We recently connected with Todd Murphy and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Todd, thanks for joining us today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?

This can work for anyone. If you want to get started painting murals you will need to build a portfolio to get paying clients. Fortunately, there are walls everywhere!

I went to Home Depot and bought some paint in the “changed my mind” section. Quarts of various colors are $5 since other customers returned this paint when they changed their mind. I found a wall on a local business that looked like it needed to be repainted anyway and asked the owner if I could paint a mural on their wall for free. If they loved it, I would take pictures and promote my mural AND their business on social media. If they hated it, I would paint over it and give them a clean new wall they needed anyway. We had a deal.

I could’ve painted my first mural in my backyard, but the goal is visibility, public attention and referrals. Sign it with your contact information and before you know it you’ll be getting phone calls for more.

VALUE is the name of the game. When approaching a new client, remember that this is an investment for them. Murals and public art bring foot traffic to local businesses, decrease the likelihood of graffiti and vandalism and increase the confidence of local residents that the community is investing in local talent and beautification. A good mural should pay for itself.

I was excited when I booked my first mural, but the real joy came when I got my first text from a friend saying, “I saw your mural today while driving and it looked great!” I’ve been going ever since.

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

I started as an artist when I was a little kid. I used to steal money from my moms purse to buy comic books in the clearance rack so I could study the illustrations and try to copy them without tracing. I wanted to draw the X-Men comics so bad. I have earned a degree in Art from UCSB (go Gauchos) and have been to several specialty schools to learn different Adobe software applications.

I knew I wanted to make my art publicly viewable. I knew I did NOT want to be part of the gallery scene. I don’t enjoy going to galas, openings, museums, etc. and if I’m honest I don’t like hanging out with “art people.” Haha. It’s not my scene I’m more of a construction worker at heart. I love building things and making public spaces more enjoyable to be in. I grew up in a very sterile master-planned suburb where there were no murals and it’s very uninspired. I want to change that.

The niche I pursue is working in the space between fine art and commercial painting. For my business anyway. Most artists are concerned or focused on their art being the star of the show but I am unemotional about the product when it comes to my service. The value brought to the client is most important. Many times a mural can simply be graphic elements, shapes and colors that simply enhance the beauty of the architecture on said building. Some artists don’t feel this is artistically rewarding enough to pursue, and commercial painters don’t usually have creative positions to offer. They typically receive instructions for a job and leave little room for creativity and experimentation. I act as the bridge between. I’ve found that making relationships with forward-thinking architects and commercial developers is the sweet spot. I have the potential for large projects, it’s unemotional and the client always pays on time. Seems to work.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Covid was the pivot. When that first started and the world said, “only essential businesses and services will survive” I thought I was in for some lean times. But after about a month I started getting phone calls.

-“This wall in my backyard is so graaaay.”
-“I’m so sick of being at home. It’s so depressing.”
-“I need something to look at.”

The phone started ringing to paint pretty things to make people happy. Fortunately I had some advantages. Home Depot was open and sold paint. I needed to wear a mask anyway. I could be a safe distance from people and work independently. It was so unexpected but that was my busiest season. I learned that art IS essential. Even mine. Not just concerts and cuisine and fashion. Art and color and creativity inspires and enriches our lives.

During that time period I found my niche because commercial construction projects didn’t stop moving. It was actually easier to work because most of the public wasn’t in the way of a wet paintbrush. I kept my eyes open and welcomed the new opportunities and I’m glad I did.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I’ve heard a saying years ago that stuck with me:

-“Good, fast and cheap. Pick any two.”

You can structure your business around any combination of those but really only two at a time. I want to make a living doing this. Since I don’t have the element of scale I can’t do “cheap” because that would only benefit me if I was doing large volume orders. So what I focus on is “good and fast” as my value props. I consider myself very honest and I aim to be very easy and professional to work with. Lowest prices? Nope. Best product and exceptional service? Absolutely.

I’m a big consumer of Gary Vaynerchuk (the king of hustle) wisdom and his belief in one guiding mantra: whoever brings the most value wins. Period. If you think about the consumer first you’ll succeed. Don’t try to convince anyone you’re good because they won’t believe you until you’ve already done it. Be authentic, focus on your strengths and your audience will find you. The world is abundant, don’t pay attention to the comments, etc. All those motivational things are true. When you do that, your reputation will start to take shape over time. If you believe in your talents then you’ll see the results when you just keep going.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.toddmurphyart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toddmurphyart/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/toddmurphyart
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-murphy-612969a/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvXl-FOiQ7Y5I1urJC9wwQ