We recently connected with Jonathan McAfee and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jonathan, thanks for joining us 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?

I consider myself very fortunate as I am able to earn a full-time living from my artwork. Back in 2014 I had a solo exhibition in Indianapolis that went very well. Almost all of the paintings sold during the opening night and the rest ended up selling not too long after. This gave me an incredible boost in confidence to begin taking the steps of pursuing my art career full-time. I was working at a PR agency at the time as a means to a paycheck and nothing more. I had no passion for my day job and really wanted to take the leap and go full-time as an artist. Once I quit my PR job I knew I just needed to stay positive and motivated and seek-out new opportunities where I could gain more and more notoriety and popularity. I was living in Indianapolis at the time and so it wasn’t too hard to start making a name for myself. After a few more solo exhibitions that garnered me more publicity and sales, my wife and I decided a change of scenery was necessary and so we made the move out to Denver. As soon as we got to the city I started looking for opportunities to display and sell my work. It was a constant hustle but things worked out. I ended up briefly running an art gallery in the heart of Denver’s arts district and was able to make some new friends and connections through that. From day one, my wife has always been super supportive and I believed that if I worked hard enough then all would be alright. My advice to other artists that are looking to make a living full-time through their creative work is to have a strong discipline and work ethic but to also try to get as good as possible at what they do. The life of a professional artist requires us to wear many hats on any given day. I am essentially a one-man business who is in charge of creating the product, promoting and marketing the product, selling and then shipping the product as well as trying to constantly evolve and grow the business. It’s hard work and has inconsistent pay but at the end of the day it feels really damn good doing what you love and getting paid for it. I believe that most artists will take chances and risks that don’t always pay off and the important thing is to learn from each of these experiences and grow from them. I have a few rules in my own practice that I try to never break and I believe it is important for each professional artist to find their own rules and stick strongly to them.

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

I am a painter who currently lives and works in Evergreen, CO. Originally from Indianapolis, I graduated from Herron School of Art & Design (Indiana University) with a B.F.A. in painting & drawing in 2006. Today I create oil paintings primarily focusing on the human figure. Whether this is expressive portraiture to colorful figurative landscapes, I am always trying to use color and expression to bring an idea to life. I have exhibited my paintings in both solo and group shows in Indiana, Colorado & California and my paintings belong in private collections around the world. When I am not creating my own original paintings to exhibit and sell, I also work a lot with clients who commission me to make special, unique paintings for them based off photos. Over the years I have been commissioned to paint family portraits and coastal landscapes, portraits of pets to celebrities and even a large-scale replica of Hogwarts. I am most satisfied when I know the client is in love with the painting that I created for them. My number one goal is to create something that the client falls in love with and will cherish for a lifetime to come.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is getting to do something I am passionate about on a daily basis while also getting paid. It really doesn’t get much better than that. I enjoy the challenge that comes with each new project as well as the problem-solving that goes into finding solutions when things get complicated.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Whenever I tell people what I do for a living it seems like their first thought is “oh, that’s cute. You have a fun hobby”. When in reality I work really hard everyday to run this business and it is something I take very seriously. I think a lot of people would rather have a high paying job that they don’t necessarily love but that provides them security and comfort, which I can understand. But for me living a life with passion while creating things I find stimulating and interesting is worth more to me than a steady paycheck, although that does sound nice now that I say it out loud.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.jonathanmcafee.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathan_mcafee/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jmcafee
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6TL59JXxArQcjPjUsGKGHQ

Image Credits
Image #3 -Chayce Lanphear