We recently connected with Ezra McKalmus and have shared our conversation below.
Ezra, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
Say it with me three times: Merchandise.
Merchandise.
Merchandise!
From personal experience, I can promise, to any visual artist out there, that scanning/documenting all of your work and manufacturing Merchandise to sell to your collectors & patrons is the absolute best investment you can make for yourself!
You may be able to sell a painting for a few hundred, or even a few thousand dollars.
However, you can sell a print of that painting for 25 bucks or more. And you can continue to sell those your entire life.
Having your designs screen printed onto t-shirts,
Having stickers available,
Limited-edition enamel pins, coffee mugs, etc etc… The list goes on indefinitely!
Nothing propells my business more than regular sales online, and in-person, of collectible Whatezra merchandise!
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?
At the beginning of my professional career, you could find me out & about on the weekends at local bars & concert venues – live painting portraits of the musicians as they performed their sets.
A few sales eventually led me to fund a screenprinter buddy of mine to print goofy graphic designs on t-shirts.
I quickly became a merchandise manufacturing maniac.
That’s where the real hustle began.
Other than my annual gallery shindigs in March-
Today, I’m typically at home/in the studio working non-stop. You won’t find me out much.
Some of the services I provide include,
Portraiture, exterior & interior murals, graphic design & illustrations, and creative consultations.
I just executed a pretty gnarly floral mural in the neighborhood of North College Hill, at Osterbrock Florist on West Galbraith road.
The mural wraps all the way around the building – 360 degreees.
My first time renting a scissor-lift is something I’ll never forget!
Some of my favorite work however,
Is working side-by-side with other creatives.
The last couple years I’ve put a good amount of effort into branching out to work with other brands & artists.
Some of those projects include:
*Findlay Hats (Portland, OR)
*Foreign Feelinz Apparel
(Cincinnati, OH)
*Glowtronics (NY)
blacklight/UV tapestries
*Media collaborstions with notorious photographer M.David.Jenkins (Cincinnati)
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Other than making people smile, laugh, and cry, my only goal in my creative journey is to be able to support myself financially, now & throughout my life.
And to just be blunt:
I’ve already accomplished that goal.
However, Hoping my carreer doesn’t plateau anytime soon, because I have many plans for the future. Near and far.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I’m going to quote a friend of mine, who happens to be one of my favorite artists, on that question.
What’s my view on NFTs?
“When I hear someone say “NFT”,
my brain kinda just shuts off.”
~Gavin Gerundo AKA ‘Gavinger’
Contact Info:
- Website: Whatezra.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/whatezra
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/WhatEzra/
- Other: Linktr.ee/whatezra
Image Credits
Vinatge exposure photograph of myself shot by M.David.Jenkins on a 1955 Rolleicord (German model 120mm camera)