes you do. Sometimes you eat shit. That's just part of it.
But then there's that moment when you finally commit. You stop overthinking, push yourself forward, and actually land something you never thought you could do.
That feeling is almost impossible to describe. It's euphoric. It's this incredible rush of excitement, relief, confidence, and disbelief all happening at once. Something that seemed completely impossible just a few moments earlier suddenly becomes something you've accomplished. And the funny thing is, once you've done it, it usually doesn't look nearly as scary anymore.
I think life works the same way.
We spend so much time staring up at the things that intimidate us, whether it's a new opportunity, a personal challenge, or something we're terrified of failing at. We build these obstacles up in our heads until they seem impossibly large. But sometimes the only way to realize what we're capable of is to stop staring at the obstacle and actually give it a shot.
This painting is a reminder not to take everything so seriously. Life is intimidating enough without making every challenge feel like the end of the world. Sometimes you have to laugh at how ridiculous something looks, accept that you might fall on your ass, and try it anyway.
Because whether you're skateboarding, chasing a dream, or just trying to figure out life, it's a long way to the top.
But the feeling you get when you finally make it is worth every fall along the way.