We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Noah Haytin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Noah below.
Hi Noah , thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
Optimism is crucial for survival…especially as an artist or any creative type. Our career paths are generally not as clearly defined for us as other professionals…perhaps such as for what a doctor or lawyer would do after attaining their respective degrees.
Optimism has been instilled in me by example….those that came before me and made “something out of nothing”. Prime examples of this optimism came from a supportive family structure that recognized my artistic talents at a young age and encouraged me to foster them – I know many people do not have this critical resource and I am very lucky to say that I did – for that I am forever grateful.
Also, growing up in a very diverse environment I got to meet people from all different walks of life – for example, getting to work with rappers that came from poverty & far more adversity than I experienced is forever inspiring …that gives me optimism when doubt enters my mind – I’ve seen people I know go from “rags to riches” and they couldn’t have done it without daring to be fiercely optimistic.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am in a unique place in my work – a lane that grew organically over decades of “bumps & bruises, “leaps of faith”, and creative pursuits following my passions wherever they took me.
One thing I can say proudly is that I have always stayed true to myself – despite all challenges and adversity encountered – I am not a check one box type of person and that doesn’t always sit well with the status quo of any given context. But I persist.
My art formed as a reaction to all of that – and I gained notoriety at a young age mainly for drawings in response to Hip-Hop culture – especially from the local scene I was enmeshed in growing up in the Bay Area.
I have worked with many of my hometown heroes and the experience of being able to continue that tradition to this day only keeps me going…I teach art, I make art, I pursue opportunities for the sake of art…the unknown possibilities still excite me.
I remain open to new technology and techniques of staying creative in this rapidly changing world – my art gives me focus to remain me & give back.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back on the trajectory of my life and career as a creative type of person, with a passion for the arts & education, I think the the three qualities that helped me the most along my path were:
1. Dedication (to my craft and to my passions). I would suggest young creatives really check in with themselves constantly as to how dedicated they feel to following their creative path and understand they will probably hear “no” more than “yes”; if they can live with that…keep going and stay dedicated. Also, give yourself grace and remain flexible. The creative path is generally not clearly laid out in front of you but one created as you go!
2. Tenacity (I often learned the hard way, and because of that, built up a “thick skin” resilient to not letting challenges completely derail me from achieving my goals). Young creative folx….you need to be tenacious if you are going to succeed in creative pursuits.
3. Good intentions (I am a genuine person, not a perfect person at all…but no one is) require me to do my best to be a good person in anything I do.
Having good intentions requires one to remain humble and show humility at times – but moving with good intentions has virtually always been universally appreciated & reciprocated in my experience. I would advise people just starting out in their careers to not lose sight of the importance of this – corporations often lose the loyalty & respect of their customers and clients because they forget to ensure that the people who make them successful feel valued; people who pay you their hard earned money need to know you appreciate their business & creative people are already in position to find the most unique ways to do this – I tell my clients my work is not done until they are 100% satisfied – I want them to love the work they paid for.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
Networking is probably the single most important thing you can do for elevating yourself in any profession….and it is generally free!
Social media has really changed the networking game and many of my recent creative collaborations have come via people who found my work on Instagram.
I am always looking to expand my network (which is also your net worth if you really think about it) with ambitious creative people who essentially just want to make good things happen in the world. I am looking to expand my work in different venues from TV, film, & animation….to the digital domain, such as with NFT projects.
Projects that push creative boundaries – especially those that have some social Justice and or educational value are definitely a priority for me. I love to collaborate with good people who have similar interests and want to expand their network (and net worth) together via creative projects. If some one has an idea they want to kick to me, they can contact me via my public social media platforms – I do my best to be approachable and responsive.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.noahhaytin.com
- Instagram: @noh8tin (Hip-Hop Graphic Archives); @noah.haytin (Fine Art & Art Education)
- Facebook: Golden Era Rap Graphics
- Twitter: @rap_graphics by NOH8TIN
Image Credits
Noah Haytin
Image Credit:
Pictured in a studio: Kiel Johnson.
