We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Theophilus Caviness, Jr. a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Theophilus, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?
I have grown accustomed to the word, no. So, instead of giving up, I just took detours. Growing up, art was only looked at as a hobby. I did attempt to go to college for an art degree, but I was told my portfolio didn’t have enough “still life.” Instead of just re-creating my portfolio, I went to school for a degree in Electronics and Computer Technology. While in college, i developed a “mock entertainment company.” When I graduated, my mother helped me turn it into a reality. I began helping people create tv shows, movies, and music videos. All this time, I still kept drawing and coming up with ideas for books and shows. I directed a local talk show for a couple years and gained more knowledge about videography and editing. I began incorporating everything I learned the years. No matter how many detours life has given me, I have kept going and using my failures as moments of growth.
Theophilus, 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 got into my current business out of boredom. Ever since I was little, I was always told that “If you say you’re bored, you have no imagination.” So, I learned how to keep myself entertained. It would usually sound weird to people when they would learn that I would have conversations with myself. I used to enjoy getting in trouble at school and getting ISD (In-School Detention.) That meant that, through the school day, you had to be in a room, usually in a lower level, and you had to be silent. I didn’t have to be in class, I was able to draw, and the teacher played classical music. I grew up on classical music, so while I’m enjoying Beethoven, the other students definitely didn’t care for it. As i got older, I tried to submit my ideas to publishing companies. The question with always be, “What makes your idea special?” I never had a real answer. Jump forward to 2018, I didn’t have any new projects I could think of. I had a creative block and couldn’t think about what I wanted to do next. I decided to as my wife to throw out an idea. Any idea that popped up in her head at that very moment. My wife, Denise, said, “There is a Dinosaur in My Basement.” I responded, “That’s it! That’s all I need.” I then began writing my very first children’s book. That made me create a website, and my brand. Then I began consulting others on how to create their own books. It ended my creative block, and I found a new life in art, being able to incorporate everything I have learned throughout the years. But out of everything I do, I love seeing people happy. The most difficult and fulfilling aspect of my business would have to be caricature art. Being able to have a person sit across from you and finish an art piece the contains your interpretation of their essence within 5 minutes is crazy. But being able to turn it into a therapy session and show them this interpretation and see a smile on their face makes it fulfilling.
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 was used to being a “lone wolf.” I can say I have trust issues, and keeping to myself can be a problem. How are people supposed to know about your business, if you stay silent about it. You can’t share your story, if you stay quiet. Being alone is fine, but I learned that there are people out there that still want to help your dreams become a reality. I believe it’s selfish to think that you’re the only person that can help you. So, yeah, I had to open up and be more vocal about this business that I created out of my drive and desire to create.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
I can’t say I have a specific strategy, but I just post. I’m a random type of person, so I post the different aspects of my business. If a person doesn’t care about what I do, fine. If a person loves what I do, great. I believe people will share what I do, because they believe in my work ethic, and my style.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theocavi.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theocavi/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theophilus.caviness/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theophiluscaviness
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@therealtheocavi
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@theocavi https://theocavi.threadless.com/ https://adobeaero.app.link/sZ3JyJDnvLb https://www.zazzle.com/store/theocavi_digital_art/collections
