We were lucky to catch up with Christopher Cropper recently and have shared our conversation below.
Christopher , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
Ever since I was young. I had an art mentor/teacher named Linda Regula who took me under her wing(along with countless other people), when I was a troubled teenager and she always encouraged me. She would always tell me to trust “the process” of making my art and to be ok with mistakes. She lit a creative fire in me that still burns to this day. She unfortunately passed away in 2020, but her guidance pushed me to keep creating.
Christopher , 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?
As mentioned before, ever since I was younger I’ve been making art. But when I was in my early twenties around 2002-2003 I discovered street art and graffiti for the first time and was blown away. The rawness and punk rock diy attitude about it really made me want to explore that and do it in my own work. I provide everything from murals, hand drawn designs for shirts/merch etc…. As well as do commission work. I’m most proud of having sold my artwork in New York City (manhattan), and having had a solo show in Hong Kong last year, the main things people need to know about me/my work etc….. is that although it’s mainly character/graff/street art centric, I’m also very versatile. My work is definitely different, not a lot of people in Columbus Ohio are doing what I do. I’ve been at this almost 30 years now.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Making the work and seeing it impact people’s lives in a positive way. It’s also great to get paid for it too and recognized/respected for what I do.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Support small/local businesses and artists whenever possible! Go to those shows and markets buy merch, support your friends. Buy art from living artists, the dead ones don’t need it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @christopher_cropper
- Facebook: Christopher Cropper
