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Former art teacher Jeff Farber took many of the lessons he learned during his time as a teacher to help contribute to his current work: making art out of broken video game consoles, controllers and accessories.

Farber would teach during the day and repair old video game systems as a side business. As he came across more and more systems that were unrepairable, he started to have some ideas on how their parts could be repurposed into something usable.

“The first creative build I made with a Nintendo was with a lunchbox… people were blown away… it sorta just went from there,” he says.

Farber gets his materials from auctions, donations, eBay and “junk” from game stores, and makes sure to only use broken, nonworking items in his creations.

Working with video games is really special for Farber, as he enjoys that he is able to bring back good memories for those that see his pieces.

“Video games usually have a special place in everyone’s heart… when they see one of my pieces, they just become a kid again,” he explains.

At first, Farber was motivated by the fear that his new business would not work out. When he became more established, challenge became his motivator, which he has currently been finding through other artistic mediums such as melted sculpture art.

“I really love the challenge of [art]. I’m constantly challenging myself, and that’s why I think I don’t get stuck in a rut of making the same thing over and over. I challenge myself to break out of my comfort zone,” he says.

Farber says leaving his teaching job was incredibly scary, but he is extremely happy that he committed to following his dream of making a living from his passions.

“I would like to give a shoutout to all the artists (who) are not sure about if they want to pursue their passions…the risk is so worth the fulfillment that you get out of following your passions, your dream… I would recommend to any artist out there to stick with it, and to go with your gut feeling. It’ll never let you down,” he says.

Farber can be found online at www.1upforge.com, as well as on Etsy @1upForge.