“If you treat it like a hobby, it will stay a hobby. If you treat it like a job, it becomes a job.”

Bullet holes covered the walls while the children played around…

Shai Dahan was in Palestine and he wasn’t supposed to be there. No one would have been able to help him if they found out he was Jewish. Being Jewish in that part of the world can be dangerous. He had to be careful not to show his tattoos. After all, his arms are covered in hebrew letters.

He wasn’t there to create problems, he was there to paint a mural.

Welcome to episode 29 where we talk about what it took for Shai Dahan to get to the top of the game as a street-style graffiti artist. This episode is about passion projects, working for yourself, creating a life built around flow and passion.

It’s powerful stuff with an amazing surprise at the end. Thanks for downloading ShopTalk creatives. We hope you enjoy it.

“To me, LA is the mom in this story and I’m bringing my paintings to her to say, ‘Hey! Look what I made while I was away.'”

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Some things we learn in this podcast:

• About the art history roots and LA nostalgia
•  The challenges of working as a creative in a large commercial environment
• The story of Deck Yourself – Skateboard art project
• Lessons on the art of marketing
• How to evaluate the importance of money when choosing jobs
• Tips for accessing flow when in down times
• How to get your first solo exhibition and why make it outrageous
• Processes for creating a collection for a gallery exhibition
• The story of painting as a Jew in Palestine
• Art education and what inspired Shai’s festival
• The mentality of “Go Big or don’t do it at all.”
• Powerful perspective on the lifestyle of a dedicated artist
• Plus, much more…

Links mentioned:

• Learn more about the Underbelly Project and Stoked Mentoring
• Other mentioned street artists: Banksy | JR (TED) | Blue | Sam 3 | Shepard Fairey
• Learn more about the Bedouin ethnic group
• See Shai’s work on The Vacant Wall
• Check out the amazing designs and get a shirt from East 39
• Music Credit: Arabic Hip Hop by JaySupProd

Connect with Shai Dahan: Tumbler | Facebook | Website