October's Side Hustle is with none other than long time family friend, Travis Jackson.
Having known Travis over the course of the last 3 decades it's almost impossible knowing when and how to start an introduction. Mixing together hilarious charm, purposely awkward questions and comments, alongside his sporty energy, there's no doubt you'll never be able to maintain a dull moment around him. One thing is for certain though: Travis has never stopped drawing. He's always prepared with a pen and sketchbook tucked away in his pockets. Whether at the dinner table, coffee shop, barber shop, or even while riding his bike! Travis always manages to get a line down! You may have seen some of his murals located inside local restaurant Cornish Pasty Co., cocktail bar The Velveteen Rabbit , Meow Wolf's Omega Mart, and MGM Grand Resort's LEVEL UP! With such a unique style and weird characters, his work is easily recognizable amongst the crowd.
It's truly an honor to celebrate him here for all of you !
$5 will ENTER you in a chance to WIN this one of a kind- 1 out of 1 10.5" X 15" painting.
KEEP READING to find out more about this lovely human being !
MAKE SURE TO GRAB YOUR RAFFLE TICKET HERE!!
ARE YOU A FULL TIME ARTIST?
On & off (depending on the month or year) haha
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR CREATIVE OUTLET THAT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER A SIDE HUSTLE OR HAS NOW BECOME A FULL TIME GIG?
Well, I do commercial illustration, paintings, murals, animation, printmaking, gallery work, zines, poster design, apparel, commissioned odd jobs, etc… but to be honest they all seem like slight variations of drawing to me. The mediums may vary in approach & process but at the end of the day - they’re all based on a love for drawing.
WAS THERE A KEY MOMENT IN LIFE THAT INSPIRED YOU TO MOVE FORWARD AND TAKE YOUR CREATIVE OUTLET OR SIDE HUSTLE TO THE NEXT LEVEL?
There have been plenty of key moments & scenarios that pushed me to create full time… but the truth is that I have gone back & forth between doing it on the side vs. full time for the last 17 years.
DO YOU THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR ARTISTS TO HAVE MULTIPLE CREATIVE OUTLETS?
Absolutely. I don’t understand how anybody can do the same thing over & over without losing interest at some point. My inspiration dwindles drastically without some level of stimulation from novel experiences
DO YOU HAVE A CREATIVE OUTLET THAT YOU'D RATHER NOT TURN INTO A SIDE HUSTLE? SOMETHING JUST FOR YOU - THAT HELPS YOU UNWIND AND RELAX?
Yes! I do a lot of large scale ink drawings on newsprint with no premeditation or planning whatsoever. I call them “warm-ups” or “therapy” or a “creative charge” because they are very effective at helping me to loosen up & be present with my mark making habits. Most of my paid gigs can be very precise & refined.. & tend to stiffen me up psychologically. My girlfriend has been telling me that I need to do them on higher quality paper & sell them because some of them end up being my best work.. but I think it’s the fast/intuitive aspect & lack of hesitation that makes them enjoyable (both to make & look at). Obviously, there’s no concern of wasting a 5 cent piece of newsprint so they tend to manifest quickly & boldly & without fear of mistakes.. & the good ones usually end up wheat pasted somewhere in public.
DO YOU HAVE A BIGGER PICTURE OR A VISION OF WHERE A SIDE PROJECT OF YOURS COULD TAKE YOU?
Yeah - I’d love to travel more to do murals & show work in different countries. Although I’ve done a decent amount of large scale / high-paying murals - the vast majority of them have been local. I’ve fantasized most of my life about painting for & amongst completely different cultures (so holler at me if you live outside the U.S. & want odd psychedelic imagery on your wall!! ;)
ANY ADVICE FOR ARTISTS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN BUILDING UP A NEW SIDE BUSINESS OR TAKING THEIR SIDE HUSTLE TO A PROFESSIONAL FULL TIME LEVEL?
Haha yes - Don’t do what I’m doing because it obviously isn’t working!! After you've found your ‘voice’ or ‘style’ or whatever you want to call it - Probably spend more time on sharing & marketing your work & figuring out how to sell yourself instead of making shit obsessively without any regard to how it will help you survive financially. Most of today’s successful artists rely mostly on social media presence & popularity algorithms which i am horrible with. Putting more focus on sharing & fully immersing myself in social media is an ongoing battle that I have been losing for the last decade or so.
DO YOU HAVE ANY ARTISTS THAT HAVE BEEN TRULY INSPIRING OR POTENTIALLY MENTORED YOU IN ANY WAY?
Of course!! Every artist, musician, and creator is influenced by somebody or something. All ideas & creations come from somewhere - even if those inspirations are unconscious. Some of my biggest influences include Will Sweeney, Jim Stoten, Jesse Jacobs, Jim Woodring, Genevieve Castreé, Lisa Hanawalt, Barry McGee, the Dadaists, the Situationists International, Simon Hanselmann, & TONS of music, writers, poets, & photographers (& countless others that I don’t have time or room to list here! P.S. my apologies about any misspelled names)
YOU HAVE ANY RANDOM KNOWLEDGE TO DROP ON US THAT COULD POTENTIALLY PUSH US FORWARD AND PURSUE OUR ALTERNATIVE ARTISTIC PASSIONS?
After 15 years in the field of psychology.. I’d say probably just to question EVERYTHING - especially your own thoughts, beliefs, opinions & behavior. Most people spend their time judging & attempting to mold others when most of us don’t have a clue of why we think & act the way we do. Humans are very peculiar creatures with plenty of faults & infinite potential. Impulsivity has lots of pros & cons, but true intentions hold more weight & value than we often realize.
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU? WEBSITE? INSTAGRAM? TIKTOK?
Avantarded @instagram Also, filthylittlehands.com (currently under construction but coming soon!)
