Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you do.
Hi all! My name is Duane Jones. I’m an artist, designer and podcast host based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. I was born and raised in Bermuda and moved to Nova Scotia to attend NSCAD University, where I graduated from the Communication Design Honours Program. I got a job as a magazine art director soon after graduating, and during that time, I fell in love with a Nova Scotian girl whom I’m now married to.
I’ve identified as an artist my whole life, but I learned what design was while at Bermuda College. Ever since then, my creative interests have straddled the worlds of art and design. After working on many brand identities for clients, I founded my own brands, most notably, Art Pays Me. In recent years, I’ve found joy in public and private art commissions and personal works on canvas and paper that reflect my inner turmoil.
I am passionate about advocating for artists and marginalized people, and while that passion appears in my work, I also contribute to creative juries and boards where I can influence change at a policy level. I am currently the co-chair of the Canadian Art Foundation, a member of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia's Curatorial Committee and a former member of the NSCAD University Board of Governors.
In my personal life, I’m a husband and father (to humans and fur-baby labradoodles) with a healthy obsession for basketball and fitness. For me, there is a strong link between sport and art as a professional practice – a topic I love to discuss on the Art Pays Me Podcast.
What was the turning point that made you decide to start Art Pays Me—and what did it feel like to build your own seat at the table?
I started Art Pays Me when my mental health was at a very low point. My kids were still small, I was working full-time and pursuing a Master's in Information Management part-time at Dalhousie University. I was fed up with haggling clients for pay, I wasn’t creatively fulfilled and was considering quitting the creative industry. Then one day, during an intensive session with my Master’s cohort, some of my peers referred to my creative background as a superpower in our field. Those interactions re-framed my thinking, boosted my confidence and reminded me why I loved being an artist and designer. I already had a clothing brand called Be Glitterati at that time, but its growth had stalled because it needed a change. I decided to double down on my interest in artist advocacy and rebranded Be Glitterati to Art Pays Me.
What does caring for yourself Before Life Happens look like as a creative entrepreneur?
Caring for yourself before life happens means prioritizing fun, rest and health. I’ve always been interested in fitness as a martial artist and basketball player, but I didn’t always prioritize sleep, rest and mental health. I regularly attend therapy, exercise and try to get to bed before 12 every night. It can be challenging with 2 busy kids and 2 needy fur babies, but hustling with every free moment has led me to burn out enough times to let me know that it’s not something I want to experience again.
You’ve said your mission is to help creatives unlearn the “broke artist” mindset—what advice would you give to someone just starting out?
First and foremost, focus on making whatever it is that you want to make. Don’t worry about money in the beginning. Hone your craft and determine what it is you’re good at and enjoy doing. Once you’ve got that somewhat under control, the next goal should be trying to find the people who want what you make. This is where a creative business is different from a traditional business. It’s tempting to conform to the masses, and there is value in pivoting when it makes sense to, but I would encourage creative entrepreneurs not to chase external approval and instead chase personal value alignment. When I rebranded from Be Glitterati to Art Pays Me, I alienated a small segment of my customers who didn’t identify as artists, but my focus on that niche made me more popular with our core customer demographic. Un-learning the broke artist mindset is about recognizing that you’ve put in the time and effort to develop a practice that has value, and one person’s opinion on what your work is worth is only an opinion – something I have to remind myself of almost daily.
What’s been bringing you joy or inspiration lately—inside or outside of your work?
We’ve gone through a hard few years as a family, so it’s bringing me joy to see us emerge from some of those challenges. I ruptured my left patellar tendon, went in for emergency surgery and sustained multiple subsequent staph infections and surgeries that temporarily took away my ability to walk and play basketball. I was in a dark place and lost my motivation to create consistently, but I’m thankful to have been able to push through that and gain a greater appreciation for what it means to be differently abled. I’m starting to feel physically strong again, and I’m cherishing every moment I’m gifted in this body. I recently saw Sinners and was moved by how every detail was grounded in reality, despite it being a fantastical work of fiction. I was hyped to get to work after watching it!
