We recently connected with Tommy Moss and have shared our conversation below.
Tommy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
I think that success as an entrepreneur requires alot of passion, risk and perseverance, as well as the ability to see each “set back” as a “set up for a come back !” And belief in miracles doesn’t hurt! (I am a “Law of Attraction” junkie…”ask, believe and receive”!)
Success as an artist appears to be a bit of anomaly. People seem confused when I tell them I am an artist for a living. “That’s nice…what is your real job?” I find that most artists, regardless of talent level, lack the sales and marketing skills that are necessary to thrive in a world full of creative talent. I was in sales and marketing for 20 years before I started making art so I have zero issue with being “shamelessly self-promoting.” You have to believe in yourself, be proud of your work, not be afraid to ask for money, have a thick skin and be on fire to create. I work 7 days a week…but it feels like play most of the time. As Warhol allegedly said: “Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.”
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a fourth-generation Atlanta native and have a bachelor’s degree in business marketing from Georgia State University. I am a mostly self taught artist but have taken various classes at art colleges around Atlanta. My work is a hybrid of painting and sculpture: large-scale assemblages of highly colorful, textural, hand-painted modules, including wooden circles, cubes, spheres and single panels.
The components are typically painted on all visible sides giving the wall-hung sculptures a 3D-ish quality. This allows the viewer to experience the work from different vantage points. I describe my work as “minimalist forms with maximalist surfaces.”
I work out of an expansive studio space in the lower level of my home in metro Atlanta and collaborate with art and design professionals to produce artwork and installations for hospitality, healthcare and corporate settings worldwide.
“With all of my work, I strive to achieve a sense of playfulness with highly chromatic, contrasting color combinations, and whimsical and lively compositions,”
Have you ever had to pivot?
In the 90’s I was a “rabid” yogi and founded Atlanta’ s first Power Yoga studio (before it was cool). In early 2001 I sustained an injury which derailed my yoga career (un-glamorously doing yardwork !) To tame my “monkey mind”, I started creating artwork and became a self-represented artist. With the support of design and art professionals worldwide, my work is now included in 100’s of private and public art collections all over the planet. The lesson: Follow your bliss. Find inspiration. Work hard. Be grateful (and work hard again!) AND . . . ASK BELIEVE AND RECEIVE ! (miracles abound!)
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
My marketing plan has been very simple: I have developed a mailing list of clients over the years and send emails once a quarter or so sharing new work ! I foster brand loyalty by creating hi quality artwork and including clients in the creative/design process so they know exactly what they will be receiving. No surprises!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tommymoss.net
- Instagram: tommymosscontemporaryart
- Facebook: tommymoss
