Meet Donovan Beatty: Artist for steady:hyperactive

We had the good fortune of connecting with Donovan Beatty and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Donovan, what’s your definition for success?
I define success as being able to be happy with whatever goal you were trying g to achieve. Even if you may not have gotten all the way with what you set out with, if you are comfortable with the way things went and content with the outcome I consider that a win in my book.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been making music for about 3 years now which has definitely increased my confidence level in other areas. I feel like if you can perform in front of a crowd you can perform in front of anyone in any facet of life. It’s definitely been growing pains as far as the best way to promote, getting yourself out there, what works performance wise what doesn’t, learning to accept the things that I make and be ok with the outcome, etc. At an artistic level it’s hard not to look back on the things you’ve done and the way they were executed and wish you could’ve done more. I’ve learned (and still trying to accept) that as long you were confident in your decision at the time you shouldn’t have regrets about the decisions you’ve made artistically. Everything is about learning and accepting and growing

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Some of my favorite spots in the city are predominantly centered around food. Waldo’s Wings, J & J’s Food Mart, Camel City BBQ (which also has an arcade inside), Dom’s (some of the best vegan food I’ve ever had), Prime Tyme, and various other food trucks around Winston-Salem. Downtown is a beautiful scene with a lot of different businesses and attractions just to enjoy and take in the area. You can definitely tell from just walking around a couple blocks that the city is very arts based. From Boxcar Arcade and the giant mural, to old Salem and its rich history, to Bailey Park and the surrounding businesses, to Artivity on the Green where people love taking pictures and overall just hanging out.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to s/o my family first and foremost. At this point in my life the main thing I really seek is their approval and support in anything I do. It gives me the confidence to try anything and feel good about the things I’m doing. The other people I would like to s/o is my label/collective/platform “steady:hyperactive”. They have empowered me and allowed me to explore my talents and get myself out there. I definitely wouldn’t be making music or feel as explorative in the arts without them

Website: https://www.steadyhyper.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paragondon605/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/paragondon605?lang=en

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ParagonDon605/

Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/user/MichaelSoabster

Other: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCaKWVYCOTYpE9Z6kiQe1pZw Some others videos of mine are also on this page including other members of Steady

Image Credits
Trey Franc Jalissa Bono Ahmad Martin Travon Gourdine