We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Travis Knight a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Travis thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve always known I wanted to be an artist. Drawing was the first thing that held my attention. I didn’t grow up around professional creatives. It just always seemed that painting and drawing was a hobby. I fell in love with comic books during the early 90’s boom. Artists like Todd Mcfarlane and Jim Lee lined my walls. It seemed that drawing comics was a way to make a living!

After high school, my focus switched over to Graphic Design. It was a growing field and very exciting to me. The computer stuff was interesting to me. I had a professor who had worked as an illustrator for years and he always encouraged me to continue drawing. He helped me bridge the gap between art and design.

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

I’m an artist and illustrator from Chattanooga Tn. About 2 years ago I left my 13-year career as a graphic designer and art director to focus on building a business as a freelance creative. I wanted to focus solely on illustration. As a designer, I was always moonlighting as an artist. I’ve never been able to stop drawing. It’s my favorite thing to do. For most my life I’ve loved music and movies. I’m always watching something when I draw. As an illustrator, I’ve had the opportunity to work for some of my favorite bands and movie franchises. Just this year I worked for some of my favorite bands, The Cure, Iron Maiden and Smashing Pumpkins. I was asked to create a pint glass for the new Indiana Jones movie. I was lucky to get so many dream projects this year!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

To me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist/illustrator is creating something out of nothing. I love having an idea pop into my head and making it a reality. Creating something that can connect with other people is pure magic. One of the best feelings is inspiring someone else to make things.

I also hide great joy in pushing myself and my techniques. I love learning. An artist has to stay curious. It’s so important curious about the world, themselves, and others. Empathy is an artist’s greatest tool.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I feel like being a full-time artist is all about getting your name out there. Social media has been my main tool for years, but it’s so hard to stay ahead of the algorithms. It’s hard to ask for “likes’ and “shares’ but that’s what it takes. I feel like the public could do so much for artists just by giving us credit. Share our name with others. Tag us in a post! These things are important. One major hurdle I have to overcome is educating the public on what an artist does. Artists have to prove their value time and time again.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dtknight.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travisknight/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-knight-a95ab890/
• Twitter: @travbotknight