Culture
Dieglo. Photo courtesy of subject.
Street Artist Dieglo Embraces His Creative Process as a Conduit for Joy
July 30, 2023 @ 10:00am
The painter, clothing designer and creative talks making art in D.C.
Dieglo‘s work is undeniably his. After seeing his graffiti-like characters and lettering, you’ll know it anywhere. We caught up with Dieglo to learn more about transforming passions into full-time jobs, how D.C. influences his work and what he does to recharge.
District Fray: What was the process like turning your passion into full-time work?
Dieglo: It took a really long time for it to be so consistent. It was also hard because when I was starting off, no one had anything good to say about being an artist, like the title was tainted or something. But being a full-time artist has changed my creative process 100% — it’s a job now, like a real grown-up job. It’s mainly different now because I have to treat it with the same amount of respect as I would any job: clocking in on time, meeting deadlines, having stock available, meeting customer service needs. So, it’s not as raw and reckless as it was when I started.
What do you do to disconnect from your art and recharge?
Honestly, I don’t. Art is what makes me happy. I’m low-key very emotional, and I feel like I always have to be creating to deal with my days. But I disconnect and recharge by picking up other projects when I’m overwhelmed.
What aspects of D.C. do you take with you as you split time between different cities?
I grew up with community, so I like to take that welcoming feeling with me everywhere I go. Not everyone is as nice about it, but I also don’t let people step on me thanks to growing up in the DMV.
This year, look out for Dieglo’s new merch that looks like “If IKEA, Polo RL and Build-A-Bear were put in a blender with some Dieglo.” Learn more about Dieglo at dieglo.com and follow him on Instagram @dieglostudios.
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