We recently connected with Roy Tyson and have shared our conversation below.
Roy, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?
I think it comes from family. I’ve always been taught the value of money and earning it, through pocket money, chores etc When is was about 12 I started doing morning paper rounds and continued until 16 then onto an apprenticeship as a mechanic at Fords. These guys who taught me were incredibly hard working, mainly because they were incentivised to fix cars quickly and earn bonuses for the more they fix, so that was my mindset for 5 years. Work ethic continued from there, then when you finally find something you love doing, like I did with art, work ethic becomes easy, then it becomes about stamina and dedication.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am an artist creating artworks using miniature figures. My artistic world revolves around creating placing these tiny people in street scenes and photographing them, whilst also building them into 3d Sculptures for display.
Beginning in 2012, I was captivated by the perspective of some miniature figures on a model train track so I quickly got some figures and began photographing them on the streets. I loved the juxtapose between the little people and our real world. I soon began selling my photos on eBay then within galleries. This was an entirely new industry for me, having never created art commercially before or dealt with galleries. I saw interest in my works and continued, I’m still on that same path today.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Commitment, open minded, willing to learn.
I was committed from the start and this came from my work ethic. I was told No many times, and still do, but you have to learn to take these and move on. Finding out the reason for the No can be very helpful to move forward also. You must commit no matter what the outcomes.
Open minded with regards to who you work with. Starting off I’d say approach everyone, enter every open exhibition, and really explore avenues to get your work out there.
Willing to learn, as an artist you are a small business. You make something to sell. So you must learn about things such as accountancy, advertising, sales, representation, tax returns…..
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
I’ve recently left my comfortable life in the UK to travel the world. This means creating artwork on the go has its own challenges, so I am constantly challenged with new framing suppliers, printing, painting supplies, shipping, packaging etc. I research all of these in places we go to and although things are slower, I can make it all happen with good research.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.royspeople.com
- Instagram: Royspeople
- Facebook: Royspeople
Image Credits
All my images
