We were lucky to catch up with Brandon Minga recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brandon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories 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?
This is a great question and it has a bit of a long answer, so I’ll try to keep it short. Keep in mind this is NOT the how-to end-all be-all answer, your journey is yours, and mine is relative but not the same.
Establish a general idea of what it is you think you want to do. The best way to do that is to pay attention to what fulfills you as a creative and/or just as a person in everyday life. What do you love to do with your time, regardless of whether it’s creative or not? Let’s say you love mountain biking. There’s a whole marketing/design agency that creates for brands like Trek. You could be creating for a lifestyle brand that you already love. Think about everything you see, someone or some company is creating, designing, and building it. Think about that and start looking for the sources of those things you like/love. That’s very designer of me, what if you’re pursuing sculpture? It’s relative, apply the same thinking, do some research find other artists doing similar work. Pay attention to the clients, and pay attention to city, national, and international RPF’s (Request For Proposals). CODA is an amazing resource. Pay attention to who’s representing these artists: galleries, agencies, etc.
Now, you’ve got an idea of what it is you think you’d like to do and how to get there. I sort of answered this in the last paragraph, but let’s dig a little deeper. There’s a ton of shit you’re going to run into while trying to pursue your dreams and adulting (and it never stops). Life isn’t about what’s happening, it’s about how you react to it, no matter how large the obstacles. Dreams of running your own creative practice and/or working in your desired creative field takes time, patience, and perseverance. You’re going to have to do things you don’t like and experience some level of trauma in pursuit of your dreams. If you let the world/people/yourself/things hold you down, you’ll never truly be fulfilled or find your dream job. Everything has a silver lining, and you have to find it and stay focused on your goal. If you’re focused on the bad shit that’s happening that’s all that’s happening and you can get diverted from your path or stuck. I’m not saying to ignore these things, I’m saying feel them and deal with them and recognize that this is just a moment in your timeline/journey.
I keep mentioning this “path.” The path inevitably leads to what you’re supposed to be doing. Deep, I know, but let’s entertain the concept that the path is already there, you just have to find it. You’re going to have roles in order to gain the experience you need to get to your dreams. You may not have identified specifically what that dream is, but it doesn’t matter really in the beginning. Just starting in a direction toward a general sense of what you want to do is okay. If you want to be a director/boss, you’ll need production experience, you’ll need great design chops, you’ll need to be able to write/articulate your concepts, and you’ve gotta have personality. People are generally buying into you, and we all have our own personal brands.
PATH: production design (or producing your work) / designer / art director / creative director / director
For me this path looked like this (see below) while always freelancing, I never stopped and now my “freelance” is my company:
MY PATH: Lost in High School (strong potential in the arts)/ create a human (have my daughter) / MIAD(college)/ Freelancing thru college / FedEx Kinko’s / Freelancing thru job / (land first start at artistic career) Apparel designer (get laid off) / Freelancing thru career. Strictly rely on my freelancing now / Contract Designer for Kohler Co. / Contract Art Director of InStore Marketing for Kohl’s Corp. / Running the Mingadigm full time / Create the House of RAD while still running the Mingadigm…
NOTE: During this time I experience a bunch of fucked up shit, people trying to hold me back, people stealing my ideas, got stuck a few times for hot minutes, BUT in all this, I always tried to see the silver lining. I look back now and EVERYTHING I’ve experienced and learned prepared me for creating and running the House of RAD while simultaneously being a full-time artist running the Mingadigm.
I’m in my 11th year running my company, the Mingadigm and I’ve been pursuing it for 19 years. This really just means I formed an LLC, organized my work into a website, got some insurance, and called it a company (Fake it till you make it). It took me 8 years to get to a point where I was making enough money with my freelance work to jump and do it full time. I got stuck on some things and some extremely difficult situations, but never stopped dreaming and trying different things, and pursuing those dreams. If something’s not working or causing pain, try to identify what that is and try something different, and/or recognize that in order to grow, there’s going to be some level of pain/discomfort. The pursuit of the so-called “American Dream,” the I’m going to run my own business type of dream is super fucking hard, so fucking hard. BUT the returns on doing and/or pursuing what you love are intoxicatingly fulfilling.
Long story long, FUCKING BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, no one will until you do!
Brandon, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Brandon Minga, and I’m a multidisciplinary artist with over 20 years of professional experience. As the creator and resident artist of the House of RAD (Resident Artist Doers), I’ve built a vibrant creative community that fosters innovation and collaboration among artists, entrepreneurs, and businesses. From my studio in the House of RAD, I also own and operate Mingadigm, a boutique agency specializing in branding, identities, interiors, murals, sculpture, and commissioned art (which, again, is just me).
Backing up a bit—I attended the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design in 2004, where I honed my craft and learned the process of critical thinking. I graduated with a BFA in Illustration, with a strong emphasis on graphic design. Essentially, I was more of a fine artist than an illustrator, and more of an illustrator than a designer—and I still am, regardless of the medium. My interests are vast, and I enjoy experimenting, so the jump from graphic illustration to sculpture didn’t take much. I just needed access to the tools and knowledge. When I had my first artist-in-residence experience at Flux Design here in Milwaukee, my art career really started to take off. My mentor there was the artist and owner of the company, Jeremy Shamrowicz. I worked there in 2015, and in 2016, Jeremy decided to take me to Burning Man. That experience changed my perspective on how I was making art, as well as what communities could be. It reignited my idea for the House of RAD. Then, in 2017, I returned the favor to Jeremy and took him back “home” to the burn.
At the end of 2019, I made my first few payments toward a studio that would become a shared space, eventually leading to the first hRAD. Three more artists joined me in 2020, creating the first iteration of hRAD. We expanded to 1,000 sq ft for nine months, then again to 13,000 sq ft with 14 artists. Nine months later, our landlords realized what a success we had on our hands and doubled the rent—fuck that—so we moved again. This time, we expanded to 35,000 sq ft with 24 artists. Now, three years later, we’re moving again. Of course, this new landlord tried the same thing—making money off the artists. So, we’re moving into a two-story historic 67,000 sq ft space in the Menomonee Valley, bringing 63 artists and members with us. The difference this time? The artists own this building. Oh, and did I mention that during all this madness, I was still making artwork under Mingadigm!?
My artwork is showcased through various channels, with a strong emphasis on community-focused public art projects. While my work is primarily exhibited throughout Southeastern Wisconsin, it has also gained national and international recognition. Locally, I was commissioned to create a 27’x15’ 3D mixed-media mural for the Black Cat Alley public art space and have been a two-time finalist in the Pfister Hotel Artist in Residence program.
At the new Fiserv Forum, my impact is twofold: I was selected to create a mixed-media triptych for the Milwaukee Bucks Collection, and my work was featured at the Candy Lab store, where I designed all the wall, floor, and lollipop graphics. Live art events are a significant part of my career, including creating live art for non-profits such as Feeding America’s annual benefit, Feed Your Soul.
Notably, I created the “Together Feathers” sculpture for Uptown Crossing’s Pocket Park, which received the 2020 Mayor’s Design Award. I also designed and built a 15-foot-tall sculptural interpretation of a jellyfish, the “Salva-Jelly,” in downtown Green Bay, WI. It’s solar-powered with 300 LEDs that illuminate at dusk daily. I was able to employ 13 artists, mostly from the House of RAD. One of my most impactful projects is with America’s Black Holocaust Museum, where I art-directed and created all graphics from production through print and installation. My work on the Neighborhood Markers for the Near West Side Partners earned me the 2022 Mayor’s Design Award. In 2024, I created six large digital murals and a sextet of fine art pieces for The We Energies Foundation Art Collection at the Baird Center. A space-making public art project was the Beerline Plaza renovation, involving multiple teams—from middle schoolers to college architecture students and the neighborhood BID. Most recently, the House of RAD celebrated its collection of artwork at the Trade Hotel, where I curated custom-commissioned pieces in collaboration with hRAD artists.
Yes, this is a lot. But remember—there’s a path or purpose for everyone. This is mine: to kick ass and make cool shit! For real though, my purpose is to create a safe space where creatives can thrive and realize their potential.
Thinking about how my career took off, I realized it was because I had access to tools, knowledge, and community. So, I’ve been asking myself: how can I help artists reach their potential faster than the 20 years it took me? That’s the mission I’ve been on. The House of RAD is built by artists, for artists.
Someday, I might get back to focusing solely on making art. Maybe. Definitely maybe.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
BOOKS:
The Power of Now
The law of attraction by Deepak
The Seven Spirituals Laws of Success by Deepak
Making ideas happen
Brand Against the Machine
Designing Brand Identity
Book of Ideas V1 & 2
The Scene That Became Cities: What Burning Man Can Teach Us About Building Better Communities by Caveat Magister (Benjamin Wachs)
WEBSITES:
creativecapital.org
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
As creatives, we see things differently by nature. Creating something where one can catch a glimpse of that vision is definitely rewarding. To help clients/public see things in a different light and just in general helping folks make things more beautiful and visually interesting.
Contact Info:
- Website: Mingadigm.com, HouseofRADmke.com
- Instagram: @brandonminga @house_of_rad_mke
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brandon.minga, https://www.facebook.com/HouseofRADllc/
Image Credits
Eric Purdue