We recently connected with Zachary Hinson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Zachary, thanks for joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I remember the day that I decided I couldn’t work in the “professional field my whole life. I was and insurance agent, sitting in my office staring out the window at some construction workers daydreaming. My boss walked in and saw, waked over, sat down at the desk, and told me that it was “okay” to daydream sometimes. He told me that when he was younger you used to stare out the window and be thankful he “didn’t have to be them”. In that moment I felt confronted for the first time in my life that I was fundamentally different from the people around me in the “professional” work place. Just seconds before he came in I was daydreaming thinking “I wish I could be them”. To me they represented freedom. Working outside, laughing and struggling together as they create something from nothing. I was a bird in a cage. I quit my job the next day and became a night-time trash collector. I Worked myself to exhaustion every night and painted a new mural in my backyard everyday. All with the belief that my hard work and loud style would attract like minded artists and clients. After around a year of doing this without anyone knowing who I was it began to work. People started to notice, jobs came in, and I haven’t slowed down since that day.

Zachary, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Hinson the Healer and I’ve been making art for the past 13 years as an amateur with the past two representing the beginning of my professional career. Im a muralist and graffiti artist based out of sunny Saint Petersburg Florida. As you may have guessed I use primarily spray paint but what may surprise you is my formal training. I have a degree in the art field for Art & Architecture History/ Traditional Studio Arts.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I hope to take my knowledge of the fine art world and leverage it to create acceptance amongst the general public, as well as fine artists, for graffiti characters within the context of “Fine Art”. In order to accomplish this the majority of my work revolves around society’s interactions with “Folk” arts. This leads me to a somewhat experimental style with heavily saturated vibrant colors and thick lines.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I realized early into my career that when it comes to my work, I need to remove my ego from the finished product, and instead base it on the amount of effort put in. If you place your ego on the finished product, or its reception, you loose control of the fate of your own ego. This is because our perception as creatives is based primarily on the opinions of others. Leaving your emotions susceptible to the general public. If you instead choose to tie your ego to the amount of effort you put into learning a new technique, solving a problem, or improving your workflow. Then you are able to remain in control of your own ego. You won’t be leaving your ego in the hands of others, because you will know exactly how much effort was put in. This allows me to stay confident in tough situations, and push myself to improve on a regular basis.

Contact Info:

• Website: hinsonthehealer.com
• Instagram: @hinsonthehealer
• Youtube: Hinson the Healer