We recently connected with Davon Campbell and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Davon, thanks for joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

Man … many years ago, this was something I could’ve only dreamed of. But yet, it was made possible somehow, someway. I was (and currently still am) lucky enough to use my talents and creativity to make an honest living for myself and my family.

This is probably the most in depth question I could ever answer, but here’s my best shot at the “long story short” version.

I’ll start with a quick rewind to 2020 … yes 2020, when life completely changed forever right before our very own eyes. I was still a young 25-year old “struggling artist” working as a bank teller. Up until that point, I had really only worked regular retail-like positions my entire life.

In comes the pandemic and shit changes. Really a true blessing in disguise for myself, while others were unfortunately suffering. I was able to focus so much more on my craft and ideas due to what was going on in the world. I was working half the time that I normally did and it opened up so many possibilities. I was pumping out artwork at an immense rate and it was amazing.

Small fast forward to May 2020 … and here comes the piece that would catapult my career. “Coming of Age: A Hip-Hop Story.” What started out as what was supposed to be a one-and-done piece, ended up taking on a life of it’s own and not only went viral in the U.S. but the entire world. All thanks to the help of Instagram and the thousands/millions of shares across the social media platform, which became my main source of pretty much everything at the time.

This one piece of art actually gave me the opportunity to quit my job at the bank and become a full-time Freelance Illustrator. I honestly couldn’t believe what was happening. Life came at me quick and I was loving every minute of it. I was at a place financially that allowed my girlfriend (now fiancé) and I to move out and start a new life together. All because of the success of my work.

It ended up being a nine-part series (for now) and opened up so many doors that I never thought were possible to achieve. The power of social media is incredible and can even be very scary at the same time. However, I will forever be grateful for it all.

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

Day Illustration. That’s the name, brand, individual, identity … everything. That’s what represents me as an artist from Staten Island, NY. Majority of my work depicts pop culture, hip-hop/rap music (both old & new school), sports and film. I just love to create & show the things I most enjoy in my artwork.

As my career is shifting, I’m focusing a lot less on commission-based work & taking my time to create personal portfolio pieces for the world to indulge in.

I’m most proud of my work ethic and perfectionist ways. I know that this is truly who I am & who I’ve always been. I really live & do this “art” thing for real.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

This might sound super cliché, but whatever. It’s the opportunity to give back and share with others. Being able to inspire someone (younger or older) is truly one of the best feelings I could have.

Seeing someone smile and get so much joy out of seeing what I created is just amazing. Having a conversation with someone who just thinks you make some of the coolest shit they’ve ever seen is so rewarding and fulfilling.

I love being able to share and pass down ANY knowledge I possibly could to those who seek it. I strive to be that person to make a difference in someone else’s life goals due to the information I can give them to help them succeed out here.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

Hate ‘em. I wish they never existed.

Contact Info:

• Website: dayillustration.com
• Instagram: @supreme_tho
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dayillustration
• Twitter: @JUSTJuice_NYC

Image Credits
Davon Campbell (Artist)