I'm Doing Something New. Again.

Thirty-three years ago I embarked on a creative journey I never expected.

At the time my only goals focused on sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll. Merely surviving high school seemed insurmountable. And the idea that I'd ever actually make anything of my life was nothing more than a pipe dream. Yeah it's sad to say but that was my reality back then.

The only thing working for me was being a damn good artist with a hell of a lot of creativity, a mindset for breaking all the rules, and the desire to design my own custom clothing.

Ultimately these three things would open up a lifetime of priceless experiences and opportunities that would change everything.

The Beginning

Never in a million years did I expect people to like my custom artwork or off the wall designs, but they did.

All the crazy and psychedelic stuff I put on my Chuck Taylor All-Stars, Levis 501s, t-shirts, and jean jackets was embraced by the rebel culture around me – artwork that definitely wouldn't be politically correct or woke approved today!

Friends and strangers actually began offering to pay me money to customize their own clothing. I loved what I was doing as well as earning that cold hard cash. The demand started to grow and eventually morphed into something surreal.

That was the beginning of Dogman Designs and my first experience in business.

The Middle

Over the next two decades I kept discovering new adventures in my creative pursuits. They were never planned and just sort of happened.

I gained so many new skills and abilities that it truly makes me some sort of weird unicorn in this world ...

Airbrushing. Sign Painting. Screenprinting. Embroidery. Graphic Design. Illustration. Vehicle Graphics. Commercial Printing. Mural Painting. Advertising. Marketing. Concrete Staining. Writing. Photography.

I feel like I've done it all. And thanks to this entire range of experiences it allowed me the opportunity to design for billion dollar brands to thousands of small businesses. It's been a hell of a ride.

The End???

As I enter this third phase of my creative adventure (and hopefully last) my desire has been more focused on returning to where it all began – designing custom artwork and writing.

I've always loved those two things. It's where my passion is and I've forsaken these talents for far too long.

That's not all either!

What good is it having all these incredible experiences and lessons if I never share them? I remember the days I begged artists and entrepreneurs to mentor me only to be turned down over and over again. This always bothered me and I swore to never be the same as them.

The New and Old James Dalman

So that's why I'm here – relaunching something new, yet something old. Maybe it's my final act but you never know.

Regardless it's time to get back to what I loved, but more importantly, to help guide others on their own creative or entrepreneurial journeys.

I'm stoked. Let the good times roll!