Tech Broker Moonlights as Luxury Lifestyle Artist

This transcript was generated from the episode audio and may contain minor errors.

Are you a Renaissance soul? Do you have more than one interest or passion? I always enjoy hearing about people who have blended multiple fields, interests, or industries to create a unique career of their own, as well as people who have two successful, productive, and largely independent careers simultaneously. Today's story is in the latter category. It's about a science and technology consultant who moonlights as a sports and luxury lifestyle artist, earning up to $100,000 a year from that side gig, and he doesn't want to do it full time because he also enjoys the other work that he does. I respect that. I'll also give you a couple

of book recommendations at the end of the episode if you identify with the concept of being a Renaissance soul, or you like the idea of forging a hybrid career, or you just want to have more than one career like this guy does. So lots of good stuff here on the program today. My name is Chris Guillebeau. This story is coming right up after this quick shout out to our sponsor. Tim Rains is a self-proclaimed polymath, an individual whose knowledge spans a significant number of subjects. By day, he is a science and technology commercialization consultant.

He spends his time brokering deals with tech innovators and businesses looking for new product markets. By night, he flexes his creative muscles, putting together incredible works of art that blend abstract with realism, using a unique process of dripping paint onto canvas and colorful drips and intricate swirls. It started when Tim moved into a trendy loft in downtown Austin, Texas. He felt right at home except for one thing, or actually several things, the blank white walls practically begged for artwork, and Tim's recent obsession was abstract art. He shopped around and collected several good original pieces, but was stymied by their high cost. He was also inspired. Having been somewhat of an artist and maker

ever since he was a kid, Tim figured he could create his own large-scale artwork for a mere fraction of the cost. He purchased several large canvases and began experimenting, standing over the canvas, splattering and dripping the paint on them, much like famous artist Jackson Pollock. With his artistic sensibilities and a strong eye for color, Tim was able to create abstract art to his own liking, and it seemed that others liked it as well. When his loft-welling neighbors and technology peers saw it, they asked who the artist was. When they found out it was Tim, they became his first patrons, purchasing his work to adorn their own homes. In the beginning, his paintings were all abstract, but when someone

asked if he could do a flower in a similar style, he stepped up to the challenge. The piece turned out well. He began to wonder what other things he could paint in this unique style that blended abstract with realism. Tim continued refining his process, all the while amassing enough paintings for a legitimate art show. There was a coffee shop near his loft with a reputation for organizing quality exhibitions. And they agreed to host his work.

At his first official showing, Tim sold a staggering $10,000 worth of art, which only made his creative wheels turn faster. He took stock of his interests and drew inspiration from a famous sports artist whose work he admired, Leroy Neiman. Neiman traveled the world observing and painting leisure life, social activities, and athletic competitions, including the Olympics, the Super Bowl, the PGA, and Masters golf tournaments, and even the world of casino gambling. It seemed like an appealing lifestyle to Tim, who was also a lifelong car and motorsports enthusiast. He figured his art would do well in those markets, which have huge followings of highly devoted fans and a strong interest in collectibles.

Once he found his group with this style, he approached a local exotic car club and offered to donate a piece in exchange for the typical vendor space at their event. And then he kept exhibiting, building, and of course, painting from there. Tim's process of creating makes for great performance art, and he became a popular attraction at races, fundraisers, and corporate events. His artwork gained many clients in the following in the automotive world. With his ever-growing success, he knew he was on the right track.

The project had very low startup costs, essentially just a series of paints and canvases, and Tim has been able to generate as much as $100,000 a year annually in profit. He tried being a full-time artist for a year, but found he missed his day job. So he went back to that while continuing to produce and sell art. Even considering the money he makes, it's the experiences that Tim has enjoyed the most. He's attended many top car shows, flown to a Grand Prix race in his client's helicopter, and has even had clients take him to Spain to run with the Bulls. He's also gotten to

see his artwork on two winning race cars. For anyone out there wanting to create and sell artwork based on existing brands or licensed properties, Tim advises you to work with those organizations through their licensing managers. Some organizations and brands will work with artists, grant them rights, and allow certain reproductions of their images, while others may not. And by checking first, artists can avoid expensive infringement lawsuits. Moving forward, Tim is working to bring some of his tech marketing to the world of art, and some of the world of art to business. His unique background has recently opened the

door for him to do a paint and sip concept for companies. He plans to discuss team building, marketing, branding, and the creative process. By not choosing to follow a single career, Tim has advanced and innovated in at least two of them. If you don't have to do just one thing, if you've got more than one interest or more than one passion, you're certainly not alone. That's the case for many of us. And while

there is power in choosing to just focus on one thing for some people, others of us actually come alive and are more creative and more productive when we look at a career or a hobby, a side assault, whatever it is, that combines more than one interest. So as promised, here are a few recommended books. I've read all these myself. A couple of them were actually influential to me many years ago. So the first one is The Renaissance Soul. I used that phrase earlier. It's also the title of a book. Subtitle is How to Make

Your Passions Your Life by Margaret Lobenstein. Next couple of recommendations are Refuse to Choose and Wishcraft by Barbara Sher. I know Barbara, she's wonderful. I actually read her book Wishcraft, I don't know, maybe 15 years ago, made an impact on my life and I still recommend it today. Got to know her later on, which is cool. So that's Refuse to Choose

and Wishcraft, not witchcraft, just wish, W-I-S-H. And last but not least, How to Be Everything by Emily Wapnick, who is also a friend. I feel really fortunate as an author to have gotten to know lots of other authors over the years. So great books there. We're going to link those up in the show notes, along with Tim's work, of course, which is beautiful, really fun, definitely a unique style, which of course helps him stand out.

So inspiration is good, but inspiration with action is so much better. Those show notes are at sidehustleschool.com/941. Episode 941, we are cruising along. Much more is coming up. Be sure you're subscribed. This is Chris Guillebeau for Side Hustle School.