Meet Dimitri Walker

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dimitri Walker. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dimitri, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
That one was kinda easy for me. We didn’t have a lot of extras growing up. It was either work hard to buy, learn to make, or do with out. To my way of thinking when someone wants to give me their hard earn cash for my art, well that isn’t something I take lightly. I just can’t imagine people buying something like a painting and not believing in the piece and in the person who created it. If that is true and I’m the creator, how can I be an imposter?

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My mother sold a drawing I did of a deer leaping through the woods to one of her co-workers when I was 6 years old for $50 bucks (1972 dollars). They thought it came from “a Real Artist”. I was always sought after in elementary, middle, and high school when someone need something drawn. I got a scholarship to a very very small liberal arts school with a portfolio drawn on notebook paper. My first time around at college was a complete flop. I learn nothing about art except for wat I taught myself. I bounced from random job to random job through the 60’s and into the early 90’s. In 1993 I started making babies and got serious about my art. I began to teach myself to paint. In 2011 I was teaching a drawing class in a small art gallery when one of my students asked why I didn’t do any fanart given my love of comic books, comic book movies and Doctor Who. Upon finding out DragonCon was not in fact the only comic convention on the planet I put together 60 paintings in 6 months and started the convention circuit. After 2 years I was able to quit working for “the man” and pay for my life solely from selling art. My work is inspired by the Renaissance and comic books.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I believe we are born with a leaning towards a particular skill or craft, whether we do anything with it is another story. Next is my mother. To this day one of the first my mother says to me is “what have you drawn today?” That kind of encouragement is invaluable to a young person if it is based on truth. People speak of being “fearless” and most of the time they are full of it. I have no fear of putting my work in front of people no matter the venue. I never have. My art is very much tied to making a living so if people can’t see it, they can’t buy it. I can’t speak to what should motivate other creatives except that whether you do it purely for the love of creation, to get paid, or as a guide to finding yourself …creators create. They don’t sit around talking about it.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?
Right now its all about spreading the gospel of Paintings By Dimitri. I’m on most social media platforms and I try to post daily. Social media is definitely a young persons game however it is something anyone can learn. Facebook has been invaluable for me even with its algorithm limiting my reach. I have seen many of my fellow creatives break through to a whole new level with just the right post, or the perfect timely recognition by the right person. With canvas paintings its a bit trickier but I truly believe all I have to do is keep doing the work and be patient.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Rembrandt and Singer-Sargent

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