We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Gavin Otteson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Gavin, thanks for joining us today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
In 2021, my wife and I decided to downsize. We moved from our large Southern California 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartment to a 300 square foot Tiny Home On Wheels! It was a big gamble. You can’t really practice living tiny. You just have to jump in and do it. The Covid Lockdown months in California showed my wife and I that we really love being around each other all the time so we had a hunch it might work for us.
It turns out that our Tiny House (which we christened “The Escape Pod”) has really paid off and become not only an oasis, but also a huge boon to my art career. We were able to purchase our home in cash and drastically lower our cost of living. It effectively became our ticket out of the rat race and has allowed us to focus almost full time on the art business.
Gavin, 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?
Like many artists, I was born this way. I have been creating for as long as I can remember. I have always leaned in the direction of stylistic, illustrative, and fantastic expression. The theme and subjects I choose are always expressed with an undercurrent of positivity and usually a pinch of nostalgia.
My career has had a few different chapters. In my younger years, I was a mural painter working with both commercial and residential clients. A while later, I went in the opposite direction and began painting in miniature. Most of my miniature paintings were the size of a credit card or smaller.
In recent years, my art has evolved both in size and media. Much of my work is digital these days. However, I still prefer traditional media. I have recently begun the transition from acrylic to oil paint. It’s a journey I’ve put off for decades. But I decided there is no point in waiting for a tomorrow that’s not guaranteed.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Our society finds itself in a very tenuous state today. What we need is people supporting people instead of divisive dogma and political rancor. Artists are an essential part of any society that intends to grow and flourish. Artists need to be supported, legitimized, and patronized.
The newest potential hurdle in the world of art is AI software. Companies are letting go the human artists, designers, copy writers, etc. in favor of cheaper AI alternatives. AI software users are flooding art marketplaces with AI images and nudging real people out of the way. And most AI engines are using art without permission from the artists who should own the copyright.
Patronize real artists. Hire human creatives. Support art and support our society.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal in all aspects is to spread joy and happiness and peace and love. It sounds terribly cheesy, I know. But I really do want people to feel good vibes from the things that I create. I just want to leave a positive mark on the world. It’s as simple as that.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gavinottesonart.com
- Instagram: @gavinottesonart
- Twitter: @gavinottesonart
- Other: LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/gavinottesonart