May 15, 2019
Every once in a while we bump into people who somehow earn a great living, and build a great life— simply by being themselves.
If life is a journey of self-discovery, self-acceptance, and ultimately leveraging our power of Being Ourselves… These people don’t waste too much time in discovery and acceptance, because they have too much impact to create by virtue of their Being.
My friend Evan La Ruffa is one of these people. If the guy isn’t installing the craziest, hippest, and most cutting-edge art for CORPORATE SPACES, he is evangelizing the value of art to executive leaders of brands like Adidas.
Evan has one of those vibes you can feel a block away before you get there. He’s covered in tats, rocks some heavy gauge earwear, and yet he’s so genuinely joyful that he can hang with anyone.
EVAN LA RUFFA is the founder of I Paint My Mind, an organization that transforms people and spaces by connecting artists, businesses, and communities through art.
He currently serves as the Executive Director and Leader Curator.
Evan is so passionate about connecting artists to corporate spaces, and then using the revenue to give back to schools and community centers. You just get the feeling that he would be doing this whether or not he was getting paid.
The most inspiring aspect of his business model is that getting paid is essential to funding its ecosystem of Giving Back.
Some quick stats on IPaintMyMind: Over the last 6 years, they’ve amassed an incredible collection of over 1100 pieces of original art, which they have exhibited in over 65 businesses and communities. You can browse their collection at IPaintMyMind.org.
If you’re looking for creative ways to monetize your passion, while giving back to a greater cause, you’ll want to hear this. This conversation is also packed with ways to engage corporate partners and clients.
We’ll cover in detail how he built an organization around his passion, and what he’s learned from speaking to so many corporate buyers over the years. We start with the lessons he took from his parents that gave him Permission to Glow in The Dark.
Lessons like these— from a humble innovator and outlier of the snobby art scene— are what we want to pass on to our own kids.
Another thing that I, and so many of my coaching clients can relate to about Evan, is that he does all of this while being a very present Father and Husband. He and his wife Lindsey are raising their family of 4 in North Chicago. It’s hard to tell where the ART of Evan’s work, and the ART of his family begin and end.
Please enjoy this conversation on art, aesthetics, family, and passion with Evan La Ruffa.
