So much of art creation is about experimentation — trying new things and seeing what sticks. That’s the philosophy that has helped propel designer and photographer Connor Dwyer, 25, into already having a sizeable following and fanbase for his art, though he only recently received his design degree. The Ruston, Louisiana native earned his bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of Arkansas before getting his Masters of Graphic Design from the Savannah College of Art & Design in Atlanta.
While he’s already building a solid roster of national businesses as his design clients, he uses his outside-the-box creative energy on projects such as ColorATL, along with a handful of social media accounts resulting in five digits-worth of followers.
We chatted with Connor about how he self-promotes, what he’s got in the works, and that one project where he draws faces on his finger and takes photos of it (spoiler alert: People love it).
CommonCreativ: What did you want to be when you were younger?
Connor Dwyer: I wanted to be an architect. When I was really young I wanted to drive cement trucks like my granddad or be an astronaut and chase meteors.
CC: What sparked your interest in photography and design?
CD: After a year of architecture studios, I decided designing spaces wasn’t for me. But, after another year of studying in the business college I was feeling creatively starved. I started taking pictures on a cheap little camera and messing around with the 30-day free trials of Illustrator and Photoshop. I fell in love with creating, even though I wasn’t creating with a purpose or end goal in mind.
CC: How would you describe your aesthetic?
CD: I would say my aesthetic is creating things as simple as possible without being boring. I also often try to take mundane things and show how they don’t have to be mundane. If I was going to sum it up in two words I’d say: bright and simple.
CC: What do you think have been some of the influences to your design/photography style?
CD: Gosh. I really delved into photography because of Instagram. So many photographers on there influenced me — Brock Davis, Paul Octavious, Jonpaul Douglass, Kyle Steed and Theron Humphrey were just a few starting off. Design-wise, I’ve always loved the modernist aesthetic. Even the ideology in a lot of ways has helped me develop my way of creating without “fluff.” I am currently trying to reteach myself that having some “fluff” here or there is actually okay though… [laughs].
CC: What have been some of the highlights of your artistic career?
CD: Some of my favorite moments in my artistic career are just personal achievements, like doing a year of photo creation every day. There are things like launching ColorATL, having my photos of the Pope featured on CNN, traveling to Israel and Palestine, having five different features on Instagram’s Weekend Hashtag Projects, and a few speaking opportunities on Instagram and branding.
The artist
CC: What have been some of your biggest projects or clients?
CD: I just graduated this year from SCAD, so I’m kinda just getting started, but the branding and book layout for ColorATL was a favorite. Helping design a sub-brand for Coca-Cola’s campus was another one I geeked out about. Some photo clients I’ve had include Squarespace, Fossil, Warby Parker, and Life is Good.
CC: You’ve got an impressive social following — how do you promote yourself?
CD: I gained about 20,000 followers after being made a suggested user on instagram about four years ago. Since then, I have gained followers by winning those Instagram weekend hashtag projects, and making friends with people all over the world and connecting with them.
CC: Tell me about Thad the Finger.
CD: Thad the Finger was a secret experiment to see if you did something consistently online then you could gain a following. I (unbeknownst to my friends and roommates) drew a face on my finger twice a week for a year or so, and now my finger’s Instagram account has over 40,000 followers! It’s absurd and I often giggle at how weird it is to dress up your finger as Santa or Braveheart. It’s not as much of a secret now, but still, don’t tell anyone!
CC: What do you think about the ATL arts scene?
CD: I am only involved in a small sector of what seems like a massive amount of massively creative folk here in Atlanta. I’m constantly in awe at the art I see being created around me. People are owning their work and creating beautiful or provocative art with what seems like an increasing presence in the city.
I feel currently there is still a need for artists to support and encourage each other in the art scene. It’s too easy to keep your creativity to yourself and your work, but I find that the artists that are sharing their skills and collaborating with others are the ones that are truly impacting the culture.
CC: What do you have in the works?
CD: Besides my personal and promotional Instagram content, I work mainly with small businesses and musicians doing branding. I’m currently working on a few musicians around the country and a new creative group called CUZ that should be launching soon. There may or may not be a ColorATL volume 2 in the very beginning stages too. We shall see!
CC: What’s your ultimate artistic goal?
CD: My goal is to positively impact popular culture from the inside out using my skills and abilities as a medium to do so. I love design and I love photography. As long as I’m getting to do those and be a light doing it I think I’ll be artistically inspired. I also have a goal this year to make a coffee mug, but I hear making a ceramic handle that feels good is a beastly challenge to take on.
CC: Why do you make art?
CD: I truly think the world is beautiful. I think there is awful injustice and awful tragedy, and that art can be a way to highlight that or to inspire in the midst of that. My faith in Jesus is super important to me and I try to create from that relationship and let my work speak for itself. I think art can communicate more effectively and powerfully than most other platforms.
CC: Anything else you want readers to know?
CD: Don’t be afraid to do things that you are bad at. I was really bad starting photography six years ago and I have become a whole lot less bad since then. You can do it, even if you have been told that you can’t.
See more of Connor’s work on his photography Instagram, design Instagram or on his portfolio site.
