Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tyler Anderson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tyler, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?

Before I ever considered myself an artist, I first decided to be a business owner. With some inheritance money and a dream, myself and a group of friends decided to start a company together in 2020.

Given that the company was a clothing brand, it introduced me to the worlds of graphic design, advertising, photography, social media management, and much more. It also introduced me to the various difficulties of managing, understanding, and working with a group of people who all have their own hopes, aspirations, and demons.

I’ll be the first to admit I made a lot of mistakes. I made mistakes handling issues, I made mistakes with money, I made mistakes with clients, and I made mistakes with my friends.

Ultimately I failed, we failed, and the company dissolved. An entire year of mine and others’ lives essentially burned up in the matter of a month.

I regret a lot of the things that happened there, a lot of things I said and did as a business owner, and most of those relationships will never heal.

That being said, without those experiences, I would not be where I am today. I learned photography, shot and edited thousands of photos, made dozens of ads, and spent much of my time in Photoshop and Lightroom. To put it simply, in all the maelstrom, I fell in love with art. I fell in love with what it offered people and how it made people feel.

From that failure forward I dedicated myself full time to learning and growing as an independent artist. I have all the mistakes, and successes, of that small company and those friends to thank for that.

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

As stated before, I got into the industry of graphic design and rendering through the company I invested in.

I was doing fashion photography in our warehouse studio several times a week over the course of 2020. This introduced me to all the fun tools provided by suites like Adobe.

At some point during our business life we experimented with using 3D rendering to create more dynamic ads. We chose software like Cinema 4D, ZBrush, and After Effects to incorporate into our brand vision.

Unfortunately too late to do much with it during the life of the company, It opened my eyes to the world of 3D during a time when NFT’s and Midjourney AI were making huge headlines.

Our company operated primarily within the local music industry at the time, so I started working with local DJ’s and producers to create logos, cover art, visuals and more. I sponsored artists with merch designs, helped artists set up dropshipping, and ultimately ended up working for a music label creating the various assets needed to promote music across the web.

All of this blossomed into a huge client network of music artists, primarily in EDM (Electronic Dance Music), that saw what I offered and would hire me to help them bring their brand visions to life.

I offer clients full branding packages, social media tools, promotion and advertising assets, and performance visuals.

I also mentor newer artists on how to manage their brands, how to bring their vision to the forefront, and how to get in touch with/connect to industry leaders.

I run a label which provides artists a place to release their music to a wider audience, and handle several social media pages for artists that I manage.

I also offer VJ (Visual Jockey) services to venues around the chicagoland area, or wherever my artists need me to be.

I am most proud of the people I have worked with who have gone on to do great things. While the money is always a plus, the most rewarding thing for me is seeing my work on some of the biggest stages and platforms in the industry. It makes the endless hours of grinding away in front of my computer just a little bit easier.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Price point. I earn to make ends meet, and I live humbly, which allows me to charge competitive prices to all my clients. I understand that strategy may not interest creatives who look to bigger and better things, but it has opened countless doors for me. There are days and weeks when I struggle, sure, but that can be said of any career path. I have a roof over my head, food in my fridge, and a supportive group of people around me. That’s more than most can ask for, I think. Learning to be happy with that has only served to better my business.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Pinterest. I worship this platform now. Any time I feel a creative block, or need my clients to dig deep for inspiration I send them here. It’s essentially a huge collection of art, and it curates results as you go, so every image is a rabbit hole. It’s endless inspiration. I would hardly be as creative as I am without it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://voltroncicada.myportfolio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voltroncicada
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TylerAndersonVisuals/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CellBlockCollective
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/HehheVkLmiJYyuBz9
• Other: cellblockcollective.com
  spicybois.shop

Image Credits

Models in photos Left to Right:
Row 1: Caitlin Griffin, Tiffany Powless, Gage Estrema
Row 2: Amy Messina, Shelby, Uncredited
Row 3: Emily Messina, Izzy Guerra, Joe Thorne