Recently, I had the chance to chat with one of my favorite Artists – Aaron Wood. Aaron is most well known for his propaganda style posters. His initial inspiration started on Google+ when he noticed how many people were hating on one social network or another.
Since then, he’s created propaganda posters for much more than just social media and has built a large following.
View more of Aaron’s work on his Etsy shop – http://etsy.com/shop/Justonescarf
Most recently, Aaron made a bold move by announcing he would stop posting to Google+. This surprised his followers, because while some think Google+ isn’t worth their time, Aaron has found the majority of his fan base through this social network.
I was curious to talk with Aaron about:
- His art style and who inspires him
- His perspective on using social media to market your work
- Why he stepped away from Google+
- And what it really takes to succeed as an Artist.
Is it really just about “engaging” and having lots of followers?
I’m a no-nonsense kinda gal, so I appreciated his straightforward perspective, and I hope you do as well…
What do you like most about creating art digitally?
It’s not messy. You can save it, and then go back to it. It doesn’t take up a lot of space. It’s easily reproduced.
Were there any artists you admired growing up who helped influence you to pursue a career in Art?
Most influential was my mom. She was an artist, but she had me, and didn’t go to art school so I carried the torch. Other than my mom, art in general inspires me as opposed to a specific artist.
Did you ever have people doubt you could succeed as an Artist?
Maybe people have thought it, but nobody has come out and say, “you won’t make it, your art is bad, or you need to give up” so I guess I’ve been lucky.
How important do you think it is for an Artist to develop a style? How would you describe yours? And how has your style changed over the years?
It’s really important because it’s their voice. It makes you easily recognized. I would describe my style as clean. I’m not a fan of “messy art” if that makes sense.
My style has changed over the years. I started with a lot of pen, ink, and pencil. The last 5 years, I transitioned into digital. My main style these days is modern, Art Deco, and retro style War War II propaganda.
Many Artists are afraid to market their work, but you seem to enjoy it and do it well. What advice would you give an Artist who was hesitant to market themselves?
You definitely have to be online. You need to connect. Find friends – personal or business friends – who will help you spread your art.
Don’t be afraid to ask your clients what they think your art is worth. Many artists undersell themselves. I’ll ask the client what their budget is and if that’s not in line with what is fair for me, then we’ll adjust.
2012 seemed to be a great year for you and your Art. What was your favorite accomplishment last year? And is there anything you wish you would have done differently?
My favorite accomplishment and what I wish I would have done differently are similar.
My favorite thing was self-publishing a book which was crowdsourced with kickstarter. I also got back into doing a lot of conventions.
But, I wish I did not self-publish a book. Because it didn’t sell as well as I thought it would. I took the advice of other people, and went with a hard cover which made it expensive to produce, and it was probably priced too high in the end.
I wish I would’ve charged more for my posters. Because I was getting feedback from my followers to raise my prices. It’s not just because I wanted more money. So, I ended up raising my prices at the end of the year.
Why did you stop being active on Google+?
I was burnt out. With over 200,000 followers, I expected more interaction on my posts. It’s disheartening for people to not comment after working hard on a piece, or sharing something original and putting it out there. I don’t always share Art. Sometimes it’s just my humor or something else. But, it’s usually my content.
It kills me that an inspiring quote, meme, or any other unoriginal content gets more attention. Someone will dredge up something old and post it and get more interaction. I was on the suggested user list for a while, and not much changed. My sales even stayed the same.
It seems like your success wasn’t exactly a result of having a high number of followers. If it’s not about the numbers, what is it about? What should an Artist focus on?
I attribute my success to a few key shares of my work. Word of mouth is still the best advertisement. This might sound bad, but make friends with influential people.
Some artists are happy to create what they want and express themselves even if it doesn’t sell. I’m not like that. I want to sell my art. It makes me feel good knowing that thousands of people have my art on their walls.
Collaborate more. I like the idea of mentoring. Of listening to other people. Really learning how people got to where they are. Online is not the same as in person. Google+ started communities, but people aren’t using it to build relationships. People aren’t working together. They’re working to get their art seen first or seen the most.
There’s so many self-help gurus talking about “engage, engage, engage” to build your numbers. It’s all bullshit.
There’s no self-help bullshit involved. Just build concrete relationships with people, and get off your ass and f**king do something.
That about sums up my chat with Aaron. But, I can’t wrap this up without adding my own personal sentiments about Aaron, his work, and his influence on me:
When I first discovered Aaron, it was at a time when I noticed many “creatives” (including myself) were talking and blogging about art, creativity, and what it takes to succeed. Everyone was an expert, and seemed to have the answers.
But, I noticed Aaron is someone who doesn’t talk about creating. He creates. He does the work. He openly shares his work and ideas. He builds relationships. And he’s genuine. Following his work and getting to know him has inspired me to talk less and do more.
You can connect with Aaron on:
Twitter,
Facebook,
Pinterest,
Google+
And of course, you can buy his Art on Etsy.
What about you?
What did you take away from my chat with Aaron Wood?
[photo credits: Artwork by Aaron Wood via Etsy; Photography by Kimberly Deprey]
This was a great interview. I believe what he says is true about Google+ (well at least in my experience). I really do like his work, and do remember seeing it a lot online.
Thanks for the feedback, Kalley! :D
Hi Kalley! Glad you liked the interview and my art. I’m honored that my work has been shared online by so many people! I wind up seeing it all over the place!
Great Interview it’s not easy doing what Aaron does and not everyone has that kind of talent. I am not a fan of Google+ and it never helped me I find pinterest and twitter much better for getting your product out there.
I hear ya, Kita. Twitter is a major source of traffic for me and anytime I ask for help on twitter, a bunch of people reply back which is nice. That doesn’t always happen on other social networks. Pinterest is cool, but it’s so visually stimulating, I can get sucked into that site forever! lol. But, I agree, great place to show off what you create!
Thanks for your comment!
Hi Kita! You’re right, it’s definitely NOT easy! I do the best I can with the talent I have. :D
I also like Pinterest. A great resource!
Great interview, guys. I definitely remember seeing the Google+ propaganda poster early on. Also, I’m always a fan of comic book art, so Aaron’s style is right up my alley.
Is Aaron’s work for clients like the work he has on Etsy, or do you know if he’s done other subject matter on request?
I know he’s done book covers, logos (he did my logo here on NC). He does a variety of freelance work, but I’ll let him elaborate if he’d like.
Thanks, and I appreciate your comment!
Hi Michael! Thanks for liking my art! I’m definitely available for freelance work. You can contact me through my Etsy shop if you have any requests. :)
Hello Denise nice post and interesting, are you an artist or graphic designer? I was wondering because your blog reminds me of an artist. Thanks so much for sharing your post my friend have a wonderful day.
P.S your blog seems to load fast for me…
Too fast? I was concerned my site was loading slow.
And Aaron is the graphic designer. That’s who this article is about.
Thanks for your comment.
Okay, so #1 is I love your art, Aaron. I think I just favorited a large portion of your Etsy shop.
And #2 is, as someone who really believes in engagement as the new way of… developing? customers… it’s awesome to meet an artist who has made it work for them and feels the importance of it. I kind of want to interview you too…
Denise, can I borrow him?
I’m sure there’s plenty of Aaron to go around, but it’s up to him, lol :)
Glad you like his work & thanks for commenting!
Hi Sarah! Honored that you like my stuff! I see you added my Catan poster as a fave. I love that game! :D
Feel free to interview me if you’d like. I’m sure Denise wouldn’t mind too much. Maybe. lol
Aaron, this really jives with my experience online: “It kills me that an inspiring quote, meme, or any other unoriginal content gets more attention.”
I see people who are active on Facebook getting a ton of “likes” and comments when they put a text quote (from someone else) over an (unoriginal) pretty image to stir the emotions of people. The technique is so successful for engagement that I’ll admit I’ve considered including the occasional inspirational picture/text quote image on my Facebook page or other social media streams. I don’t think of it as cheating exactly – some people do it for genuine reasons and have only good intentions in mind – but it’s so easy to do.
Like you, I wish that original pictures, blog posts, podcasts, videos, and other creative content spread more and spread faster. But pulling on someone’s social and emotional strings seems to be easier (and pays bigger dividends) through other methods. I wish it weren’t that way…but part of it is human nature I guess (or the manipulation of it).
Agreed, Joel. And I do enjoy a good quote now and then or a funny image, so I’m not against it. But I want to get to know people on a personal level too – what are their personal thoughts, rather than just a quote, or what are they creating rather than a share of someone else’s work.
Appreciate your comment!
Some people will just take the easy road! I prefer to work (at least a little lol) to reach my goals. :)
Damn human nature!
Thanks for reading!
Aaron, you were one of the first people I started following on G+ about a year and a half ago. Not only did you seem to really be enjoying yourself, and in your element, you really caught the zeitgeist with your propaganda posters. It’s sorta weird, but that really made me identify with G+ as “my” social network. :)
It is kinda sad that people don’t interact more on G+ — and I don’t blame you for bowing out. I’m as bad as anyone for reading but not engaging.
Great interview, both of you!
Same here, Shanna. Aaron’s one of the first people I circled too… always looked forward to his content.
Thanks for you comment!
Shanna, I did enjoy myself for a long time on G+ and enjoyed the attention my art garnered me. I’ll return at some point. Maybe my hiatus will do me some good. :)
Thanks for following me since the early days! (Awww… nostalgia!) And thanks for reading the interview!
Thanks to both of you for taking the time to put this interview together!
As someone who isn’t actively creating art to sell (and who works in more of the “craft” zone than the “art” zone…possibly a hairline distinction to some people), I always find it interesting to see what I can learn from an interview with or post by someone who lives by their art. I love my takeaway from this one: Don’t just talk about doing things. DO them. And figure out what you need to do along the way to make it happen.
Exactly. Get out there and DO, DO, DO! :D
Thanks for your feedback! Glad you got something out of the interview.
Glad you took away the same point I did, Erin :)
Thank you for taking the time to interview me, Denise! I had a great time answering your questions.
Hopefully I (or my work) inspires other artists and creative-types to start making some awesome new work. Looking forward to seeing feedback on this interview. :)
My pleasure! Thanks, again, for taking the time to chat with me :)