We recently connected with Derek Carpenter and have shared our conversation below.

Derek, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been 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? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

The greatest lesson I have learned, which has helped me get established as a professional artist, is to align the art mission with charitable activities by giving and donating. This enables the artist to get profound satisfaction, strike good relationships, and ride very big waves.

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.

Art of One started as a social enterprise back in 2012. Since then, we have stayed committed to our mission to donate half of all profits to conservation and environmental causes. Our offering includes live painting (performance art), murals, original paintings and sculptures, art installations, prints, tapestries and other accessories, and two sustainable fashion lines.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The goal to use artwork as a vehicle for charitable fundraising has been completely empowering and expansive.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Artists need to focus on collaborating instead of competing. Ideas such as status, popularity, and fame tend to create a competitive mindset and fuel adversity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://artofone.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art.of.one/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtOfOne/