Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Damon Thompson . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Damon, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

When I got laid off from work at Habit ReStore during the 2020 lockdown, I used that free time to do over 43 spray paint murals in 5 weeks, in my city of Louisville, KY. It was the first time I ever got to do what I wanted to, every day. Neighbors and community members where so excited, they we’re giving me money, even though I wasn’t even asking.
Since then I continue to do spray paint murals, as a small business. I keep my prices affordable and work directly with renters and property owners, keeping their vision and partnership my top priority. I also take every opportunity to share what I know at schools and by answering any questions from other artists who ask.
In 2022 I released a book: Outside Society: Art of Damon Thompson. It is the story, in full color, of my 2020 mural project and thru into current works.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m an artist who lives and works in the Beechmont neighborhood of Louisville, KY. I’ve always been good at drawing and painting, but it was my participation with graffiti and spray painting that has shaped how I do my art and murals today. 15 years ago, some graffiti artist, close friends of mine, asked if I wanted to add faces next to their pieces. The frustration of that experience lead to an obsession to master the craft of spray painting. Today, I have mastered how it works, but so still feel like I learn something new every time. What sets me apart from others who do murals with spray paint is a willingness to learn, a daily practice of painting, even if I don’t have a job lined up, and a patience to listen to the client, making sure I understand them fully.
I’m most proud of my mural that are in the city’s alleyways. The placement of something beautiful, especially in overgrown and sketchy places, it changes the overall aesthetic. It becomes a destination, a place where locals decide to walk, and walk their dogs. It changes from ominous to interesting, a place where people go, instead of avoiding.

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

I decided that quality matters more than quantity, and I try to only follow people who I genuinely think are doing cool or interesting things. This is very true of Instagram where I have over 6,000 followers but nearly as many people who I follow. The most successful platform, for my business, is still Facebook. I get good responses anytime I mention I am open for commissions, or when I post a link to my website. I make a daily practice of saying happy birthday to everyone I recognize, by posting on there wall. I also post once a day on Facebook, and Instagram and three times a day on TikTok.
I find the practice of posting on TikTok has made me a better storyteller and public speaker, but hasn’t brought much money in the way of commissions or website traffic. I like it because I can share tips and tricks with others who what to do what I do. I truly believe we are nothing without the community of other artists, so having this direct line of communication is awesome.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

In my imagination, there was a world of eager art buyers. They all drank excessively, where rich but somehow still cool. The parties were full of beauties, in small black dresses, who talked about French New Wave Cinema, and wrote good poetry. That this world was somehow not where I was at, and that if I dressed a certain way, if I hung out at the right bars, and if I remembered the names of all the New York artists I would one day be apart of this world. Well, I traveled the world, I read Art News and had a subscription to the New Yorker, but I never found it. It was by turning my back on this idea, hanging out in alleys and freight train yards with graffiti artists that I learned the greatest part of being an artist is doing art. Getting excited about colors, and being able to paint with a controlled explosion called a spray can! Getting to drive anywhere in this city and see what I did on a wall, and knowing everyone, real people, get to see it to, not a small number in a gallery or museum. When kids go to a museum they yawn, When they see me work they get stoked, ask a million questions and want to try it. Once I stopped trying to be apart of the “Art World” I joined the real world, and it’s so much more exciting.

Contact Info:

• Website: outsidesocietybook.com
• Instagram: damonpaints