We had the good fortune of connecting with haven AQ and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi haven, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
It was never my plan to start my own business. I was just never a good fit at any regular job, and I had always loved doing art. I started out by doing small (custom art) requests for people I know.. that lead to getting small gigs, mostly by responding to (and posting) ads on things like craigslist.  My advice to Artists out there (that want to start doing art for a living); start by doing small jobs for friends,  classmates and coworkers. Round out your skill set by stepping out of your comfort zone. Use social media to your advantage; put in the hours DAILY and stick with it. If you need advice you can ask me by reaching out to me on Instagram.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

It depends on who the person is, and what they are into~ Personally, I’m into true hip hop culture. So if they happened to be visiting Denver in September, I would take them to the cultural hip hop festival “Who’s Shinin’?” Sept. 10th 2022 at La Raza Park, Denver, CO. Whos Shinin’ is an all elements festival~ with live painting – by high level graffiti artists, live music, an array of artist vendors and great people ~ an all around unique experience!

But I’ve also always been drawn to nature~and Colorado has some of the most amazing natural sites.

And if they’re an artist, I’d recommend creating art in nature~ one of the funnest things you can do 🙂 or maybe an authentic cultural event, held outdoors~ lile a live show at Red Rocks amphitheater?

A great place to eat in Denver is Cheeba Hut sanwich shop.

Or if they want to see amazing large scale murals, RINO art district is loaded!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My older brother Tim Herrera got me in to art at a young age. And introduced me to graffiti art (as teens). He was the one who moved with me, when I first decided to move to the west coast to pursue art (as a career). He also helped me round out my skill set, and learn programs like photoshop ~ which has got me expand beyond just drawing.

Website: HavenAQ.com

Instagram: instagram.com/havenaq

Facebook: Facebook.com/havenartquest

Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/jam-haven-los-angeles

Youtube: youtube.com/havenaq

Other: Google “Haven AQ” for more of my work

Image Credits
all images created or photographer by Haven AQ

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutColorado is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.