Expanding Your Skillset to Respond to Opportunities with Detour (#128)

Detour travels to communities all over to paint socially
impactful murals, but he also works on canvas, and in music,
installation and sculpture. How does he do it all, and do it all
by himself?


In this episode of The Art Biz, I talked with Detour about his
various income streams from prints and murals to corporate
sponsorships and grants. He is adamant that he doesn't want to be
limited by what he currently knows, so he's always learning how
to use new technologies that will help him land complex
opportunities. He's not afraid to admit that the best way to
approach an artistic problem is probably something he hasn't done
before. And Detour is big on collaboration and presenting himself
in the most professional light because, as he says, you never
know who is watching. Be sure to listen for the questions he asks
himself before agreeing to take on new work. This is an inspiring
conversation that you won’t want to miss.


Highlights




Carving out new and alternative paths in the art world.
(5:00)




Merging your career skills with your creative opportunities.
(9:09)




How Detour found his artist voice while creating interactive
art ‘for the people.’ (11:40)




Detour’s active and passive income streams. (17:22)




Planning for sporadic paychecks in advance. (22:15)




How Detour’s MBA has benefitted his artist endeavors. (25:38)




The importance of building relationships with everyone in
your artist community. (28:09)




Collaborating with other artists to add value to your work.
(32:24)




Questions to ask when considering—or turning
down—opportunities. (34:53)




A look at Detour’s typical week. (37:05)




Finding fun and balance in the work of every day. (40:18)




Why is it important to be an artist who helps other artists?
(44:44)




 


Mentioned




Detour’s book, Be The Artist




Hiero Veiga




IamDetour.com




@Detour303 on Instagram




I Am Detour on YouTube




 


The Art Biz Connection


The Wildly Productive Get Organized Challenge for Your
Art Biz


 


Resources




Show notes, images, and listener comments




How to Price Your Art free report




Art Biz Connection artist membership




 


Quotes




“I want to make sure when I’m presented with an opportunity
to solve an idea creatively, I’m not limited by what I’m used
to doing.” — Detour




“You never know what will work until you throw something out
there and it sticks.” — Detour




“When you do art you never know exactly who’s looking at it.”
— Detour




“Everything I do in life is related to art making and
sharing.” — Detour




 


Guest Bio


Thomas Evans, a.k.a. Detour, is an all-around creative
specializing in large scale public art, interactive visuals,
portraiture, immersive spaces, and creative directing. His focus
is to create work where art and innovation meet. A born
collaborator and “military brat,” Detour pulls from every
conceivable experience that shapes his landscapes and
perspectives. Explaining Detour’s work is no easy task, as
ongoing experimentations in visual art, music, and interactive
technologies have his practice continually expanding. With his
ever-evolving approach to art, Detour’s focus is on expanding
customary views of creativity and challenging fine-art paradigms
by mixing traditional mediums with new approaches—all the while
opening up the creative process from that of a singular artist to
one that thrives on multi-layered collaboration and viewer
participation.