Colorful Creativity and Community: Unveiling Darren Thompson Jr.'s Artistic Journey
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Rob Lee
Welcome to the truth in this art. I am your host, Rob Lee. And today I am in conversation with a Baltimore based digital artist whose work focuses on color. Please welcome Darren Thompson, jr. Welcome to the podcast.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Thanks, Rob. Thank you for having me.
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Rob Lee
Yeah, you're welcome. And you have to make sure you get the job. I'm a junior as well, so, you know, you got to get it to make that delineation like that's big, Rob. You know, this is Rob Jay and Big Darren. This is Darren Jr.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah. Know. So the people know. I know my father, he was like, oh, putting it in my name so we won't get our email mixed up.
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Rob Lee
Always, always. It's one of those things like, I still get some of my dad's mail sent to his place somewhere, bro. That's. That's not yours. That's mine. So before we get too, too deep into the conversation, this is always a mixed bag sort of question, but I want to open it up by having you, you know, share your story a little bit, share the the Darren Thompson Jr story.
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Rob Lee
Some people don't like talking about themselves. What some people like to talk about themselves a little too much, which is why it's a mixed bag sort of question. But tell us a bit about your story. And I have some bullet points in there, but, you know, just give us that kind of introductory thing about your story.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Give us all childhood stuff like that.
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Rob Lee
Yeah, please.
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Darren Thompson Jr
I come from, like, a creative family, like my, um, my uncles on my mother's side. They would do art growing up. My uncle, he would do like a do like a woodcarving. Like a fish he was doing. And they were like, you make like little bubble gum in my growing up knowing that. And my father, he, um, he, growing up, he would make like Star Trek ships out of wood, cardboard, but licensing and everything.
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Darren Thompson Jr
He's doing that now is really, really worth making. All Star Trek shows make different ships. It's really cool. And listen, this is great. And with me, song growing up, I used to make Puigdemont. I got a masking tape slider poking around. I never seen a stories. I would make them out of masking tape in or packaging tape make them like that.
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Darren Thompson Jr
I would draw the program on Dragon Ball, Z, stuff like that. Even from elementary school, like second grade, I would make, like, little picture books. Mm hmm. I would draw little pictures on the on the paper, and I would make the cardboard and make, like, a cover for the book. I remember being one of principals. They all call me out front.
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Darren Thompson Jr
You call me to office job, someone to the presidency, like, oh, that's really that's really nice. I wish I still had this stuff.
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Rob Lee
Yeah, we all we all have that that thing. I think, like, I remember I did a comic when I was younger at in Holland Town. It sort of to really put a fine point on where was that right. And I remember I was making money because I was an editor on X-Men for people and I did my own comic and I was one of those guys that were rushed through my test.
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Rob Lee
Take that because I knew I was like, you know, gifted enough that I can kind of like, not pay attention and still get, like, a pretty decent grade.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Oh, yeah.
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Rob Lee
And I just remember one of my teachers, she walked by, saw that I wasn't doing my test and I'd already finished it. She took my drawing away, and I had, like, a really good draw, and she took it away and threw it away. I was so tight. So it was one time where I was working on this comic and she walked by and she was like, Oh, you really are talented in this area.
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Rob Lee
And I'm like, Yo, don't, don't touch my column. We have to smoke. And and she was like, No, no, no, I'll take you to the principal's. You're in trouble for this. Like, I did the thing and she was like, No, no, no. We want to really, like, get this laminated so you can keep it protected and preserve it and all of that.
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Rob Lee
And that was one of those kind of like early instances, you know, was that kind of similar for you in that regard?
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Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah, it was like the first time I somehow saw my family seeing my work. Mm hmm. I do things like it's so good. Yeah, this is happening. Known as you say, validation, even if it. It just felt good. And sadly, someone recognized you weren't an early age like that.
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Rob Lee
Yeah, 100%. So you starting off with, you know, coming from an artistic family and starting off with some of the DIY stuff because, you know, you kind of make art or what you have available, the time that you have available and the resources that you have available and.
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Darren Thompson Jr
What.
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Rob Lee
Would you say was that point where you became interested in digital art?
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Darren Thompson Jr
I would say that point came my freshman year in college because like in middle school, in high school, I kind of lost interest in art because I thought like I was just drawing and so like I was being challenged was like the same as in the class. Yeah, I was just drawing. And now I can draw, but not draw like other people.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Like, I guess comparing myself with people are just not going away works. I kind of lost interest during middle school and high school and I'm just a freshman in college. I took this course. It was around like a digital computer course. You know, I did this drawing of the Ravens. I had, like, the raven bird on the field.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah. And zone and stuff like that. It just I like doing this. And after doing that, I realized I wanted to because I was undecided coming into college and what I want to do right. And I took that course. I'm like, okay, I'm, I was interested in graphic design, so I was trying to be in a graphic design field and I was a major, you.
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Rob Lee
So going into going to that kind of early stage where you're like a, you know, I'm kind of coming back to this like again, you know, what are those things where it's especially at least for me, I could just I can say there's no money in art, you know, so it's like less interest in doing it. Then you have just different things to kind of take your love away from it.
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Rob Lee
And when you were younger, maybe it was like, I'm just here to draw and express myself or whatever. But when other people start getting in there, you get this compare and comparison. You get this kind of like seeking validation sort of thing, and then you want to buy things and you want to do things that you know, that art kind of gets in the way of, I guess.
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Rob Lee
And that was what kind of hindered it for me. But ultimately I kind of returned to it in a different way. Is that fair for you?
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Darren Thompson Jr
I would say so. I would say growing up, it wasn't like I knew anybody was making money from art, something that probably was would turn me away from doing art as well. Just seeing my friend. His name is Jordan Lawson and go buy or buy J are you don't big things in the city as well. Yeah we graduate at the same time between adversity and seeing him pursue his entrepreneurship gave me like the courage to jump out as well.
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Darren Thompson Jr
So I was kind of like he was doing this for me. I'm kind of like falling behind him, like just getting just being inspired by arms. Yeah. You know, that was very the first step was me really, you know, my professional art after graduating.
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Rob Lee
So what would you say you know, or some of the lay, the skill, the skills that you find to be an asset as you progress and just go down this path of being a digital artist or being an artist overall in a macro sense. But what are some of those skills that are, you know, unique to you that you would say like this is an asset about about me?
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Rob Lee
Darren That makes me really good addition to art.
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Darren Thompson Jr
I would say my creativity and my vision, I would say vision singularly and literally as well. Like recently, like now with my abstract art, like I've seen that we could be walking down the street. I might see like a crack on a sidewalk. Yeah, I'll take a picture of it out of what I will see right then. I want to do with it, but I know I can make some more out of it.
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Darren Thompson Jr
And that's what is what that's what I mean by vision. You mean seeing it literally in no one in my mind, like, hey, I'm going to make this work. I don't know what's going in, but it won't be some artist. Yeah, yeah.
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Rob Lee
And that's the thing like here that I kind of struggle with at times. And you talk to people, you share what your vision is, what your goal is, and are you one of these thinkers? You're kind of the finished product sort of person, or are you more interested in intermediary steps, the sort of process in making that final project or product?
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Rob Lee
Rather.
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Darren Thompson Jr
I would say the intermediate like taking steps through that process and get to the end goal. I like the issues. I like to have new ideas. They have fun, not the destination. They're fun with the journey. So like journey into their process because most of them I don't really have a set. I set like a set piece I have in mind like the to finish project.
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Darren Thompson Jr
I just put photos together and just and it comes out the way it comes.
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Rob Lee
No, I dig it. I dig it and it and I think, like, I think a lot of people are a mix of both of being able to, you know, have an intention like I know that I'm going to make like, like when I was talking to you early on, like I know that at the end result of doing this, there is going to be a polished 30 to 40 minute podcast that comes out of this conversation.
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Rob Lee
And what we get in the middle was like, I don't know what you're going to ask and answer. I don't know what I'm going to ask to a certain degree. I have some questions, but there is some deviation from it. So it's like that's the interesting part of seeing like, all right, how close was this to the questions or the way that I shaped this in my head, that vision that I had?
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Rob Lee
But the end product, that's what the thing that I'm so interested in because it's like, all right, I want to see how this conversation with Darren is going to go. I want to see how that fits into the larger body of work to really put it put a fine a point on it. So yeah, that's that's the way that I'm thinking about it.
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Rob Lee
But then everybody has not everybody has vision, you know what I mean? And I like how you described it earlier. It's not just, you know, me using my eyes, but me having this sense of this is what this can become. This is the possibilities that are here.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah, it just takes creativity and imagination, just just everything that is happening inside yourself and just saying, Hey, I don't know, I won't turn out, but it will turn into something good.
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Rob Lee
Yeah, that's the that's the thing. I mean, you know, sometimes there's certain things that are those those other, like sort of arts, like, people will always kind of forget culinary arts, right? And it's like, all right, how does this cake go to turn out? You know what I mean? That's like, you got to do the mixing. You got to do all the baking, all of that stuff that goes into making the finished product.
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Rob Lee
But at the end of the day, it's just like, All right, I guess, I guess I'm making a cake.
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Darren Thompson Jr
I do the same thing. I'm baking cookies. Diesel prices experiment with different ingredients, spices, everything.
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Rob Lee
But there are certain things in that whole process that, you know, you better have the right amount of baking powder or whatever in it because it won't be a cake. It'll be something it won't, you know?
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Darren Thompson Jr
Okay.
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Rob Lee
So so tell me how you you since you're a process guy, tell me about.
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Darren Thompson Jr
How.
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Rob Lee
You organize, plan and prioritize your work. Like, let's say you know that you're going to take on a new project that's that's coming out and you're going to work on an abstract piece. Run, run down that process for us. How do you organize, plan and prioritize taking on a new project?
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Darren Thompson Jr
It's a plan that's a really, really no. I have a plan and we all share it. What about season? I just I just started out like like I described earlier. I see a like on one piece. Well, like the piece you see behind me.
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Rob Lee
You are your.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Camera. And I can't see all groups like I have a piece. It was hand sanitizer, so I just took a picture that was sort of assets in the bottle. Yeah. So I just saw, I saw the shapes, the bubbles in the bottle and I just took a picture of it and I was able to just mess around with the color.
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Darren Thompson Jr
And it made like into people. People see this. It was a paint. Okay. Yeah, it was really the picture, the answer every time I told her to be like this hand-sanitizing really?
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Rob Lee
So. So I want to, I want to ask about this. Like, what is it about color that really kind of captures your imagination and in that sort of thing? Like, you know, it's always interesting to talk to people who didn't know color as being really important to their work. You know, you hear conversations about color theory, hues and shades and all of that different stuff.
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Rob Lee
Tell me about like why color is such an important, integral part of your work?
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Darren Thompson Jr
I would say colors are important because it all because it was all my piece that I have brought me. Vibrant colors pharmacy is a big part of my work. Absolutely attracts people in recently I finally attracts kids as well as my mom. My first pop up last year, my friend Kristen she has alopecia a pop up event for Olive for our company.
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Darren Thompson Jr
And she had me she had me there my first pop up. I'm nervous. I'm trying to be together, you know? Okay, so we rose down and make it. My work is that's happening just adults. People, just adults and want to see. So kids running to the table, looking at looking at pieces, looking at two ankles like on on a table.
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Darren Thompson Jr
And I'm like, what is like my work like, oh, it was just great to see just little kids just coming by, just seeing the colors, being attracted by the color, being gravitated by the colors, picking up different stickers and different designs. I am just seeing kids being inspired by my work. It was great to see so I feel like color just gravitates to different people, kids from all ages.
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Darren Thompson Jr
So that's that's why I like to make sure I promise myself make sure everything, all my color is vibrant. Different colors. Different. Yeah, different from single for my color. Just I just love to do it.
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Rob Lee
What, what color? Like, if there were let's say let's say let's let's make it difficult, right? Let's say if there's only two colors that you can work in for like the rest of your time as an artist. Right. What were those two colors be?
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Darren Thompson Jr
I had to be bass player, lyrical, I would say blue and pop gold. I say Blue Angel. Okay, okay.
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Rob Lee
I'm here for those rams colors. I'm here for it, though.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Are you saying I'm not? But it was very.
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Rob Lee
Bad just picking the colors.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Same here is where it's.
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Rob Lee
Like greatest show on turf. Like Rams though I'm thinking. So when you when you experienced color like in in like Earl, right? When you're not, like, working and you're just like navigating, let's say you're going to go to get a sandwich or something, right? And is there like a pop of color that, like, hit you and you're like, all right, that makes me have this feeling.
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Rob Lee
Or you see someone maybe at like a bar or you see someone maybe at a ball game or something along those lines. You're like that color that they're wearing, they have this energy. I remember, you know, years ago they would talk about certain people wearing certain colors to denote victory or a basketball team they might wear their all black jerseys because they're in bully mode.
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Rob Lee
So so tell me about like that, like when it relates to your art, having so much of a focus on color and when you seeing when you're seeing color like other ways, does it like that's what they went for tell me it to me about that.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Explains it all black as a brave said all black yes.
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Rob Lee
Yes they did.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah. Just you see certain people certain colors just is so you how many feeling removed my seeing people all black they might be in a different they might be in a somber mood or could be an intimidating mood. You get a multi blue blue mike all new light blue normally like colors. So maybe it might be the wind chill it they you know it's might be a little intimidating maybe a little sexy depend on the woman.
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Rob Lee
I always think about my background. Early on I was in marketing right and I always think about like the Pantone colors. You start looking at any of the fast food restaurants, they want to invite you in right then. I like you to you mentioned that of, let's say a woman might have red lipstick on or have you that might be something to the note that she's feeling a certain way or has a certain vibe, what have you or someone is wearing like a red, see, like you wear on Valentine's Day and you know, you kind of getting that certain attention.
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Rob Lee
And I think food like like restaurants, most of them have either something on that warmer side and it is usually a red might be a yellow might be an orange because they want you to come in. They don't want you. They don't they're not going to do blue. Don't want you feeling sad. How would you feel? A little somber.
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Rob Lee
They want you to come on in. So, you know, that's that's one of the things I always go back to in a lot of this stuff is intentional. And from a design standpoint.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah, it's true. I like you said with the rig, I remember seeing from marketing perspective, it was saying read matrix color tricks. You know, I just feel the same way with phone with my colors, with certain colors people try to like it was a piece like on how to show it to our friends. Our studio on Friday was like opening reception and one of my coworkers came by.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah, she was like, she really was looking at that. I have like a candle pieces three and it was like, you see the flame on top, but it's red. And she was really attracted to that piece like I had on a metal frame too. So it was shot in. Everything looked good. She was looking, she was really attracted to that.
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Darren Thompson Jr
And I had a gummy bear piece to my picture of gummy bears and all the different colors on that. And just the way the colors were looking. She was attractive. That too. So just certain certain colleges attract people vision to it. Yeah.
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Rob Lee
Yeah. And you know, and I think even with the way that it represents, like it's funny, like when I think of red, right? You know, you think of like bullfighters. Red. Yeah, it's coming at you. Yeah. But here generally if you drive it ready to stop. So it's funny that kind of like the different meanings, they could be the opposite in some regards.
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Darren Thompson Jr
It could be different, I guess the different tones different. Yeah. To see the scenery make me drag and make you stop.
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Rob Lee
Yeah, I know. We all run into this when we're creating something. Perfectionism, right? Like I always joke about when I first started podcasting. Like I'm coming up on 14 years and podcasting and early on when I was doing like all the editing and all of that stuff, I was really going through fine tooth comb, like, all right, where's that omit?
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Rob Lee
I need to trim that out. Or Where's that space? I need to trim that. Tell me about late creative perfectionist perfectionism for you. Like, how does that impact your work?
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Darren Thompson Jr
It's funny you say that because I was doing the same thing. I was like making a video, I will make coasters, so I'll make a video about that album and I would make sure everything was the music lined up perfectly with me putting the cup on. The cup on a coaster. Yeah. So I just. I know just as odd with any obsession with you doing art as well is you want to make sure everything's up to your standards.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Sure enough of people saying this to you, you know, I feel that with my work as well, I just I want to make sure everything is know the resolution is right for the printing and just make sure it's just right for people to view.
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Rob Lee
So so you're so when you're doing digital for someone that doesn't get like the idea of like digital art, like break that down for them really quickly. Like, you know, a how how would you describe it? Like how would you describe like what you do? Because like, I have a sense of it, but obviously I've been researching all day.
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Darren Thompson Jr
But.
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Rob Lee
For so that that that doesn't get it really get them a rundown on what you're doing cause you talked about your your most recent show so talk about this.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Most recent show. It's almost as I found studio off a road in northeast Baltimore. Yeah you know and it's like a coffee shop slash restaurant. And we have my art there. Just the show will just have different all like combination of everything I do like my digital art, digital paintings, some of my formals, sport demos on geographic just like I take animals and put them with different sports equipment.
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Darren Thompson Jr
What Chris was like on and like a jellyfish football AK type of matsuri yeah. Dolphin baseball dolls and stuff like that and all in with my raven I have raven stuff Ravens, Orioles, visual paintings, you know, mostly with my abstract work. Yeah, a lot of different colors. Just different colors, I mean, and just telling people what, what the pitch actually is and just seeing the reactions, phrases like one piece I have is all is yellow is like on is blue.
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Darren Thompson Jr
And I think way thinking of it, yeah, some of them it was like, wow, I have some like you know what it is, you know and I know what your massive is inside while drinking water cooking inside inside of a bottle inside a bottle. It's because the different shapes. Yeah. And I had like a lemon that combined with the lemon to cut lemon.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah. And I was able to make that, that piece, they were like, wow.
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Rob Lee
You did. And I dig it. I dig it like, you know, I'm thinking of I see that. So that's the one you're talking about behind you. That's the.
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Darren Thompson Jr
As.
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Rob Lee
If it was a different color is like ls that the Dirty Sprite album cover? Like what is it? As long as they say that was Purple like Sun.
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Darren Thompson Jr
It's like, well, like, yo, I.
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Rob Lee
Just got this codeine. Now I'm taking this picture real quick. I dig it. I dig it.
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Darren Thompson Jr
Like it's.
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Rob Lee
So hard work and talent is is one of those things that you know, that, you know, people talk about they do and all of that stuff and it's you know, we like to get really to to that base level. We like to really get to the bone. Let's look under the hood. Tell us tell us about like those opportunities, like maybe chance encounters or luck.
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Rob Lee
That's helping you in your career, you know, in art, because, you know, people kind of leave those details out. It's like, yeah, I worked really hard and then I made it and people don't lead to believe out those opportunities where, you know, somebody invited me to do their show with them. Someone, you know, made sure I was able to get my art handled, if you will, and transferred back and forth and so on.
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Rob Lee
And they knew I was broken. They were able to help me out. Tell me about like an opportunity or those instances where there was a chance encounter or look, that's really been valuable for you as a creative.
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Darren Thompson Jr
I had to go back to the puppet. My first puppet. Yeah. Oh, I'm a for interesting. I work with a muppet giant, a giant phone and just having an opportunity because I was I was at the time and we had that money. So, you know, it was free. I just had to manage a set of my words and just it was just a blessing.
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Darren Thompson Jr
It was with me that I was able to make a good amount of money. The first time at a pop up event. Just I just had a little different things stickers, magnets, canvases, and just having an opportunity to showcase my work to other people. Just get myself up there and had like a little note Lego football signed from email list.
00;24;22;12 - 00;24;35;16
Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah. So whatever they give people for that. So it just that was just a great opportunity and a blessing, just being able to have that opportunities to share my work with other people. Her family were very supportive and just does a great job. Great, everything.
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Rob Lee
That's that's great. And I think I think more people need to share those things when it's like, no, you know, build out that network, have that mailing list and so on. Because we get really we get really like protective of sharing what goes into what we're doing and giving away, you know, state secrets. You know, I try to tell people on occasion, if someone like, hey, how do I do this when it comes to like audio techniques or putting together a show, you share it.
00;25;02;15 - 00;25;19;22
Rob Lee
You know, at the end of the day, the magic comes from you. You have your perspective and what you may find is something interesting to make into art. Whereas, you know, I'm the person that's going to pick who I think is interesting to talk to and what angle to take, but how to get to those things. As a person, you got to do a for a of the game.
00;25;19;22 - 00;25;20;29
Rob Lee
So I like that you share that.
00;25;21;27 - 00;25;27;17
Darren Thompson Jr
Thank you is just which like you say you got to even put you only got four people on as well.
00;25;27;29 - 00;25;28;18
Rob Lee
100%.
00;25;28;26 - 00;25;48;23
Darren Thompson Jr
Yes. Which you know and whatever you learn you said it to it was that's what I want to do when I finally get to the point. I want to get to the point I want to get you I want to be able to share that with people as well. Yeah. Oh, gosh, I never was that please like another festival like last month.
00;25;49;01 - 00;26;07;25
Darren Thompson Jr
We're still the Rice Gin Festival in the lady next to me that moves like right next to each other. She was she was telling me like, oh, I'm like Wednesday don't like for it's not like vendors don't talk to each other don't share secrets like helping each other out, trying to like get the sales like everybody for themselves.
00;26;08;02 - 00;26;26;22
Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah. So we kind of form like a little connection I will tell you like what makes coming up now to do something just hanging is is slow right now but I will pick up a little later on just and just be able to beat it ankle for somebody just be able to teach them even though you've been I have been in many shows, but I've got a little bit expertize.
00;26;26;29 - 00;26;30;19
Darren Thompson Jr
So based on my anxieties and what it's all about, just being if we mean if we jump.
00;26;31;00 - 00;26;51;01
Rob Lee
Yeah. And you know, I've told people before is like, oh, if someone hits me up and like, hey, I'm looking for like just the other day one of my buddies was looking for a photographer and he was like, I know, you know, photographers. I'm reaching out to you and you know, other photographers. I know I'm going to take certain things in consideration who've I talked to recently who don't know that does get work and so on.
00;26;51;15 - 00;27;07;13
Rob Lee
But it's not like, Oh yeah, just get on, you know, some website, look at photographers. It's like, no, I'm going to like make an introduction. I want to do that sort of connection. And you know, maybe that comes back to me in some way of someone's looking for an emcee, someone's got a grant out there, you can't see everything, you know what I mean?
00;27;07;13 - 00;27;35;17
Rob Lee
So being able to communicate within your community, whether that's community as in locational community as in disciplines and such, that's that's integral part as powerful stuff is. So I got one last real question for you and then I got those rapid fire questions for you. So on the converse, right, we're talking about like those, those opportunities where, you know, people kind of helped out and there was a chance encounter like things of that nature.
00;27;35;29 - 00;27;59;28
Rob Lee
Tell me about an experience that really, really sucked like for for you as a creative and like that may have been painful, may have been just a rough experience. But ultimately, without that experience, you wouldn't be where you're at. Something that gave that kind of calcification, that kind of scar tissue that kind of got you over the hump and made you a, you know, a better a better creative or a better person when it comes to the rigors of being an artist.
00;28;00;11 - 00;28;01;05
Rob Lee
Talk to me about that.
00;28;02;01 - 00;28;27;07
Darren Thompson Jr
Obviously, back in college, back in like we had a screening before we had a screening. Give me gravity design major. Yeah. So it was a it's a very is a hard process. Like you have to make sure everything perfect to make sure that arm like we had to put out stuff when we met like Matt walls make sure everything was cut, perfect everything the owner and make sure that work was work was good and everything.
00;28;27;17 - 00;29;05;02
Darren Thompson Jr
And I didn't mean something to the telegraph design program, so that kind of it hurt it. So you're not being given a major that I want to get into, but I got into design and design design, so that was the next best thing. And I feel like not getting to graphic design was the best thing for me because I feel like design design gave me more of a freedom to create because I feel like graphic design, even though I do graphic design, yeah, I think this is more like standardized.
00;29;05;02 - 00;29;05;15
Rob Lee
Standardized.
00;29;05;15 - 00;29;25;26
Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah, yes, yes. More focus on a certain things. But when I was in design is that I was I was supposed to film photography in animation or stuff like that is fine just to create, just for me to be able to create freely like I have to. I felt like I had a sense I had like a video.
00;29;26;11 - 00;29;48;15
Darren Thompson Jr
It was like a video I did kind of the last minute when I was like five for class and it was for audio. And that video actually went to the arm. We had like a degree of exposition. Yeah, I know. A jury exhibition for I'm like students. My work in that video got into it in a video, got into one of my first shows after graduation.
00;29;48;15 - 00;30;07;03
Darren Thompson Jr
It was only this one. People show support for their video. That was it. I don't think I would I would have done it if I if I would have gone to grab design major. Yeah, that is, that's what it has. Arm Express my creativity with my abstract works, you.
00;30;08;04 - 00;30;37;13
Rob Lee
Know that that makes sense. I like that you put that out there because I go back to when I was in undergrad like it was it wasn't in like it wasn't in data and anything along those lines, even though that's what my day job is and I didn't have any background in communication, I was just a business major, but I wanted something that was broad enough that if I wanted to, you know, I had the foundation and if I wanted to do a bit more, I could do a minor in that or pursue roles that require that, because ultimately you're going to be trained, you're going to learn and so on.
00;30;37;28 - 00;31;15;06
Rob Lee
And yeah, I think being able to have something broad versus something that specialized, like I'm sure there's a lot of money in doing accounting, you know, these and once taxes or all of that different stuff. But you know, what's your marketing background was the creative side of that or you know I think having a and this is just my my personality and how it aligns having a more overarching sort of umbrella view of things like, oh, I can manage this whole thing and then find the right people to take care of the marketing, find the right people to take care of the accounting, but know enough that to hire the right person or bring in
00;31;15;06 - 00;31;37;19
Rob Lee
the right person I think is important. And I think you did that from the artist perspective of not purely going into graphic design. You can learn and be self taught and it's not to diminish that, but it's one of those things where having something that's broader and you can build at your leisure, you know that that kind of other skill set that complements what you want to do ultimately as a creator.
00;31;39;04 - 00;31;49;25
Darren Thompson Jr
That's true. That's true as well. And I'm also not getting to that. Represent a chip on your shoulder like, yeah, I can get into it. Okay, I can.
00;31;50;06 - 00;31;53;22
Rob Lee
I, like I said earlier, what I was doing, the comics, I didn't get into the school. The arts.
00;31;54;18 - 00;31;57;16
Darren Thompson Jr
Huh? Uh huh. That was a push. Is a push you to do.
00;31;58;00 - 00;32;00;02
Rob Lee
And all I do is talk to artists. How's that working out?
00;32;01;14 - 00;32;03;13
Darren Thompson Jr
Full circle. Yeah, exactly.
00;32;03;29 - 00;32;28;02
Rob Lee
So I want to I want to wrap up on some of the rapid fire questions for you. I think I think these are going to be interesting. And then you got to like these. Yeah. So I got five of them for you there. Ridiculous. All over the place. But brevity is key. Don't overthink them. As it relates to your work, I'm going to start off with the one that feels closest to the kind of interview portion as it relates to your work.
00;32;29;04 - 00;32;43;06
Rob Lee
What role do you like to break the most? Like, you know, you go to you have these kind of like systems that you were talking about earlier. This is how you're supposed to do this. This is not how you do this. This is the color wheel, all of that different stuff, right? What's the rule that you're like, you can't do it that way.
00;32;43;06 - 00;32;45;11
Rob Lee
Like, I'm going to break that rule. Tell me about that.
00;32;46;13 - 00;33;07;05
Darren Thompson Jr
It's a tough I guess when I guess when I make black and white work. Okay. I guess what I do is I figure out the color of like certain like certain one pieces. I'm like they can do in color by saying, look, but I'm black and white and I guess that's one of the rules of now.
00;33;07;08 - 00;33;11;14
Rob Lee
I dig it, I dig it. It's like, look, this is this is this is my work. This is how it's going to be. I like that.
00;33;12;03 - 00;33;12;14
Darren Thompson Jr
Thank you.
00;33;13;06 - 00;33;14;23
Rob Lee
What is something that you like to collect?
00;33;15;11 - 00;33;26;08
Darren Thompson Jr
There's no really collect much now, but when I was when I was younger, I was trying to collect all like, well, 56 of the quarters I was trying to. Yeah.
00;33;26;08 - 00;33;27;03
Rob Lee
Then I started spending them.
00;33;30;09 - 00;33;49;14
Darren Thompson Jr
At all as we I turn into a life lesson because I was like, I ain't going to collect it for, well, 50 states. Let's, you know, don't give up on that. Don't don't give up. Yeah it make sure it is though. Don't say you can't do it. So I turned to like so what's the hobby like. Don't do life lessons.
00;33;49;22 - 00;33;55;12
Rob Lee
So I would imagine you you probably had that period where you collected Pokémon cards because I mean, I know I was doing it.
00;33;56;00 - 00;33;58;26
Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah, Pokemon cards. You go, Oh yeah.
00;34;00;17 - 00;34;02;25
Rob Lee
Because I'm an old person. East collect G.I. Joe cards.
00;34;03;05 - 00;34;05;07
Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah, yeah.
00;34;05;10 - 00;34;07;22
Rob Lee
I'm I'm 37 so it's it's going to be.
00;34;08;09 - 00;34;08;20
Darren Thompson Jr
Going to be.
00;34;08;20 - 00;34;09;20
Rob Lee
Reaching like, what.
00;34;09;20 - 00;34;15;26
Darren Thompson Jr
Are those again? Well, only about some years away. So this is say yeah, just.
00;34;16;14 - 00;34;18;27
Rob Lee
G.I. Joe was all what I came along. So right. There you go.
00;34;19;25 - 00;34;21;20
Darren Thompson Jr
Oh, but everything. G.I. Joe.
00;34;22;00 - 00;34;32;14
Rob Lee
Oh, snap. Okay. Crunchy or creamy. So that should be easier one, I think.
00;34;32;24 - 00;34;33;14
Darren Thompson Jr
As a question.
00;34;34;09 - 00;34;35;20
Rob Lee
All right. What kind of jelly with the crunchy?
00;34;36;05 - 00;34;41;21
Darren Thompson Jr
Oh, my. Through. I had to ask my Uncle Joe. Oh, okay. Okay.
00;34;42;00 - 00;34;55;15
Rob Lee
I mean, I'm a see, here's the thing. When it comes to me switching between two types of peanut butter, right? As I as I get on my high horse of peanut butter politics, as I like to call it, I like to do creamy with like grape jelly.
00;34;55;20 - 00;34;56;01
Darren Thompson Jr
Right.
00;34;56;14 - 00;35;01;01
Rob Lee
But I like to do crunchy with, like, strawberry jelly or raspberry jelly.
00;35;01;17 - 00;35;11;27
Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah. Uh huh. Oh, try it. I'm one of those guys. I really do. Creamy strawberry grape or apple. Yeah. I love. I'm going to try crunch.
00;35;12;11 - 00;35;13;25
Rob Lee
Are you are you apple butter guy.
00;35;14;20 - 00;35;20;25
Darren Thompson Jr
Yes, my father. He was a plug. Is he more he able but yeah.
00;35;22;02 - 00;35;26;21
Rob Lee
But then for me or whatever but he's like, look, he's a fellow doll of apple butter, the cream of wheat. I was like.
00;35;26;21 - 00;35;27;05
Darren Thompson Jr
You.
00;35;29;09 - 00;35;31;09
Rob Lee
Was this is some black Southern nonsense, right?
00;35;32;22 - 00;35;35;24
Darren Thompson Jr
You milk ever since, huh? You look ever since then.
00;35;36;08 - 00;35;49;16
Rob Lee
Absolutely. One of the percent is either that or is either it has to be some type of apple thing. This is literally a thing for my dad. It would be either apple butter or a dollop of that if you have it. And if you don't, applesauce in the cream of wheat, though.
00;35;50;09 - 00;35;50;17
Darren Thompson Jr
Yeah.
00;35;51;11 - 00;35;59;03
Rob Lee
You don't have to make it super sweet with the all of the sugar and stuff. It's like, you know, the apples do to work. Okay, so this is the last one I got for you.
00;35;59;12 - 00;35;59;20
Darren Thompson Jr
Oh.
00;36;01;04 - 00;36;03;14
Rob Lee
This is going to be like picking a kid. It's hard.
00;36;03;24 - 00;36;06;00
Darren Thompson Jr
On most warm or.
00;36;06;00 - 00;36;10;17
Rob Lee
Cool colors. Which one is, like, your preferred?
00;36;11;11 - 00;36;11;14
Darren Thompson Jr
And.
00;36;12;01 - 00;36;17;28
Rob Lee
I know, I know. Sorry. It's like someone asking me mono stereo.
00;36;17;28 - 00;36;23;03
Darren Thompson Jr
So I had to go. I'll go with shoes. I go, oh.
00;36;23;14 - 00;36;27;21
Rob Lee
Of course. Because you're blue guy. You like blue. I was waiting for I was waiting for you to contradict yourself.
00;36;28;14 - 00;36;35;28
Darren Thompson Jr
I better go warm. Got to be seeing the warm colors that be maybe baby called him. It's like he calls me. You call him but.
00;36;36;01 - 00;36;55;03
Rob Lee
But I will say it's cooling down. So like it's I remember I was trying to explain to somebody like the idea because I think sometimes color like you get some people that kind of don't get it. Like, what's a warm color? Colors don't have a temperature and it's like, no, what do you think was the feeling that's associated with it?
00;36;55;03 - 00;37;12;00
Rob Lee
Like, I was explaining that through the the nose, like, you know, switching up colognes when the temperature changes. Right. And I was like, what's a warm like thing? I was like, so think of the cinema. So thinking of these kind of things that have like a little earth to it, you think a whiskey and things of that nature.
00;37;12;04 - 00;37;18;19
Rob Lee
I was like, Those are warm things and they happen to be brown, which is a derivative of red must.
00;37;18;24 - 00;37;20;05
Darren Thompson Jr
We're looking there.
00;37;20;05 - 00;37;21;28
Rob Lee
That's right. I try I try.
00;37;23;19 - 00;37;24;15
Darren Thompson Jr
To create a moment.
00;37;24;27 - 00;37;43;27
Rob Lee
It's just seen as falling apart. But I'm here. So so with that, I want to thank you for for popping on here on this. We're doing this on a monday, so I appreciate you making a time. We got it in. I want to invite and encourage you to. Tell the fine folks to listeners where to check you out, your work website, all of that good stuff.
00;37;43;27 - 00;37;46;11
Rob Lee
The floor is yours again.
00;37;46;12 - 00;37;54;13
Darren Thompson Jr
Thank you for having me out and you can find my Instagram at Darren Design's 19 and my website is Darren Design's art.
00;37;54;20 - 00;38;18;14
Rob Lee
I can't say I have it, folks. I want to again thank Darren Thompson JR Darren design's Darren design's Darren designs coming on to the podcast and I'm Rob Lee saying that there's art culture people doing good stuff and color always colors and around Baltimore is got to look for it.
