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

Hi Danny, thanks for joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Since I was a young boy, I knew I was going to be artist when I grew up. That was it for me. There was no other option. Then when high school graduation came, I wasn’t sure on what type of job or career I could have making art. What medium or genre was my favorite? I didn’t have one. So, I then studied graphic design because it sounded “Professional”. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t my passion. I wanted to draw more than creat logos on a computer. So I continued painting and submitted my work into as many art galleries that would have me. Started taking commissions for whatever I had the ability to do creatively. That being paintings, murals, graphics, I even did a little bit of videography at one point. Getting creative was and still is my main goal. As far as tattooing, that was the last thing I’d ever thought I was going to do. I didn’t have tattoos nor did they interest me. That’s because I didn’t know anything about that world. However, the people in and around my neighborhood wanted me to draw them tattoo designs and eventually wanted me to tattoo them. So dipped my feet in the water and discovered this whole new world of art in tattooing. American traditional, Japanese, biomechanical, neo traditional, fine line black and grey etc. I was blown away on how much you can do with the human body as a canvas. So I started tattooing all my friends, my friends of friends and was able to eventually get a job at a local tattoo shop and kept learning. I continued tattooing as a job while still working on my personal art on the side.

Danny, 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?

One of my favorite quotes is from Thom Devita, a New York tattoo legend. He said “I am not a tattoo artist. I am an artist who tattoos.” That is something that always resonated with me because of the different types of art I make today. I am an artist. I love to create art, specifically visual art. Anything that you can see and/or touch. From painting with watercolors to painting a mural to sculpting lucky charm dolls. I have been fascinated with art since I was very young. I surrounded myself in the creative world and became part of the industry by attending art shows, visiting galleries, painting with other artists. The work that I provide is paintings, art prints, tattoos in most styles, graphic design, sculptures are on the way, some video editing just to name a few. I’m highly inspired and influenced by other artists and art in general. That being music, film, special effects make up, you name it. There’s inspiration everywhere. I try to grab all these things that inspire me and create one thing for most of everything I create. The way I try to set myself apart from others is not do what the others are doing exactly. Which is really hard if I’m being honest, because the influence is there but I definitely want to provide the viewer with something completely original at the end of the day.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think that as a creative, this is something we actually want to do. Some individuals have jobs or careers in fields they’re not necessarily passionate about. For instance, art is not only my job/career, it’s also my hobby. I spend lots of hours on creating art on my free time. The struggle we do have however, is that this is still a job. It’s a fun job but it’s still a job. There are times where we would get hired to do a certain project and you would get all these great ideas on how you’re going to execute the job, but the client wants it a certain way and your are left with no creative freedom. That’s the main struggle for myself and a lot of other artists because that’s when we are not fulfilled doing the activity we love doing. At the end of the day, no matter what the project is, if it’s purely creating something, I wouldn’t pick any other career path in the world over being an artist.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Growing up, I always feared the term “starving artist”. I still do, as other working creatives would say that this industry is extremely difficult and unpredictable. The most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me, is making my clients happy doing what I love. Also, the fact that I am able put food on the table and keep a roof over my head as a working artist is already a win for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dannymezaart.com
• Instagram: @dannymezaart
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dannymezaart

Image Credits
Nelson Mandela mural on Brownie’s Market, Santa Barbara, CA.