Daily Inspiration: Meet John McCoy

Today we’d like to introduce you to John McCoy.

Hi John, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve wanted to be an artist for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I was constantly creating—sculpting miniature characters and creatures out of polymer clay, drawing knights in shiny armor, and filling sketchbooks with anything that captured my imagination. By high school, I had become “the guy who could draw,” spending countless hours creating detailed drawings of animals and sci-fi characters from my imagination. It didn’t take long to realize that art wasn’t just something I enjoyed—it was something I wanted to dedicate my life to.

That passion led me to study at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, where I majored in Illustration and graduated with honors in 2014. My college experience strengthened both my technical skills and my appreciation for visual storytelling, laying the foundation for everything I’ve done since.

After graduation, I pursued art full-time and was fortunate to receive opportunities to paint murals for churches and organizations throughout the Midwest, including projects in Michigan and Ohio. Later, when I moved into my own apartment and took a full-time job outside the arts to support myself, balancing work and my creative career became much more challenging. Even so, I never stopped creating. I continued accepting commissions, painting portraits, creating illustrations for private clients, and looking for new ways to grow as an artist.

One of the biggest turning points in my journey came after marrying my wife, who is from Venezuela. Learning Spanish and immersing myself in another culture opened an entirely new perspective on my journey as a creative. I began sharing artwork and lighthearted videos about Venezuelan culture on TikTok, primarily in Spanish, and was amazed by the response. What started as a creative outlet grew into a community of more than 85,000 followers on TikTok and around 50,000 on Instagram, creating opportunities to collaborate with brands while connecting with people from around the world through both art and culture.

Today, my work spans illustration, murals, paintings, hand-sculpted collectibles, and digital content, but the goal has remained the same since I was a child: to create work that brings people joy and tells meaningful stories. Whether I’m painting a mural, sculpting a miniature food magnet by hand, or sharing a piece of another culture through my art, I want every project to feel personal, authentic, and crafted with care. I feel incredibly grateful that what began as a childhood passion has grown into a career that allows me to connect with so many people through creativity.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
People sometimes have this romantic image of an artist dancing brushstrokes across a canvas as golden morning light filters through the steam of a cozy cup of coffee. While moments like that certainly exist, they’re only a part of the story. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that being a professional artist involves much more than simply creating art.

Early on, I imagined spending most of my time drawing and painting, but I quickly discovered that running a creative business means wearing many hats. On any given project, especially murals, I’m not only the artist, I’m also the designer, project manager, photographer, bookkeeper, and sometimes even the salesperson. Every opportunity in the creative world requires planning, coordination, and building relationships long before the paint ever touches the wall.

Another challenge has been balancing my creative career with a full-time job. Like many artists, there have been seasons where I’ve had to work outside the arts while continuing to pursue commissions and projects during evenings and weekends. It requires discipline and consistency, especially when your creative energy is competing with the demands of everyday life.

The creative world has also changed dramatically over the years. Today, creating great artwork isn’t always enough. You also must learn how to share it, tell its story, and connect with people online. Building an audience on social media, learning to communicate the value of my work, and staying consistently engaged with that community have all become integral parts of being a modern artist.

Looking back, I’m grateful for those challenges because they made me a better and more intentional artist and a stronger business owner. Those challenges pushed me to develop skills I never knew I needed and helped me build a career that’s more sustainable, adaptable, and rewarding than I imagined when I first graduated from art school.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m an illustrator by training, but my work spans murals, paintings, portraits, book illustration, sculpture, and hand-crafted collectibles. What connects all of those mediums is that I see art as visual storytelling. Every project begins with understanding what matters most to the person or community I’m creating for, then finding the best way to communicate that through art.

Whether I’m painting a mural that tells the story of a neighborhood, creating illustrations that bring a book to life, painting a portrait that captures not only a person’s likeness but also their personality, or sculpting a miniature food magnet that celebrates a culture and its traditions, my goal is always the same: to create something meaningful that people feel connected to.

What I’m most proud of is that my work has allowed me to celebrate the things people care about most, including their faith, their families, their communities, and their cultural heritage. There’s something incredibly rewarding about creating artwork that helps someone feel seen, remembered, or represented.

I think what sets me apart is the combination of traditional artistic training and a genuine curiosity about people and their stories. Technical skill is important, but I don’t believe great art is just about drawing or painting well. It’s about understanding what makes a subject meaningful and translating that into something beautiful, personal, and lasting. My hope is that when someone looks at my work, they don’t just see a well-made piece of art. They see something that feels uniquely theirs.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is my family. They are the foundation behind everything I do and the reason I strive to continue growing as an artist and as a person.

My family has taught me the importance of connection, perseverance, and appreciating the stories that shape who we are. Through my wife, I’ve been able to experience and embrace another culture in a way that has deeply influenced my creative journey. Through becoming a father, I’ve gained an even greater appreciation for the importance of creating a life built around love, faith, purpose, and meaningful experiences.

That value naturally extends into the way I view my clients, supporters, and the community that follows my work. At the end of the day, they are people with families, memories, traditions, and stories of their own. Whether I’m creating a portrait, a mural, or a small handmade piece inspired by someone’s culture, I see each project as an opportunity to create something meaningful for another person and their loved ones.

For me, art has always been about connection. The greatest reward is knowing that something I created can become part of someone’s story, whether it is displayed in their home, shared with their family, or simply reminds them of something they love.

Ultimately, success is not just about the artwork I create or the audience I build. It is about building a life centered around love and using my creativity to bring meaning and joy to others.

Pricing:

• Handmade miniature food magnets and cultural collectibles start at $15 and are available through my online shop.
• Custom portraits vary depending on size, medium, and complexity. Pet portraits typically range from $100–$200+, with larger and more detailed pieces priced accordingly.
• Watercolor and drawing-based house portraits generally range from $150–$500. Larger acrylic house portrait paintings typically range from $1,200–$1,500+, depending on size and detail.
• Mural projects generally range from $1,000–$5,000+ for smaller-scale walls, with pricing based on size, complexity, materials, and project requirements.
• High-resolution digital (printable) downloads of original artwork are available starting at $9, offering an accessible way to enjoy my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.johnmccoyart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnmccoyart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnmccoyart
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/johnmccoyart
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@johnmccoyart