We were lucky to catch up with Kevo Aregbe recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kevo, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with 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 am a full time artist. The road to where I have gotten to was tough; featuring being shot, going to jail, being raised in a lower class environment without my parents, to becoming a college MFA grad, professor, and business owner.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I was 18, I was charged with an aggravated robbery, it was later dropped to an assault, and I spent 9 months in jail fresh out of high school. After my release from jail, I was shot, and I spent a week in the hospital reflecting on my childhood, and where I wanted to be. I decided to become an entrepreneur, and I started out with doing Tattoos at my aunt’s house. In the following years, I would return to jail, but eventually I began to work and perfect my craft. After much needed hardwork on my art and myself, I was able to open my first studio, which funded most of my education and life ever since.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn that hard work was all it took. I’ve seen my aunt, family, and friends work hard to achieve things that people who had decided advantages achieved with not as much work at all. I’ve realized that in some cases, networking, planning, and understanding is worth more than hard work.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I’ve built my social media by offering myself for free. Free offers are the most successful campaigns Ive ever had.

Contact Info:

• Website: artbykevo.com
• Instagram: kevoarts
• Facebook: Kevo Arts
• Twitter: kevotheartist