Canvas Rebel Interviews Rick Caballo
Meet Rick Caballo
We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rick Caballo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Rick thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
Growing up, I was always taught by my parents that “your word is your bond,” meaning to be honest, do things right, and do right by others, and there will be no problems. That includes any work I produce, whether it’s writing a song, painting a portrait, building a website, or designing a logo. My best work must be produced to the best of my ability, not only for our clients but also for myself. I can’t let things slide and put out things I myself wouldn’t be happy with.
Rick, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hard work, persistence, and taking chances have led to where I am today. I’ve been lucky to get up in the morning. and do the creative things that I love. I just did stuff, and the money came to me, but not without the hard work!!
My entire life, I’ve been building artistic skills, from painting motorcycle helmets, murals, screen printing, sculpting, carpentry, motorcycle design, logo design, website design, music, and marketing. I’ve been lucky that I get to exercise all these skills in my own company. My wife is the brains behind our company, Dead Horse Branding. We love to help creative people achieve their business goals, from strategy to marketing to visualizing all their brand components.
Without some sort of business structure, creativity will not be monetized. Meaning if a creative wants to pursue their craft, they need to sell it; otherwise, there is no need to buy materials for future works and put food on the table.
We look after all types of businesses, including music, fashion, sports, automotive, and the hospitality industry. It’s the same formula, but each client has different needs and passions to elevate.
Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)
I don’t know a lot about NFTs, but I am open to knowing and understanding more about them.
I don’t get where the value is, and I’ve asked several NFT companies to explain, but they don’t do a very good job at it.
If I can screenshot digital art from a computer screen for free, why would I buy it?
The Mona Lisa is a physical painting hanging in a museum, painted by an artist with real paint on real canvas. Yes, I can screenshot that image and hang it on my wall, but to me, the value is in the artist, the story behind it, and its history. Most art is worth more when the artist dies. How can there be history if things were put out to the world yesterday and we want a return on investment today?
We live in a technologically advanced society where technology has allowed people to listen to music for free. Why would you pay for artwork that is available as a screenshot for free?
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Creatives do it because their soul demands it!
When that inspiration comes in, whether it’s writing a song, painting a picture, or sculpting some amazing art, we need to run with it. We cannot wait, as that magical energy will pass.
Sometimes our greatest accomplishments come from our greatest mistakes. Meaning we must be constantly creating and spending time exploring only to find out we should have turned left, not right, but always ending up where we should be.
Understanding how creatives work is crucial because when non-creatives and creatives meet in the middle, magic happens.
Contact Info:
Website: www.deadhorsebranding.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deadhorsebranding/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeadHorseBranding/?ref=bookmarks
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dead-horse-branding/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4WcP8F_VZx7GtJ6XKdIXeQ?view_as=subscriber
Image Credits Photography by Rick Caballo and Melissa Core
