Goal Update: Creating 6 Murals in a Year
In 2015, I saved up some money and left my agency job to focus on two of my biggest passions: lettering and traveling.
My first big trip was India and Taiwan. Although I was traveling there for my friend’s wedding, I also stayed for a few extra days to create a mural with some people I met through the internet. Anant Ahuja, myself and his team at Inchwork painted this lettering piece to raise awareness around social inequality in New Delhi. It was one of my favorite projects to date, and since then I have been hooked on making large scale artwork.
After that trip I set a goal to create 6 murals in 2016, and get paid for each one.
A few months into freelancing, things were going pretty well! However, I wasn’t attracting too many paid mural projects. Looking back this shouldn’t have been a surprise... I wasn’t or sharing that much content focused around the topic of murals. I also could have been doing more relevant personal projects (even though I refuse to do illegal street art). I had no idea but a new opportunity was about to present itself.
Joining forces with a team
If you’re following me on social media, you may know that back in April I was approached by WeWork to join their installation art team (AKA Lunch Money) as Senior Designer. To be honest, I wasn’t intending to go back to full time work and I felt very torn, but the opportunity seemed to be right up my alley and I really resonated with the mission and values of the company.
The whole mission behind WeWork is to help entrepreneurs and small businesses pursue their life’s work. We do this by providing a supportive community, network of resources and creating inspiring workspaces (that’s where my team comes in).
This position has already helped me get closer to achieving my big goal and it has had so many other benefits. Above all, it feels great to be a part of a mission that is so much bigger than myself, impacting 60,000+ members worldwide.
I’ve been collaborating and experimenting with new mediums like neon signs and CNC woodcut lettering. I can’t wait to share these projects with you in the coming months as they are rolled out into the new locations.
A minor setback
This past weekend I fractured my fibula and misaligned my ankle while skateboarding. Looks like I won't be painting any murals for at least a few weeks.
These things can happen unexpectedly at any time. When they do, it's important to stay creative in whatever way possible.
I might not reach my goal of 6 murals in 2016 (I'm currently at 3 murals). If I hadn't tried then I wouldn't have even come close. Thanks for all of the continued support and help. For now I am taking this time to share my experience through more articles, tutorials and personal projects. Hope you enjoy!