Today we’d like to introduce you to Hayden Redmon
Hi Hayden , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’m a Texan-born artist with a mission to feed one million Texans in need through North Texas Food Bank. Since my team and I started this initiative in February 2021, we’ve donated 50,000+ meals
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
This is a challenging industry to work in for a number of reasons; most of which are widely known (creative drive, logistics, financing), but some of the proudest moments of my life have come from the work that my team and I put in to support local artists, local businesses, and local people. In short, I’ve found it’s not what you say, but how you say it. I care deeply about this mission, and the people I work with; so I make it a point of emphasis to lead with integrity, transparency, and honesty out of respect for all parties involved. This makes the work easier and more enjoyable; humanizing the process the best way I can.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I grew up wanting to be a cartoon illustrator; taking inspiration from Matt Groening, Gene Deitch, and Van Partible. Through my adolescence and teen years, I took an interest in event planning and philanthropy, then ultimately found myself studying economics at the University of Oklahoma. As luck would have it, I enrolled in the university’s first Art Entrepreneurship course through the Price College of Business and organized my first concert series with good friends Thomas Jones and Paxton Pennington. This proved to be a watershed moment; funding a study abroad program to China that same semester, where I decided this is what I would do with my life. When the winter storm of February 2021 knocked out power, water, and heat for millions of Texans, my dharma felt clearer than ever. I also do commissioned art pieces, book photoshoots for bands and models, and build custom guitars.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
My friends and family would say that my deep sense of gratitude brings deep meaning to the connections in my life. Happiness is something I try to share with every interaction throughout the day, as my dad would say, “treat the janitor the same way you’d treat the CEO.” I want people to know that I see them, I do my best to understand them, and I’m happy to help if I can / if needed. It makes me happy to help people achieve their goals, and as someone with a deep appreciation for art and music, nothing makes me happier than working with local artists to share their work and raise money/awareness for worthy causes in the process.
Pricing:
- For my events, I typically start by arranging a deal with the venue to ensure our artists and production team is paid fairly. This will sometimes include sponsor deals, allowing us to partner with local businesses to push the initiative forward and share their message with ours. Once an agreement has been made between all parties, we will begin promoting the event to sell tickets. On-site, we will typically have a direct donation station to North TX Food Bank (cash or canned food), a merch booth for artists and groups to sell goods, and vendors for food, beverages, and art. For my photography and live music gigs, I typically get paid by the hour, or I’ll negotiate a trade of service with the client (i.e. photography work for a hair salon in exchange for a free haircut)
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @hrwip
- Other: redmonartprojects@gmail.com
