We were lucky to catch up with Norris Hall recently and have shared our conversation below.

Norris, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I have been able to earn a full-time living from my artwork, and I feel very fortunate to have done so. It’s difficult to say what “day one” was. I think there have been several “day ones”. There was day one when I decided I definitely wanted to see if I could make it happen. Then there was day one of quitting my “real job” and going for it. Then there was day one of believing I could really make this “art thing” work.

Although I’ve maintained my basic style, the work itself has evolved. The way I was able to make it work early on was realizing that if I painted my art onto something functional, people were more likely to buy it. So I painted it on clocks, furniture, tissue boxes, jewelry, or just about anything that had some sort of practical function. After years of selling my items at craft fairs, I started getting requests for other things like mural painting, and illustration work.

Over time I learned how to incorporate the computer into my work, and slowly phased out the brush and paint for the drawing tablet and screen. That led to illustrating children’s books, comic books, and various illustration work. I stumbled into graphic design as well through this period. I never really considered myself a graphic designer, but it sure helped to keep the lights on and it got me off the road from doing craft fairs. I still draw with pencil and paper when working out illustrations, but most of my work today is digital.

I don’t know if I could have sped up the process, but I do know that had it not been for my wife’s encouragement and support, I may have stayed in that office job for much, much longer.

Norris, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I guess you could say I got into this business of making art from a very young age. I loved to draw as a child. My parents and grandparents would praise my drawing frequently. So much that I guess I began to believe it! As I look back on it now, I’m pretty sure they were just giving me paper and pencils to keep me busy and out of their hair, but it didn’t matter. I liked it. Especially at my grandparents’ hardware store. They had typing paper. Paper with no lines! I loved drawing on that!

I continued drawing all through high school, went to college, got an art degree, and “put that degree to use” drawing caricatures and airbrushing t shirts for tourists in Gatlinburg, TN. I’ve always said I learned more doing that than I did my entire four years of college. I had to make “instant art” and make it good enough that the customer was happy to part with their hard earned vacation money. That “training” helped me to hone my drawing skills, and drawing speed. The second question a client always asks after “how much is it going to cost?” is “how long will it take?” So speed is a very important part of the illustration and design process.

At the present time, the services I provide range from designing a logo, to illustration for children’s books, comic books, and mural installations. I do lots of other things, but I think those are the main ones.

I don’t know that it sets me apart, but I always strive to give the client more than they ask for, get it done when I say I’ll get it done, and charge a reasonable rate for my services. I may not be the best illustrator out there, but I can be relied on. So I guess you could say I make up for not being the best by being the most reliable! I would say that’s 50% (or more) of the requirements. Plus, I really, truly like my clients! I think I could count on one half of a hand how many bad experiences I’ve had in the 40+ years I’ve been doing this.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is loving what I do. The old saying “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life” is a bit worn out, but I can’t think of a better way to put it for me. Of course there are some projects that weigh you down every now and then, but you plow ahead and it’s such a great feeling when they’re finished.

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

When I started out, my goal was to stay ahead of the bill collector! That drove me for many years. Thank goodness those days have been over for a while. Now my goal is to is to just do the best work I possibly can, continue to improve, and make my clients happy. Most of my friends are retired now, but I don’t see that happening for me. Even if I did retire, I would just keep doing what I’m doing, so I might as well keep at it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://norrishall.com