Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Naomi Duben. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Naomi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?
Interview Answers
I absolutely adore this question. Never having been a full-time artist and perpetually juggling a day job with my artistic pursuits, perusing through the list of prompts felt like, “Well, this doesn’t apply to me, and this certainly doesn’t quite resonate.”
With a perfect storm of events—getting married, relocating to a new state, leaving my full-time job with the unwavering support of my husband, and taking the plunge into being an “Art-trepreneur” for the first time—stumbling upon this question feels as serendipitous.
As long as I can remember (and still to this day), my perpetual desire to fit in has been a constant. But being an artist, possessing a creative mindset (and a high likelihood of undiagnosed ADHD), keeping up with the Kardashians has been an uphill battle. Distinguishing my creative uniqueness from awkward weirdness was a challenge to conquer. It turns out that what I thought was wrong with me was precisely what people adored and loved.
This sense of being an outsider and eyeing greener pastures led me to attend two different high schools, spending two years at each, double majoring in college in visual art and business, a constant feeling of missing out. Post-graduation, I dove headfirst into a full-time corporate job. I commend those who traveled the country solo or with friends or did something unreasonable before settling into their daily grinds.
For many people in their early 20s, before knowing who they are or what they want, work becomes a necessity. The nature of that work often dictated by what you studied, or what you stumbled into, disregarding your boundaries, strengths, fulfillment, or life balance.
One thing I knew for certain was that I was passionate about art and good at it. The city I grew up in happened to host a huge international street chalk painting festival every summer, introduced to me by my high school art teacher. Even after graduating and moving, I returned every year to participate in the annual tradition. I hadn’t known at the time just how renowned this chalk festival was, hosting artists from around the country and the world. Returning to the chalk festival was like a reunion of artists and family.
After years of participating in the single chalk event, I began receiving invitations to chalk festivals in other cities and eventually around the country. Budgets and stipends were allocated, and over time I found myself at the airport almost every other weekend in the summer. The opportunity to reunite with my chalk family from around the globe was exhilarating, and participating in such a public display of art fueled my creativity. My pieces grew larger in size as my experience and technique expanded, and the competitiveness and focus to finish in a two-day period were a godsend for my ADHD!
Now, all of this happened while working a full-time job. The jobs changed, but the art remained a consistent flame. A caveat for myself and my fellow day-job-working chalk artists was that we occasionally had to miss a Friday from the workweek, particularly during the summer, due to our traveling chalk art schedules. Depending on the employer, it either worked out or didn’t. But the prevailing theme was clear—the day job was merely funding the passion, and nothing could stand in the way of that.
My most recent job came around as I struggled to fit into the mold of a model employee. It became abundantly clear—a feisty challenge to authority, a relentless questioning of what didn’t make sense to me, the struggle of adhering to a routine without change, and the drain of being an extreme extrovert in a desk job that demanded no interaction, only data input. A data entry job might be draining for anyone (maybe, my husband, an introvert, loves *not talking to people), but for someone who gets energized by being around people, 40 hours a week in silence was brutal. Not to mention, no weekends off. With chalk festivals monopolizing my weekends and the impossibility of missing too much work, I found myself taking red-eyes to the East Coast, drawing 10-foot images in chalk over two days, then hopping on a red-eye back to California to be back in my seat by Monday morning. It was creatively fulfilling and nourishing, but not only was it physically exhausting—I didn’t have time to savor or appreciate the experience. It was like watching multiple movies back to back in a row. Nor did I get to enjoy the cities I was chalking in—I’ve been to Minnesota four times now and have yet to see the Mall of Americas (though I’ve heard it’s not all it’s cracked up to be ;P ).
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from my last job, it’s that this wild, distracted social butterfly needs to be free. I need to interact with people, paint children’s faces, create public works of art, be exposed to a wider network through social media, travel, learn, and hone my skills. In my exit interview, the director of project management from a previous job told me, “You don’t belong here inside all day, confined in these walls. I could see you as a barista sketching doodles on napkins.” When I shared this with a friend, she exclaimed, “She told you to leave your tech job to go work at a coffee shop?! Oh, hell naw.” At the time, I thought I was missing the offense, but now I finally see what she was getting at.
Fast forward to today. I find myself married, with joint finances, liberated from a full-time structure, and in a new city and state finding my footing (figuratively and literally! It snows here – and as a quintessential Californian, I am losing my mind navigating how to function!) I’m at a pivotal point where I get to rediscover life—what does it look like now that I’m clear about what I don’t want? What am I going to fill it with, what am I going to “paint”?
It’s been fun having new conversations for the first time with artists who pursued the full-time route and found success, and still continuing to discover it for themselves. I’m discovering that there’s no greener grass in art. Everyone has their stories, struggles, journeys, and victories. Wherever I am in mine, the uphill battle isn’t actually a bad thing, and it’s kind of exciting to realize that the hill has no top. 😏
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Hey there, I’m Naomi Duben, and I’m excited to share my artistic journey with you. I’ve made my mark, showcasing my work in galleries such as the Sanchez Contemporary Art Gallery, Ironstone Vineyards, Resurrect Oakland Art Gallery, Expressions Gallery, and various RAW Artist showcases. Based in Los Angeles, CA, I specialize in a wide range of artistic expressions, including chalk art, paintings, mixed media, murals, signage, and live event painting.
My creative process involves playing with highlights and shadows, using warm and cool colors to bring visual depth to my art. I’m particularly drawn to the art of collage, weaving together objects, textiles, and decorative papers to create a vibrant explosion of color, draftsmanship, and a sense of wonder. Merging realism with fantasy captivates and draws the eye, making my work stand out.
Whether I’m face painting at children’s birthday parties, teaching paint and sip classes, or contributing murals to the creative chaos of Burning Man, I thrive in diverse environments. The public nature of chalk art and murals allows me to connect with audiences, display corporate logos, convey messages, and evoke emotions in ways that traditional gallery art might not achieve.
My brand is not just about artistic talent but also a genuine love for people. I’m adaptable to various scenarios, and I cherish the opportunity to inspire others through my art. From the intimate joy of a child’s face paint to the immersive experience of a Burning Man mural, I find fulfillment in making a social impact and connecting with people through my creative expressions.
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.
I have been so surprised when I talk to people and find out how many individuals are actually watching and following my art journey on social media. Even more so when I discover how many are silent and just doom-scrolling, with no way of knowing unless you talk to them!
I always danced or painted in pursuit of doing what makes me happy, looking up and doing the things I like to do no matter where I was visiting or living. I had no idea there was a whole population of people who actually felt more fear around that. I kept hearing them say, “Wow, Naomi, I wish I could do that; that’s so cool, I’m so envious.” Perhaps it was social ridicule, perhaps it was the fear of failing, perhaps it was not knowing where or how to start, or putting off personal passions for a later day.
Something that was really moving and eye-opening for me was when I taught my first Paint-and-Sip class. With all the materials already supplied, walking them through step by step instruction, it created a less intimidating introduction into the joy of painting. Suddenly there was a whole new world created for people and their experience of themselves – as artists – some for the very first time! Wine, of course, never hurts, but people began talking to each other and meeting people they didn’t know. They asked for help, took risks, mistakenly sipped they’re paint water and dunked their brushes into their drinks, they laughed. It was in seeing the incredible work at the end of class and the beaming proud faces of each participant, that I realized teaching paint classes wasn’t merely just to make myself an extra dollar, but really the power it had in breaking through to people’s inner creativity they must have locked up since childhood and hadn’t since been accessed—it was very cool.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Today, I’m focusing on creating more permanent artwork—specifically, interior and exterior murals. While I’ve dedicated many years to crafting stunning (temporary) chalk art, which I certainly don’t plan to give up, what I truly desire now is to physically guide people to places worldwide where they can witness and experience my art in person.
Contact Info:
- Website: naomiduben.com
- Instagram: @naomiduben and @iloveomiee
- Facebook: Naomi Duben Art
- Linkedin: Naomi Duben
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iloveomiee and https://www.youtube.com/@naomiduben1016
Image Credits
Seth Neuffer