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

Hi Joey, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
As a child, I experienced personal life traumas, along with what was referred to then as learning disabilities. Drawing was used to communicate with me as it came naturally and was an easier way to connect with me. The only diagnosis at that time would be ADHD & dyslexia. Life would stayed challenging during my adolescence, so I withdrew in my art as a way to escape and explore my inner world, as it was more familiar to me. I grew up isolated in various US states and multiple years in Africa, which didn’t help my social skills much. As I grew older, art was encouraged. My parents enrolled me in weekly drawing sessions in painting live subjects in a group setting. Art is not only my life, art is the air I breathe. So, I paint every day no matter what is going on around me. I paint to connect with myself and the spaces around me. The rest manifests from there.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
It takes a dedicated and persistent ambition to succeed in anything. For me, it’s being present in the moment and being present with each person I encounter. Having a clear focus and Intention are key! The biggest advice I would say at present is to love yourself and be kind to yourself. As humans we all make mistakes. Love is a journey and may take time so enjoy the journey along the way!

Currently, I’m looking to create sculpture from my doodles-drawn in an automatic subconscious state-which is exciting! Not one sculpture will be the same with the abstraction of the sculpture. Hopefully, they wont take too long to create.

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?
Let’s start with a Coffee or beverage. Personally, I love chai! I take time each morning to journal my thoughts. I open up and clear my mind and then a daily doodle is born! I’ll usually post the days doodle to social media. Next, I’ll walk my two pups. We go to the park or somewhere in nature to balance all the indoor studio time. Sometimes, I paint outdoors.

I start my days painting around 8am. I’ve usually been awake around 3 hours by then. I break my day into two painting sessions. 8am-12pm then again 1pm-5pm. I’ll usually end a day with a movie about history or astronomy. Maybe it’s a simple day, but I watch paint dry all day for a living and am I’m thankful for the ability to do it and I respect the process.

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’d like to “Shoutout” to the scores of people that have championed my work, via commissions, purchases, and donations. I appreciate them with all my heart. It’s a very long list of kind dedicated people. I’m thankful to the states of Texas, Nevada, & California for the commission opportunities they blessed me with! Mostly, to my family who hold the most space for me that helps facilitate my creativity.

Website: Joeyderuy.com

Instagram: @joeyderuy

Linkedin: @joeyderuy

Facebook: @joeyderuy

Youtube: @joeyderuy

Image Credits
Self

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