We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Yowyow a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Yowyow, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
The first time someone paid me for a piece was when I was living in London. A dear Venezuelan friend I met there liked one of my sketches. It’s worth mentioning that I had never made a painting, let alone worked with larger formats. He commissioned a couple of my designs in large format for payment. He saw my potential, and his words made me believe a little that I could do more things. I prepared about 12 pieces in that format using the same technique, and on my day off from the restaurant, I went to a well-known street called Camden Town in search of a place where I could sit and display my pieces. I had the idea that I would sell them all that day, and honestly, I wasn’t too far from reality. I sold 9 pieces. For my first sale in that place, I didn’t know how much to charge, so I decided to let the person choose how much to give me. From that moment on, that was my price for all that time.
Yowyow, 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?
Since I was young, I have always been connected to graffiti culture; however, I didn’t know that this could be a profession and a way to make a living, so I had to set it aside to pursue my career as a graphic designer. After emigrating and meeting people who thought what I did was cool, they encouraged me to reach that goal that I had suppressed for so long. Nevertheless, I continue designing. I believe one of the important lessons this has taught me is that your social circle greatly influences you and your path. I am a self-taught artist and I don’t confine myself to any technique or concept; I innovate and explore every idea that comes to mind. Currently, I have two major projects, “RescataTuEncava” and “Los Mensajeros.” The first showcases the subculture of buses in my country and how each one has its own language. The second talks about seizing the day and always keeping the idea of “memento mori” in mind. In addition to this, I have freelance projects designing and creating content. What I am most proud of is where I am now. I always look back on my timeline and see that I have made progress, and that is the most important thing for me: ‘stagnant water is poisoned water.’
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Connect with people who do what I would like to do
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Live from what makes me feel alive
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soy.yowyow/
