We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chris Limeres a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Chris, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

This was a question that I definitely dug into, but I actually didn’t end up coming close to generating profit off any of my work or commerce until around 2021, which was at the boom of my digital art production. At the time, I mostly worked through Adobe software like Illustrator and Photoshop and had transitioned to Procreate around March due to its affordability. The fact that I wasn’t locked down with monthly subscriptions really helped me move forward and have some flexibility focusing on one program instead of constantly jumping around, yet at the same time, it was nice to have that foundation of experience to carry into the world. This background all has a point. I spent a lot of time with the process and knew all the ins and outs of procreate when I finally created a piece worthy of selling. It was an illustration movie poster rendition of the Mask of Zorro; it had the expressions, bold color hues, detail, and emotion that an artist would want out of a piece. With an upcoming art show, I generated as many prints as possible, did close-ups of my Zorro illustration piece, and when the date of the Miris gallery show arrived in Denver, I laid out my work on my vending booth table and waited with patience. A few hours in, after many moments of discussion and networking with customers, a man approached. He looked like he worked a trade or a labor-based job, judging by his uniform. He pointed at one of my prints, and I quickly realized it was the print from a section of my Zorro piece; it was Catherine Zeta-Jones’s character with her ranch uniform on, surrounded by a desert background. He showed great admiration for the composition and told me about his love for westerns and portraiture. He said he was interested in purchasing the smaller print segment of the Zorro piece. Even though the interaction was brief, it felt exhilarating to receive that experience and to know that there was a spot missing on the table where the print was showcased because a customer would be taking home the art that I had created. I had this spike of optimism and courage after that moment, and it made me feel more hopeful that this was just the start of my journey into the world of money-making and successful art sales. I left the show that night feeling like I had helped myself financially but also benefited the man’s passions, knowing that he would return home happy and eager to frame it on his wall or showcase it where the art would be admired. All these possibilities kept me focused and determined to keep creating and attending art shows.

Chris, 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?

I’ve really talked in other interviews about the educational upbringing I had growing up; this was one of the building blocks I had that brought me into the creative world and put me on the path that I’m on today as an artist. I grew up in Alaska, experiencing the main land and coastal communities and finding the beauty of the water, mountain peaks, and wildlife. I remember the first time I saw an orca off the side of a fishing boat. I was in elementary school, and at the heart of my creative education, my family had a connection to this fishing guide who offered tours and services. We traveled to Kodiak, Alaska, which was a well-known island community 45 minutes off the coast of central Alaska. I remember it was early afternoon when the guide named Tom Stick, with whom my family was well acquainted with, took us along the shores from his property. We were about a few minutes in, and Tom’s golden retriever started to move frantically to each side of the boat, barking nonstop. As it rocked, we looked around, curious and unsuspecting at what would occur, when suddenly there was this rippling sound and a surge of water and foam appeared on the side of the boat. suddenly a spray of salt water filled the air, and a black fin rose up out of the water and passed around the front nose of the boat. As we peered into the water, we saw the black and white patterned body of an orca move underneath us. Moments later, it disappeared. Most would be terrified from this experience, but to me it was this surreal element of nature approaching me; it was very enlightening and incredible, like a force to be reckoned with, yet in that moment the powerful creature approached us with humility and curiosity; it was like a dream. So I just went on a tangent about my orca experience; what was the point of this? Well, art to me is this enlightening feeling I get when I put an idea out into the world, whether it’s through art prints or business merchandise. These nature moments inspired me to become an artist, as I spent a lot of time in my surroundings looking for opportunities and entertainment. I turned towards art, specifically illustration, as it passed the time during the colder months and grew my imagination. The more projects I created, the more influence I got from teachers and classroom peers who shared a similar creative fuel during my education at charter schools. My discipline really began by searching, much like how the orca searched for me, and the discipline found me. As someone who was brought up in a tough family situation, I needed an outlet, something to plug into, and the world of art and design was that world that I wanted to jump into. The discipline was really brought to me through school and dedicating hours to long studio sessions, and as I got older, I took a liking to jamming to more music and exploring genres when I was doing commissions and self-guided work. At the age of 23, I wanted to make my artwork more accessible, and I had this vision to make graphic imagery on clothes. I viewed it as a way to make more money and have more inventory to offer customers since clothes are shown through research to sell the best at vending shows. So as of now, the types of products I offer are prints and clothes. I mainly work with heat press technology and transfer paper to produce my threads for hoodies, hats, and shirts, but there is no limit to what I make. My art prints are produced on high-quality photo paper, including holographic, glossy, and luster paper. I believe the more options you give customers, the more leverage you can have in the design world so that you can stand out, and that’s why I push myself to give colorful, bold imagery with lots of context to my audience and to the clothes themselves. The biggest thing I want to solve for my clients is transportation, and when I say that, what I mean is how my clothes and prints get shipped and what the timeframe is on that. I want them to feel secure knowing that their product is on its way. I also offer local shipping delivery options through my shop, and I’ll drop it off at the designated route. This is fun for me because I build a better relationship with the buyer, and it gives me experience learning the communication aspect of running a shop. I don’t really think about what sets me apart from others; I don’t have an answer to that. I am most proud of how far I’ve come design-wise, especially with the digital format I currently work in. There have been so many challenges with handling different software and finances, and I have switched between various art styles and methodologies, but it’s all led me to create this amazing shop. Limey Limerez Threadz, which has opened many doors for me in the art world and gives me hope, is the main thing that keeps me going in the modern age despite the bills and life obstacles. I don’t doubt myself, and the world needs people who have a burning desire to strive for something greater than normal experiences. The main thing I want customers to know about my brand is that Limey Limerez as a whole is about offering context, options, support, and surreal ideas to its consumers through clothing design and illustration. I want to unify and educate crowds of creatives like myself through discussion to get many to understand my story and my purpose in the world, and that my brand wants to give more than cool, flashy designs and imagery. I feel like that orca swimming in the ocean—I’ve found my destination, my brand.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I’ve wanted to answer this for the longest time. You know, I think many artists get lost in the world of social media and don’t know where to find themselves or a potential audience that will understand their work or vision. When I started out on social media, building an audience was more simple in a sense that you still had to be consistent, and hash tag engines gave you more discovery from specific demographics, such as illustration or design itself. In the beginning I was unsure of the format of work I wanted to offer, would it be vectorized or detailed? It was quite challenging, and then to top that, there was figuring out how I would style my feed. I mainly used Instagram, and I would upload daily and showcase my class projects, but I wasn’t getting out there in the real world; it all felt so synthetic to me. One day, a year after creating the account, I deleted it and used my personal account, which had higher follower counts and more engagement. I changed my feed, and how I operated content-wise was very different, but I noticed that there wasn’t genuine feedback, appreciation, or value from what I was doing; it felt like I was just throwing a bouncy ball at a wall and expecting results. I was stuck. I had many bot or fake accounts following me. I wasn’t satisfied, plus I didn’t want to be that person begging for attention. I wanted to inspire viewers, creatives or not, it didn’t matter, I wanted more, and I also wanted to give more to my audience. So I restarted it took forever, and honestly, by then the algorithm on social media had changed. It was selective and only pushed video-based content or trending Pinterest portraits, and if there is one thing you should know about me as an artist, it is that I don’t follow trends. I want to give more to people. I had to think about how I’d grow because it seemed my posts had no reach. I would post a  lot, and at the right time it seemed to do absolutely nothing. I grew frustrated and confused at how it worked. As time went on, I branched out. I started to use Tik Tok, Twitter, Reddit, and Facebook, basically anything that would boost exposure. There were some signs here and there, but even now that I’ve upped my social media outlook, it’s been difficult. But there has also been more engagement, reaching out to creative communities, and support than ever before, and I’m grateful for that. My advice to those who are starting out is don’t really focus on posting or consistency so much or following the masses; always find ways to stand out. The biggest word of advice is to “think outside the box.” What I mean by that is, what concepts and subjects can I make that people will dig and connect with? When thinking outside the box, try to make your work as surreal and unique as possible; create art that you like and that the audience likes, not just what the algorithm wants. Doing research on that has always helped me as an artist, and lastly, always do art shows. Get out and explore the creative communities; it will help boost your confidence and build skills in communication. It helps me have more faith in artistry and the world.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist is being able to escape the mediocrity and blandness of the modern world. I feel drained at times being tied to the rat race and repetitive cycles that so many are accustomed to, so when I can flip that switch off and turn my imagination switch on, it aids me in so many ways. I feel more relaxed and optimistic as if this weight has been lifted off my shoulder. I experience these emotions when I’m deep in a studio session or creating and brain storming an idea. I don’t want to sound corny or anything, but when I get deep into my head and use my artistic abilities, I feel like I’m being transported to another world. Art has always been the light at the end of the tunnel for me; it’s kept me going in the darkest times of my life. In a way, I view it as this opportunity that lets me survive in this world. That statement might sound dramatic, but the reality is that there was a time when I had almost nothing except art, so in that moment I realized my worth and value and that going forward I would do what was necessary to create a legacy for myself and help myself strive to do better. Another really rewarding aspect of being an artist is explaining what goes on in my head to people, whether online or at a show. I love diving into my creative process and the concepts that I make, and it’s an expansive journey for me to point out how I make art and what motivates me. I want people to get me so that when they look at my work or what I’m doing, they are able to decipher my creativity. That, to me, is just incredible—to get to a point where you’re able to connect like that would be a blessing.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://limeylimerezillustration.com/
• Instagram: limeylimerez_creations
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrislimeres-121398711/
• Twitter: @LimerezLimey
• Youtube: Limey Limerez Creations
• Other: Personal shop- https://limeylimerezthreadz.com/