DREI FRAGEN with Artist Jaksta

Artist Jaksta shares his artistic wisdom.

Each Wednesday, I ask a different artist the same three questions.

This week's featured artist is Jaksta, with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working on a couple of street art projects. He’s a prolific Swindon artist, and whenever I’m out and about—running errands or doing a bit of shopping—I’ll spot yet another Jaksta piece. I always message him when I see one! Even last week, when I went for a Cuban meal, lo and behold, there was a Jaksta on the wall!

1. What first sparked your interest in creating art?

Right, he goes Steve. We're down mate. All right, it's number one. I would say graffiti was what sparked my interest really.

Nothing else more to say to that to be honest.

2. What are your regrets?

I do not think my biggest regret is just not pushing myself.

First of all, when you start doing graffiti, you kind of get trapped in this graffiti bubble where it's hard to expand out of that really.

I think it's when I really started getting more arty is when I started breaking out that bubble really.

That's probably one of my biggest regrets. He's just trying to push myself more artistically early while in my life.

3. What wisdom would you offer someone beginning their art career, or exploring art for the first time at any stage in life?

I would probably say that as crazy as it sounds is that you really need to be, it's all about the design.

You know, I think there's two kind of two elements here. You've got the design part and you've got the execution of it.

You've got to have a creative eye, maybe even graphics. If you're good at using computers and Photoshop and stuff like that, you can really come up with some great designs.

I think that's kind of a big part really. And also just practice, practice, practice. It's all about the second half is about execution.

I think the more you can practice early doors, the better you'll become.

I think it's also a lot of people don't want to make mistakes, but I think ultimately that's how you learn the most really.

You've got to have those fails to really kind of know, you know, to learn from them really.

I think the biggest fails are where I've learned the most from, so don't be afraid to fail.

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Above: Method Man Stret at by Jaksta, filmed by @hosterroreres

Check out Swindon’s prolific Jaksta on Instagram.

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