Shifting gears into an art career can be an exhilarating but challenging task. While passion is a plus, this transition also demands discipline, hard work, and the right kind of encouragement from those around you. For Miles Regis, everything fell into place once the hard-working L.A. artist found support among a steadily growing roster of clients and collectors.

On today’s podcast, host and NOT REAL ART founder Scott “Sourdough” Power sits down with Miles to discuss the painter’s path from entertainment executive to full-time artist at age 40. “A lot of my early collectors were actors and actresses, celebrities,” he says. “It was then a little bit easier for me to jump ship and become a full-time artist. I was actually encouraged by a few of my collectors to do it…that encouragement helped me make the leap.”

Miles’ story may highlight the importance of community, but the Trinidad-born artist stresses that success takes more than famous friends and collectors with deep pockets. “It doesn't matter what you do,” he says. “If you are to succeed at it, you have to put in the hours. End of story.”

In today’s episode, Miles shares some actionable advice for anyone who’s thinking about leaping into a creative career. He discusses leaning into your purpose, using transferable skills to your advantage, and the undeniable benefits of practice, practice, and more practice. If you’re serious about leaving your nine-to-five for a full-time arts career, learning to balance vision with industry practicalities is a necessity. Our conversation with Miles is designed to help listeners get started on the first leg of their journey into a career they love. For a few practical words of wisdom and a whole lot of inspiration from someone who believes “every action is an opportunity for creative self-expression,” tune into our conversation with the incomparable Miles Regis. 

Key Points From This Episode:

• How Miles uses art to make sense of his reality (and how it’s made him a better parent).
• A look at his previous life as a headhunter in the entertainment industry.
• Insight into his transition from the corporate world to full-time artist.
• The encouragement and support Miles received from his early collectors.
• Multifaceted ways that he has expressed himself creatively since he was a kid.
• Why it’s so powerful to lean into your purpose and do what you love to do.
• The work ethic Miles inherited from his parents and how it has served him.
• Ways that his upbringing in Trinidad has influenced his creative practice.
• What moving to the US taught Miles about resilience and finding his tribe.
• His experience of race and racism in the US (and how it evolved once he had children).
• Some of the ways that he deals with inequality and social injustice in his work.
• Where you can see Miles’ work until the end of the year and beyond!

For more information, please visit http://notrealart.com/miles-regis