Standing tall: Phoenix
STANDING TALL PHOENIX ARTIST TIMMY HAM WINS A SHORTY AWARD FOR HIS ART ON SOCIAL MEDIA
artist Timmy Ham wins a Shorty award for his art on social media.
Never in his life did Phoenix artist and entrepreneur Timmy Ham think he would win an award for his art. And even less, one for his social media presence. But that’s what happened on April 23, when the 30year old self-taught artist took home a statue for “Best Art” in the Creative & Media category at the Shorty Awards. The category honors artists who have used social media to create and promote their work, and Ham bested 11 other nominees. “I was really surprised, and really grateful,” he said. “This is a really big stepping stone for me because I work for myself. So you don’t have a boss telling you to keep up the good work, and give you affirmations...A lot of times you can only gauge so much through the internet of what people really do like and what they enjoy, so this is a nice pat on the back.”
Ham owns a lifestyle brand called Sloth, which features his colorful street art-inspired design in the form of paintings, T-shirts, hats, hoodies, sneakers, stickers and pins. Social media has helped him grow his business from the beginning, almost all of his social media brand accounts featuring more than 35,000 followers or subscribers. Some of his best work showcased at the Shorty Awards included an Instagram photo of a hand-painted drone, and a time-lapse video of the Ham painting the giant mural at The Park in downtown Phoenix.
Taking place at the PlayStation Theater in New York City, the Shorty Awards is in its ninth year, and is the first award show to honor the best in social media. Hosted by actor Tony Hale, some of this year’s other winners include Chrissy Teigen, Doug the Pug, Hydraulic Press Channel on YouTube, the “middle finger” emoji and “The Laughing Fox” Vine.
Ham lives in Phoenix with his wife, Britta, and three children: Asher, 5, Eden, 3, and Mia, who is 8 months old. He’s grown his brand and visibility via a number of social media platforms, from posting new art on Instagram to creating works in his studio on camera in his YouTube vlog (video blog) to engaging with followers and networking on Twitter.
Ham grew up in Phoenix, and got a full scholarship to the University of Nevada to play football. But after an injury sidelined him, he decided to move back to Phoenix and finish his degree at Arizona State University, first studying international business, then switching to prelaw and philosophy.
After college, he worked as a senior designer for a marketing agency. In his free time, Ham dabbled in his artwork. His mother was an artist and his father worked before as a photographer, so being creative was always part of his life. Some of Ham’s friends were in art school at the time, so he asked to see their assignments and practiced.
Sloth started as a side project in 2007. In 2012, he launched a successful Kickstarter to turn the hobby into a business, raising more than $17,000. From the beginning, Ham used social media to promote his work.
“I saw there was something there with Twitter and Instagram, and that it was a way to get exposure,” he said. “People really liked the stuff I was posting, the shoes I designed, the murals I painted, and I noticed I could market for free. It grew organically...Social media is the backbone of everything.”
Ham’s style is inspired by street art, utilizing thick black lines, bright colors and often Arizona and Southwest imagery including cactuses, arrowheads and the Arizona state outline. The artist takes pride in showcasing where he is from.
“Arizona has a great creative scene but it can’t compete with Los Angeles and New York,” he said. “It makes things a lot harder living here. Networking is extremely hard, and I don’t get to have a lot of face-to-face time with people. That’s why I’m super thankful for the internet...And in L.A. and New York, it’s so over-saturated with people doing the same thing. So it feels a bit more special being from here.”
Ham has currently been working on creating new merchandise, selling more original artwork and brand partnerships. He has a hush-hush project in the works with Pepsi, and has partnered with Vice Media to do screen-printing and a live art mural at this year’s Bonnaroo Music + Arts Festival in Tennessee.
Since social media is a big part of his daily life, Ham has to be consistent.
“I have a routine where I post three videos a week on YouTube,” he said. “Everyday I do a post on Instagram and a couple on Twitter, and I know certain times when platforms do well for me.”
While every platform serves it’s own purpose, Ham said Twitter is his favorite.
“It’s brought me 95 percent of success in everything I’ve done,” he said. “I make my contacts through there, and use it more as a relationship tool versus trying to sell stuff. I love Instagram too...I push new (merchandise) or new art on Instagram. Facebook is hit or miss, I use it as an ad platform, but you have to spend a lot of money to play the game.”
Here are some of Ham’s tips to become more social media savvy:
» Consistency is number one. Put your work out there on a regular basis.
» Have patience, and your presence will grow.
» Think long-term: It’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon. There’s no instant gratification with results. » Be authentic. » Engage with people. » Be creative with your content, and find a way to separate yourself from others.
» You need to be talented with whatever you do, whether you’re a chef or hairstylist.
» Collaborate with other creators, and cross-promote with those in similar industries and who have similar audiences.
A social media snapshot of some of Ham’s accounts:
» Twitter: @timmyham, 43K+ followers
» Instagram: @iamsloth, 44K+ followers » Facebook: Sloth, 35K+ likes » YouTube: Timmy Ham, 36K+ subscribers Also follow Ham here: » Snapchat: @timmyham » Personal Instagram: @timmyham » Sloth website: iamsloth.com