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

David, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

It was 1982. I was five and visiting with family during the summer before starting elementary school. Among them was an uncle Ray, who married into the family before I was born. He was the most creative member of my family at the time and could draw, play guitar, and was into Dungeons & Dragons.
Ray was a catalyst that began a life long love with my own creativity. He showed me the concept in which a blank canvas or piece of paper could become anything I want. Being a kid, and experiencing everything with awe and innocence was all surpassed by this single event. Ray would even draw connect-the-dots from memory and let me complete them. This, blew my mind.

I could not stop.
I was going through so much paper my father had to up-cycle old documents from his job that were supposed to be shredded. I would just draw everything I could think of on the back of old government forms and data spreadsheets. Weekly trips were taken to the library and bookstores to get How-To-Draw books like Ed Emberley. By 4th grade I was enrolled in summer art classes at the local community collage and upon entering middle school I was chosen for a new “gifted” art program that was limited to only 12 students. (I quoted gifted as I really think the school was just trying to maintain a healthy budget and really all people have the ability to be gifted it just takes time. It’s not magic.) Regardless, I have to say, during the time it really motivated me to keep pursuing my dream. I may not have had a clear idea of what I wanted to be but I knew I had a mind full of crazy stuff that needed to get out to the world. Point is, that little bit of wonder, or magic that happened in 1982 has stuck with me for 44 years.

It has never stopped.

David, 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 am a humble person. So humble in fact, I find it difficult to even talk about myself. I do not know what to say, should I be direct and just list facts?, or should I get deeply philosophical and reveal my most deepest ideas and beliefs? I never can decide; instead I just ramble on about nonsensical things like this and never get to the point.

As I mentioned before I fell in love with creativity at a young age and that part of me stuck. I never wanted to grow up and become a part of the adult working world. I still don’t. I just want to live a mediocre yet interesting life without ever being concerned of profit or celebrity status. I don’t want people knocking down my door for my work. I do not want to leave behind a legacy. I only want to continue creating and stay focused on the work itself. From this I learn more and gain experience. The spoils of hard work should come naturally and not expecting them can often leave room for pleasant surprises.

I escaped from the idea of becoming a famous artist long ago. I has been very liberating.

I think humanity has had to live with instinctual survival skills during the last century, in a world that does not require most of us to use those built-in instincts today. For centuries humans lived in egalitarian civilizations where they had to prove worthy for positions within the tribe; like hunters, or warriors. This embedded a competitive spirit within ourselves that has carried on for generations. I believe that is why today, so many of us have that competitive instinct without even understanding why. So many of us want to be first, best, or renowned amongst peers and never question if it is even important. I do not think it is. Today, I think the struggle to stay at the top is harder than the one it takes to get there. With this knowledge I remain humble, I do not care about where these 40 years of dedication will take me. I only need to know what I should focus on today and see how far that gets me. I have spent the last 25 year living in such a manner.

I am rambling about these beliefs indeed, but there is a point.

I never had a plan. Sometimes I barely had enough options to have a plan. It got rough in my 20’s and so, those survival instincts kicked in when I needed them. I mustered up just enough ambition to carry me forward to the next chapter in my life. So, in 2022 that is basically how I transitioned from being a raving tattoo artist skateboarding musician pothead to a military veteran who went back to college in NYC, graduated with honors on the stage of Radio City Music Hall, started a career in the toy design industry, and got married to my wonderful wife Mary then 10 years later moved to San Diego and became a costume/packaging artist who now makes 3D animation and augmented reality experiences for fun while working from home.

Life is a freakin whirlwind folks, it’s best to just jump in and not give a F$%K!!!!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I have a general goal of what I want. Perhaps it is a minimalist way of looking at it but, I want to leave behind the least amount of what society considers a legacy. I guess it plays into that whole carbon footprint belief.

I just get a warm feeling from the thought of leaving behind nothing of importance to anyone except myself. And that solitary thing is the idea that I lived a life, the most rarest, and precious thing in the whole entire known universe, and I got to live it doing the very thing I found to be most interesting as a child. I do not know too many people that have done that; or even understand just how precious life is on a galactic scale. It is a privilege that we all share and shouldn’t take for granted.

This planet is it people, it is the most happening place for hundreds of trillions of miles. The most exclusive club in the whole cosmos. So that is why I walk this path; Because without it I would be lost; because life is about accepting you are here (not why) and to find a way to pass the time.
That is my drive.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deillustrate.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sakasouffle/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-earhart-82567a73/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sakasouffle1
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/kitty_cones/ https://www.instagram.com/cybords.tez/

Image Credits
All images are ©Deillustrate.com. All Right Reserved.