David Berkowitz

David Berkowitz Chicago is a painter who has been inspired by the city and its people throughout his career. His love of art was evident from an early age when he started painting. Unfortunately, this passion stopped while in high school and it wasn’t until 1969 after suffering a serious spine injury during a football match that made Berkowitz realize how much he loved art after all. While confined to a Chicago hospital bed, he created his first artwork. Berkowitz decided to dedicate himself completely to his love of painting after realizing that it was his true passion. At this point, Berkowitz started to experiment with various mediums and quickly found his niche in painting.

After completing school in Aurora, IL, Berkowitz enrolled at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), where his first solo exhibition was held by the young aspiring artist. As a painter with a distinct sense for color, his paintings never fail to please, with people from all over the world coming to view his work. This world-renowned artist has had more than 270 solo exhibitions across seven countries, including one right in his hometown.
The Art Institute of Chicago has included David Berkowitz Chicago in its list of well-known and distinguished citizens of Chicago for his important contributions to the arts. Today, David Berkowitz lives, creates, and works in New York City.

In his capacity as an artist, David Berkowitz Chicago has participated in over 100 large solo exhibitions as well as more than 1,000 collective exhibitions in 125 countries on five continents.

Where did the idea for your career come from?

At 26, I suffered a severe spinal injury that ended my football career. I turned to art as a way to pass the time while healing. I was in a Chicago hospital bed, and my first artwork was created there. I’ve been creating ever since.

What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?

My typical day involves looking for inspiration for my next art piece. Horses, nature, and wildlife are among my favorite subjects. I get the majority of my inspiration from horses, though.

How do you bring ideas to life?

I start with a sketch, and then I paint the picture in acrylics. I use a lot of color in my paintings, which is why people seem to like them so much. I study my muses before I start painting, and I often listen to music while I work.

What’s one trend that excites you?

I do enjoy pop culture and incorporating it into my art. I like to think outside the box and experiment with new ideas.

What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?

I believe in hard work, and I tend to be a perfectionist. It can get challenging at times, but it’s worth the effort in the end because my paintings are always well-received. People tell me all the time how much they love my work.

What advice would you give your younger self?

I would tell myself to listen to constructive criticism and not take everything so seriously. I was a bit of a perfectionist when I first started out as an artist, but I’ve learned that it is important to have fun with what you’re doing and allow yourself some room for error.

Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.

I believe that anyone can be an artist if they put their mind to it. It’s all about practice and hard work. Talent is important, but it’s not everything. Hard work and dedication are critical.

As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?

I recommend that people be passionate about their work and never give up on their dreams. I’ve had a lot of success in my career as an artist, but it didn’t happen overnight. It took years of hard work, dedication, and practice. I would urge other entrepreneurs to do the same thing if they want to succeed in their chosen career fields.

What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?

Invest in the proper tools for your work. I’ve always believed that success comes with a price tag – it takes lots of money and time before you can start seeing any returns on your investment. I’ve been fortunate to have family members who have supported me both financially and emotionally during my art career, but there are times when it’s been tough.

What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?

Not receiving the turnout at exhibitions that I expected. Maybe the marketing was off, or I didn’t do enough research on the location. I learned from my mistakes and made sure to do better the next time.

What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?

Start a business that helps people travel. Maybe even travel just to art galleries? There are so many wonderful places around the world, and most people have never seen them! If you can create a business like this one, I think it could be very successful because there’s no shortage of customers who want to see more than what they already know.

What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?

I think the best $100 I’ve spent recently was on a new laptop. I needed it for work, and it’s been really helpful in terms of getting things done. Plus, the extra battery life is amazing!

What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?

Adobe Illustrator. I use it for rough sketches of my illustrations – it’s a very powerful program that can do everything I need it to. Plus, the results always look great no matter what I’m working on.

What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?

The Lean Start-Up: How Constant Innovation Creates Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries. It’s a great book that talks about the importance of constant innovation and how to achieve it in your own business. I think it would be beneficial for any entrepreneur to read this book.

What is your favorite quote?

“The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” -Steve Jobs. This quote is important to me because it’s a reminder that if you’re not passionate about your work, then it’s going to be very difficult to achieve success. You have to put your heart and soul into what you’re doing to make sure it gets done right.

Key Learnings:

• Anyone can be an artist if they practice and work hard
• Passion is key for success in any field
• As an entrepreneur, invest in the proper tools for your work and never give up on your dreams
• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – learn from them instead!
• The Lean Start-Up book by Eric Ries is a great resource for any entrepreneur