E04 Artist Vakseen — Training Intuition, Holding Yourself to Near-Impossible Standards, and Finding Your Unique Style

"The goal was to make a living from art... I just had to be creative with my movements." — Vakseen

Our guest today is a multi-talented artist and music executive, Otha "Vakseen" Davis III (@vakseen). Vakseen’s work has been exhibited in museums and featured by major brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Bombay Sapphire Gin. He is also a diamond and multi-platinum music executive, producer, and songwriter.

Born to a military family in Athens, Georgia, and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Vakseen grew up artistically inclined, playing several instruments including the violin. He is best known for his vibrant acrylic portraits, including his "Vanity Pop" series that celebrates diversity, and the "Legends Only" series that celebrates pop and cultural icons.

Vakseen's art has been described by one of his collectors as having the ability to set the stage for a much-needed therapy session that challenges one to get to the root of any issues hindering progress or living one's best life. He believes that his art serves as his own antidote to maintaining sanity in the fast-paced entertainment industry.

Despite his success in the music industry, Vakseen has been an active contemporary realist painter since moving to Los Angeles in 2011. His work has been shown in countless gallery exhibitions and featured in over 100 print and online magazines worldwide.

Vakseen's aim is to produce art that consistently ignites discussion, captivates the senses, and connects people with his culture. He hopes to inspire young creators, especially those who look like him, to know that their voice is powerful, it matters, and every single dream is possible.

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• Maintaining High Standards: "I treat each piece as a one-of-one. And my only competition is myself. So that means that when I do this next painting, personally, I feel a little pressure like this has to be crazier than that last piece." 
• Creating with Purpose: "We're given these gifts to create, to share, and once we share, and put it out into the universe, it's important to take that energy and kind of live with it and pay attention."
• Art Needs Marketing: "I wish I had known just the importance of marketing for an artist. You know, my first CD, we spent years putting this together. And then by the time we released it, I didn't want to push that to anybody." 
• Perseverance: "There's so much joy that comes with not knowing how to do something, figuring it out, and then making it happen. That kind of sums up the artist's journey."
• Standing Out: "It was just very important to have a distinct style, a distinct voice, something that people can recognize."

Please enjoy!

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