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Finished

shaunhays

NaperSettlement

Artist Faire

Naperville, IL

June 22,23 2019

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone of you that made it out to help me celebrate 10 years of amazing fun in the sun and chalk art illusions!

It has been an amazing run!

(Warning: lots of talk about me… sorry)

I’ve been featured at all the places I truly wanted to chalk and so many more than I even dreamed, from Chicago (Museums, John Hancock, Navy Pier, McCormick Place, Lollapalooza, State Street, Wrigley Field, the Drake, Michigan Ave, North Beach etc etc) to NYC (west village and Soho) to all the various states and festivals around America, to international, exotic locations like Egypt and Barbados.

I’ve been featured on multiple tv shows (even internationally), many local TV interviews, and on stage in front of nearly a million people at stadiums, theaters, conferences, schools and churches over 20 years.

I have made amazing friends along the way including a minister/art teacher/ chalk artist in the Philippines who I had the great privilege to encourage at a crucial moment in his life.

I have trained many many artists over the 20 years since I first became “accidentally serious” about chalking, including several youth speakers who have used chalk talks or “chalk rock” as an addition to their portfolio, several Chalk festival champions, prophetic worship artists, and a few chalk board artists and painter/muralists too.

Probably my favorite moments were when a young artist would see me working and I’d have a moment to connect with them the way only artists can connect to each other and watch as their eyes would light up with the realization that they aren’t entirely crazy or alone and that the pursuit of art is definitely worth while… even if you don’t get paid. (But best if you can also get paid)

All of that being said, many people will find this announcement troubling or disheartening. The fact is my knees can’t handle the work anymore, my heart is longing for something else, and my Father in Heaven has signaled that is time to move ahead.

Faith and I have discussed this change for a long time (years). We are excited about the change but sad in many ways as well. There may be some opportunities that arise sometime in the not so close future, where I’ll don the kneepads again, chalk in hand, walking in slow motion down a hot asphalt street with a look of determination in my eye… but until that day: June 22 and 23rd was YOUR FINAL OPPORTUNITY to come see me creating LIVE on pavement and get your own super fun, interactive photo with my art.

Btw- Yes I’ll keep posting art online. I just won’t be doing public 3D chalk like this as my job anymore.

I want to assure you once again, you haven’t seen the last of my talent and haven’t seen the best of me either. There is always more beneath the surface than you see of my public postings.. much like the freehand illusions I have created in the last decade.

What creative tool will I wield next? (Something not using my knees so much I hope!)

General, Uncategorized

Adler Planetarium – Eclipse 2017 Summary

shaunhays

 

On August 21st, 2017 North America bore witness to a historic Solar Eclipse and I was privileged to be asked by Adler Planetarium to help them celebrate!

Initially I was told to expect about 10,000 to attend the party and witness my chalk art on the Chicago lakefront, but on last count we were well over the 40,000 mark! It was certainly a wonderful day and the eclipse did not disappoint despite on-and-off clouds all day. We got great participation in my freehand 3D chalk art all day. I made sure to finish it by 11am so we could have the most time for people to pose with this one!

To top it off I had the privilege of chalking with two time Chalk Art Champion, Cole Fasano on not one but TWO pieces.

Tequitta Lucas poses atop another Chicago Chalk Champ 3D piece. I’ll update this space with more photos and video later!

General, Uncategorized

August Outings

shaunhays

If you have trouble reaching me for the next two weeks, please be patient. I may have less connectivity than usual.

Tomorrow, August 3, I will be near Buckingham Fountain drawing as part of the Chicago Lollapalooza festival. I leave immediately for Montana and Wyoming for about a week. On the 10th I leave for Barbados and return home on the 14th.

I hope to continue my connectivity, but, realistically it may take a while to get back to everyone.

Meanwhile, please be sure to leave messages and details of your needs by emailing shaunhays(AT)rocketmail.com

Also come out to see me flex my Chalk Champ muscles Monday, Aug 21 outside of Adler Planetarium in Chicago – eclipse day

Thank you!

Shaun Hays, Chicago Chalk Champ - Chalk Art Illusions - 3D Chalk Art - Master Chalk Artist
General, Uncategorized

New Videos

shaunhays

Some of my favorite moments over the years have been on video!

Would you like to see them? 🙂

*sigh* me too. 😦

I delayed investing in professional grade cameras in order to attend to my own immediate financial needs and tried to get video from pros on location by trading for money off of an event. ROOKIE MOVE for speakers and artists but very necessary at the time.

Many clients, agencies, schools and even an Expo or two have not delivered on promises and contractual agreements to release my videos over the years. In fact I changed my contracts and policies several times to ensure that I would not fall into that situation again. Unfortunately, new problems arose from those policies and I still could not take advantage of marketing coming from an incredible professional video.

Last fall I also decided it was time to stop fighting for old videos. ENOUGH. Everything has changed anyway.

Now I have some new equipment and some initial Editing software bugs to work out but  I’m ready to take this on.

I also need to remove some clutter from my Youtube as i have poorly thought out spontaneous vids from 8 years ago etc.

I’ll post NEW videos here on this site, but also on my YouTube channel and maybe on Vimeo when I’m ready. Subscribers will get special deals and freebie opportunities too!

SEE you soon!

 

General, Uncategorized

On Criticism

shaunhays

 What to do when someone criticises your efforts? Focus on the voices you know have your best interest in mind… some will be positive encouragers (“You can do it! Keep it up! You are doing great!”) and some will be tough to hear (“We need to talk about your performance. You really messed up, but we can fix this.”)

Don’t listen to those with no honest, personal investment in you. Don’t listen to the selfish, bitter voices of those who regret their lifestyle but haven’t matured to the point of change. 

I read a post from a young artist today whose artwork was callously belittled as “talentless” by someone whom I will simply call “unworthy”. The following came to mind…

Excerpt from a small book that I have yet to finish:

“Dear reader, whether the victim of criticism or the criticiser…I urge you to remember:

It takes no talent (at all) to carelessly criticize what you had no part in.

Millions of people criticize the Super Bowl quarterback for every decision made during the game, but he doesn’t hear them, nor does he care for their opinions. That QB *alone* has journeyed into countless games and practices and suffered injury and fear, rejection and triumph, over-confidence and disappointments far too many to recall. That QB had to uproot a family only to adjust to new teams, new cities and new coaching styles.

When the QB steps out onto that field, the QB knows that cameras will capture every move from all angles while reporters pontificate why those moves are wrong. The QB does this TO learn…TO get better…TO find out the flaws needing improvement, but tries to enjoy the experience. The simple joy of children playing with neighborhood counterparts all dreaming of becoming great players is over. This is work. This is pressure. This is real life.

The team, the town, the family… all the pressure. All the expectation. All the opportunity to fail everyone.

Unless.

After a lifetime of sacrifice… battling the opposition, battling the nay sayers, battling personal thoughts, and yes occasionally battling those on the same side… the QB *may* get the chance to win the biggest game of that sport… *may* get to start the game…*may* take them down the field time and time again… *may* cross the goal line and put another point on the board… *may* outscore the opposition.

Every year in American Football someone does just that.

When the trophy is finally held high in victory… the crowds and reporters of that town as well as the millions of viewers who may or may not have ever attended a game or wore a logo-emblazoned jersey from that team… all shout:

“WE WON! WE WON!!”


I have always been amazed at this idea. More surprisingly by far, to me, is the response from those who actually did the work.

The QB and the team know the journey and the sacrifice, the criticism and the reward, but when interviewed, state humbly: “This is for the fans. We couldn’t have done it without you. Yes, WE (including the criticising public) won. WE won.


Surprisingly, it is not much different for a successful artisan.” 

What do you do when criticised? How has it affected who you’ve become, what you try? Let me know!