We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Daniel Lai a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Daniel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I have been a full time artists for over eight years now. My transition was organic, meaning that I was guided into the business without much premeditated efforts. From someone offering to buy my work after I finished it to some gallerist wanting to show my work, there was always some form of encouragement that motivated me to make art. This motivation occurred even when I set my mind to pursue other things full time. Within the first year of my PhD program, (I was studying criminology,) a show director convinced me to participate in their art event. I rejected them several times because the PhD program was demanding and they would not quit. I finally gave in and participated that weekend. Guess what. I sold everything! That’s when I realized I didn’t have to eat ramen noodles every night! I subsequently graduated, quit academia, and became a full time artist. The journey has been wonderful and inspiring.

Daniel, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Narrative art is art that tells stories; My narrative sculptures tell stories of lived moments. From food to social issues, inspirations abound. As an immigrant in the US who has studied linguistics, art history, and criminology, my art uses metaphors to respond to injustices and to explore the mundane, for example, bad governance and the penny I found in the parking lot. Transcending the limitation of words, the expressions in my three-dimensional work encompass humor, intellect, and a variety of emotions.

Good art to me comes from the perspective or the lived experience of the artist. Like stories told in words, what an artist feels compelled to tell in art is always worth exploring. Human experiences told in a static, non-linear visual form can reach the kind of emotional response that spoken words may not accomplish.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

During the Covid vaccine roll-out, I made a piece of art titled In Love with St Sebastian. (Image attached.) The story behind the piece goes as follows: I’ve always loved the gay icon St Sebastian. I made this piece to reflect the parallel between two events – St Sebastian surviving the onslaught of tyrannical arrows and Dr. Fauci prevailing over conservative arrows of lies and disinformation. The figure is contemplating the power of truths and the book represents scientific truths. Scientific facts remain factual regardless of attacks with disinformation, hate, and violence.
After posting this on my newsletter and social media, I got some backlash (as usual) – one of two (un)subscribers told me I lost their sales because they were conservative. One artist follower told me to “take my political commentary elsewhere.” To their credit, and much of my surprise, all were polite.

A few days later, an Instagram follower of mine loved the story and bought the piece! A first-time buyer!

I have been making political art for over fifteen years; more so in the last seven. All political pieces have been sold. Same old s—t before the sales – “you just lost a sale!” “take your politics elsewhere!” I would tell my younger self the moral of the story – be true to your art, your inspirations, and you. Caveat: true does not mean uncivil, cruel, and harmful. Neither does it mean rigid nor mediocre. I am not encouraging artists to offend the group that I have offended. I take no pleasure in offending them… that is a lie. It is also a lie to say that I had no fear, anxiety, or doubts. My point is if your heart has something to say, say it with a passion. Don’t say it in whispers – where is the satisfaction in that? Trying to please everyone is a losing battle and unrealistic. If you expect everybody to love your work, sorry, you won’t make enough money for therapy. Do not let anyone tell you what you cannot do. Authenticity will find the right demographics. The “passionate voice” in your art will attract the right buyers.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

There are three things that I think non-creatives should understand. They are talent, skill, and creativity. Talent refers to a flair or predisposition with which one is born. Skills require training, practice, and experience. One may be a very talented dancer but, to be better, they need to train and rehearse. A skillful sculptor can foresee, prevent, and/or overcome problems in ways that talent alone will not suffice.

Lastly, creativity refers to the ability to solve a problem in ways that have never been done before. The word implies ingenuity. One does not have to be in the arts to be creative. A maid getting rid of a stain in a new way is creative. A sunset landscape painted in an impressionist style is not creative because it has been done thousand of times since the dawn of modern art in the late 1800’s. It does not mean it’s not good. It does not mean it’s not beautiful. It does not even mean it’s not worth the money you paid for it. It’s just not creative, although the painter may be very talented and skillful.

I think one can reach a new level of art appreciation when these three uninterchangeable terms are understood clearly.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artbydaniellai.com/
• Instagram: @artbydaniellai
• Facebook: Art by Daniel Lai

Image Credits
Daniel Lai