Many of Bryan Holyk’s colleagues and clients are into things like golf. Some enjoy skiing.
But Holyk has found a different hobby offering a much-needed break from his work days as a wealth manager.
“I gave it everything I had. I was putting in 80-hour weeks,” said Holyk. “It got to the point where I needed to do something to relax.”
His is a thunderous Zen filled with pounding metal and endless sparks.
It all started nine years ago with an interest in welding and trips to the local scrapyard for some practice material.
“Junk to some people,” said Holyk. “When I was going to university I worked construction for two summers, water and sewer, and I was used to getting my hands dirty.”
Watching YouTube videos, he’s been learning on the fly.
“I started looking online a lot, and dreaming about what else I could do, got a sketchbook and started thinking about bigger and bigger projects,” said Holyk.
Holyk has created increasingly complex designs, culminating in what he calls his “Frankensphere.”
“It’s all cut up and sort of crudely sort of put back together,” he said of the work.
He’s sold some pieces and donated others to charity. Some just serve as an escape from the office.
“Sitting at a computer all day only sort of satisfies the one side of my brain,” said Holyk. “There’s some magic that happens some days. I call it the flow. At the end of the day, I look back and I don’t even know where it came from. I don’t how I did it,” he added.
“Ultimately what I would like to do is some public art. Some very big pieces. I think I’m just getting started.”