We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Avery Houser. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Avery below.
Avery, appreciate you joining us today. Are you 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?
I started my mural business a bit backwards. I decided that I wanted to learn how to paint, but I am admittedly bad at having hobbies. I don’t have the dedication it takes to learn a new skill without an endgame or purposeful goal in sight. If I was going to dedicate hours to learning a new skill after quitting a full time job and with two babies at home, I needed a practical reason. I had to make money, so I needed to make my new interest a financial benefit instead of a financial burden. I started a business painting murals, and in the process I learned how to paint murals. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing artistically, knew nothing about mural painting specifically and had no idea how to run a business. It was trial and error (lots of error) for the first three or four years. Honestly, I was terrible at the beginning, but somehow I kept getting hired since my rates were so low. I had a ton of practice through these early, very low-paid projects, and eventually got to the point where I felt confident in the art that I was producing. Over three or four years I developed as an artists, raised my rates and have since been consistently making good money while doing something that I love.
For the first four years that I was in business I made less that $25k profit. Year five I more than doubled my income, and by year six I was consistently earning over 100k. I believe that focusing equally on growing a business while developing my skills allowed me to experience exponential growth as soon as my skills caught up. I was ready with basic negotiating, contracting, legal and financial and administrative knowledge to thrive as soon as I felt that my work was a high enough caliber. I’ve learned to listen to my audience when developing my artistic style and new bodies of work and walk through the doors that open for me. Over the years, I’ve developed a style that is distinctive and recognizable and have grown my client base and portfolio into something I am very proud of. There is a false narrative that exists in the world of the starving artist. Entering into the art world for the purpose of making money allowed me to ignore that concept and approach everything I do from a business mindset. We have to value our own contribution and know our worth before expecting the world to do the same. Once we clear that hurdle, the possibilities are endless.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Avery O Design is a mural design and installation studio. Whether clients have a specific theme or general concept — “Keep Austin Weird,” “ice cream eating ice cream,” “something with an armadillo” — or just a blank wall and an open invitation, my team and I work to bring the space to life through creative design. My hand-painted and hand-drawn graphics utilize clean linework, strong color combos and repeating patterns to create intricate but simple art pieces with a deep story potential. Characters and scenery are often layered into my work. Many of my murals start as simple illustrations that morph into full-scale mural concepts as the process and positive energy take over the narrative as the driving force. My ultimate goal in all of my work is to express joy and the playful spirit of my community.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Social media has made this one of the best and easiest times to be an artist, but is also one of the greatest challenges. Instagram and Facebook allow us to instantly get our work out there in front of large crowds of people and provide us new and innovative ways to sell and promote our work and our stories. But with that comes a heavy dose of imposter syndrome through constant comparison to other artists. Since I started my creative career path by accident, I am constantly questioning myself and my artistic journey. Do I really belong here? Do I deserve to be here? Look at all these other amazing artists! How can I ever compare? It has been a continuous struggle for me to accept that I AM an artist and that I AM successful at what I do. Constant comparison can lead quickly to overwhelming self-doubt if we allow it. I am so grateful for the community of fellow artists and art fans that help me through my doubts and fears. I got over my imposter syndrome and fear by finding my “other thing.” Instead of just showcasing my art, I showcased my personality. I became “the dancing muralist” and posted silly videos dancing in front of my completed murals or dancing through the painting process. Since starting my silly dance party mission I’ve been recognized in grocery stores, music festivals and sidewalks, so it’s somehow working for me! Organic growth is so much more important than the number of followers. 4000 dedicated followers have a much greater impact than 20000 purchased.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
The goal of public art is to cultivate curiosity, spark imagination, and engage the community in a meaningful way. Art can be a tribute, a challenge, an inspiration or a celebration. The past few years have been challenging enough for a lifetime, so art that uplifts is more important now than ever. Joy and imagination are the fundamentals on which my artistic practice is built and I strive to share that spirit as often as I can.. Many of my murals start as simple illustrations that morph into full scale mural concepts as the process and positive energy take over the narrative as the driving force. I hope to express a playful energy with all of my work. I spend my days designing, painting, playing and dancing. I hate cooking dinner and believe that a 100% taco diet is completely acceptable.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.averyodesign.com
- Instagram: @averyodesign
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AveryODesign
Image Credits
Lynae Carroll