Meet Tyler Johnson | Illustrator, Designer and Acrylic Artist

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

Hi Tyler, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I would say the biggest reason I wanted to start my own business was creative freedom. I’ve been a graphic designer professionally for over 8 years now. Since i was fresh out of college I had these grand ideas of amazing projects I could be a part of on a team of insanely creative people just like in “Mad Men” but in reality was the work I was getting were quick turnover projects that I didn’t really have my heart and soul into. They were great opportunities, don’t get me wrong, and definitely kept a roof over my head, but always left me wanting more.

Right when the pandemic hit, I decided that I wanted more for myself. I needed to find a way to surround myself with creative people and get inspired to create even though I’m pretty dang introverted. I also wanted to try to potentially find a way to pivot into a new but related career that could satisfy that itch I couldn’t scratch in the other places I was looking. During the pandemic I started going into Photoshop to try to “digitally paint” and make prints that I thought were really cool and others might like as well, and potentially build up a portfolio for myself to advertise to the world that I can not only design but illustrate as well.

Once restrictions started lifting I made a bold decision to start selling things like my mother did up until several years ago and sell my work at “popups” and “shows” around the city. I was surprisingly isolated from her selling her crafts but did get to help out now and again. Her old setup is still much more extravagant than mine was but I feel like I gained a lot of inspiration from watching her do it and eating up whole weekends on occasion. At the same time, I thought to myself if she could make it work, I probably have the same crazy genes to make it work for me.

Starting off was both terrifying and liberating, while I do still have my day job (for now) I am finding that I have learned so much about myself in such a short amount of time. My first pop-up market was in the East Atlanta Village in May 2021. Setting up the table with my own tent, table, and everything that I made was quite the experience! Having everything out in the world next to all of the seasoned veterans helps to put things in perspective and makes you think about how setting up a booth is a work of art on its own. Every time I had a pop up market I added or adjusted something to where just 5 months later my whole setup is barely recognizable from the first!

The “more” I had been searching for turned out to be creating artwork for myself where I could be the creative director, and the ideal clients are people that resonate with my work. On days that the foot traffic to my booth is slow, even just hearing one person for the whole day tell me that my artwork is beautiful and resonates with them on a personal level can keep me going for weeks and remind me of why I’m doing this. Looking into the future I would love to be featured in a gallery, paint a mural (it’s in the works!) and whatever else I can get my hands on. I don’t know where this journey will carry me but I’m definitely not done with this ride and I’m excited for where it’s going. The end goal is to die as the greatest artist that I can possibly be.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Professionally I’m still in the beginning phases for making money on my artwork. I’ve learned so much about making art just from trying new things to present at the pop-up markets and even taking more scrutinizing looks at artwork that I find online or in person for little touches to make my pieces look more professional. Just in the last 5 months it’s been so impressive how far I’ve come just from experimenting. It’s happening so much faster than if I was only creating art for myself as a small side hobby and I’m excited to see where I will in just the next 5 months.

I think that the pressure from feeling like there’s always something that can be improved has been beneficial in regards to creating more pressure to keep creating at a strong pace. Most of my inventory is prints and stickers but I also try to create a good balance of acrylic pieces for a good variety of handmade work. Finding the balance of everything has been quite a challenge, making sure that I have everything packed in the car ready for the next event and not leaving anything valuable behind (my wife, admittedly, has come in extremely valuable on a couple of occasions by reminding me to bring something or even running back home for something).

I’m extremely grateful for everyone that has been encouraging along the way. Artists, vendors, and even people telling me how much my work means to them has been helpful and encouraging beyond words.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely hit up the museums. The High, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Cat Eye Creative, The Bakery, SCAD Fash, and wherever else we can find an opening. We definitely need to hit up the Beltline by the Old Fourth Ward Skate Park and look at the constantly evolving street art they have available and make sure to head all the way down to Krog Street Tunnel and beyond. All of the Living Walls down there are always awe-inspiring.

For dining, there are so many good places for every budget level but I feel that Waffle House is a good staple for anyone that hasn’t been to one before. For the more finicky eaters, there’s all of the excellent pizza places like Fritti in Inman Park and Avellino’s in Brookhaven, but if the Pizza Truck is out and about we have to hunt him down. The Clarimont Hotel is always a good spot to grab a few drinks as well!

I’m also down for a few hikes, or even just walking around a park like Piedmont Park to get out and about to enjoy being outside.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a shoutout to all of the people that have encouraged me along the way, and allowed me to nag them with all the questions I could possibly think of diving into this. Malcom Turpin (@graffiticlassatl) runs an amazing class that helps build confidence in a way you would never think – painting on “free walls” on the Atlanta Beltline where everyone can see. (and he turned me on to Shout Out Interviews!) Daniel Curran (@danielcurranart) was the first vendor I got to pick their brain on going about doing my first popup market ever, he has amazing artwork and has been doing shows for a few years, he is definitely worth checking out.
Jeremy Muxworthy (@muxworrrthy) was another vendor I talked to before venturing out and starting to do popups, he’s been doing it for a while and has a lot of excellent line work
Danielle Giles Durant (@modernsavagejewelry) runs popup events around Atlanta at Argosy in the East Atlanta Village and in Summer Hill, she’s been monumental in me getting my foot in the door by making it easier to start off on this exciting journey.
Carla Contreras (@carla.contreras.art) is an amazing abstract artist here in Atlanta who has begun to do art shows around the city, her work is amazing and she’s made so many amazing pieces!

There are also the other exciting and talented artists and makers that are part of the Argosy Artisans Market, as well as the Atlanta Indie Market, Indie Craft Experience, and other popup markets around the ATL!

Website: misterhipster.myportfolio.com

Instagram: @mister_hipster_designs

Facebook: facebook.com/mister.hipster.designs