We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Johnny Muñoz a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Johnny, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
My first dollar earned as a creative is tied to the initial period of discovering my passion for painting and in particular spray painting. As an Austin native and local, my friend had introduced me to the Hope Outdoor Gallery a.k.a Castle Hill. Going there for the 1st time had opened up a new world for me and I knew I had to try painting on a wall (legally). After that it was over, I was bitten by the spray paint bug. I had always loved drawing as a young kid but as I got older it had slowed to a doodle here and there during down times at work. That first spray I did took me back to the feelings of childhood and the awe I would feel seeing my friend Tangy’s art and trying to replicate it. Long story short I went back everyday for months. I really began painting large characters because I found them more relatable and peeked the people visiting this public art space’s interest more than the often times obscure letters of graffiti. This is when I was approached by a young woman who asked me to commission me to paint the hulk and incorporate a question asking the person she was dating to be her girlfriend. I knew for certain I could accomplish the ask, I just had no idea how to price such a thing nor had I ever been asked to get paid to paint something. I got her number and after hours of research, I just made up a number I felt comfortable with based on complete ignorance and she agreed, unbeknownst to her she was my first. I was paid $125 for a 7’x8′ Hulk in a tie holding cactus’s with the words, “Rachel, will you be my girlfriend”.
Johnny, 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 border town born but Austin raised, 33 year old, Mexican American who currently lives in Austin, Texas. I was an avid drawer throughout childhood and teenage years. I was introduced to spray paint later in life and I fell in love with it. After the place I would go often to hone my skills with a spray can closed down I had no where to go, legally, where I could spray paint. So I decided to scale down and introduced acrylic paint and now I do commissions regularly for those who love my style and art. I also have done large scale murals for airbnb’s, businesses, and private residences. I am proud that I can conceptualize, design, and complete a mural start to finish for a client in a relatively short time with great skill and. precision. I am versatile with my styles and mediums with the ability to scale and duplicate my designs or client provided designs. My #1 priority of it all is my client. I enjoy getting to know them, the space, and discussing the nuances of it all to help bring their vision to life with exceeding expectations.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
The year is the infamous 2020, it’s the end of May, the corona virus had just made its way into Texas and the world is slowly turning into something the modern world had never seen. I’m found myself sitting in a Urologist’s patient room, he walks in, tall slender yet sturdy and stern older gentleman, His first words after a silent sigh, ” Juan, do you have any family?”. Confused about the question, I began to list my mother and father, sister but he then intercedes, “no, do you have a wife or kids?” To this I say no. The next series of events lead me down a cancerous rabbit hole. I had been diagnosed with testicular cancer of which I had to endure 4 surgeries, 9 consecutive weeks in chemotherapy, and its financial wrath during a deadly pandemic. I truly felt for those who had it much worse than I, as I’d watch during my chemotherapy sessions. Normally loved ones would be able to join them during their sessions to comfort them during their tribulation however the new virus protocols would end that. These experiences introduced me to perspectives I was previously ignorant too but now have changed me forever. Life is short, any moment can be your last and that is a lot more real than most realize. I don’t want to have regrets of the things I always said ‘ I would do’ but never actually started because of fear of failure. What does not kill you makes you stronger.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
NFTs are an interesting phenomena and my initial views were, ‘SCAM!’, ‘It’s obviously money laundering’, and all the other negative stereotypes that many hold. However, being very knowledgeable in the crypto space and in particular their use cases and infrastructures, I began to view more possibilities with NFTs and we are just scratching the surface. I would love to begin pairing my physical art to an NFT and with the ability to introduce a smart contract to an NFT, you could give away a portion of royalties to the owner(s) of the new art for every print of it sold for example. This would help you create a community that is also invested in your success as an artist because every time you get paid, they get paid as well, depending on the contract of course.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ogjohnny23.com
- Instagram: @Ogjohnny23
- Other: www.grwnwear.com Instagram: @grwnwear.com