Meet Jared Thompson | Painter, Trail Runner, Full time Dad, Dog Walker

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

Hi Jared, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
I used to have a very busy career in motorsports and the performance driving industry. I left that career of over 15 years after my son Asher was born. I am now approaching four years of being a “stay at home” father and four years of being an artistic painter. My work life balance has shifted entirely towards giving as much time to my family as I can while maintaining a few hobbies and interests such as trail running and painting. The shift in balance has been an amazing experience. It has changed the way that I view my time. I am grateful to be in such a blessed position. I find that I am happiest picking up a paintbrush when I know things are taken care of for my family and our household. I do feel pressure internally to continue painting and accomplishing new goals, however the moments when painting is right and the art just flows, things usually feel balanced elsewhere in my life. I find enough time to keep projects moving along to a reasonable degree and give my priority to the family.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I began painting when my son was born 5 years ago. I painted a mural in his bedroom of Hyrule from the Legend of Zelda. This includes the good witch’s hut, temple of time, Link’s House, Hyrule Castle, and Link himself holding the master sword. I grew up playing a lot of Nintendo games and when I started painting I wanted to go back to those early memories of playing these classic games with my brothers while sitting on the living room floor with cereal bowls and blankets strewn about. I have always been interested in fantasy art and games and my painting style has definitely developed around that genre. I’ve spent more time in the last year working on lighting, shading and balancing contrast in my paintings. And yes, I still paint a lot of Zelda stuff.. I plan on working on a Barr Trail and Pikes Peak series of paintings in 2023.

Painting murals is certainly not easy and I have recently lessened the volume of larger projects I have taken on. The last large scale projects Iv’e completed were the lettering above Armadillo Ranch stage and a Marcus Electric work truck. I have to say that neither being on a ladder for hours, or laying on the ground and being on your knees on the asphalt for hours are very fun. I hope to continue finding success in selling prints of my canvas paintings and creating more art in 2023!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting town we would certainly be going on a few hikes around Manitou. We are blessed to have the access to the forest that we do from Manitou Springs. I would want to show him the Barr Trail, Williams Canyon, the and the waterfalls above the top of Ruxton near the Cog Railway. We would pop into the Armadillo Ranch in Manitou for some live music and drinks I’m sure. We would head up the Pikes Peak highway for a day to hike and probably just stay around Manitou Springs each night. I love living in Manitou and most of the time just don’t want to go anywhere else..

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?
I give a shoutout to my family, my son Asher, my wife Alea, my parents and so many friends that have supported me over the years with love, encouragement and help along the way.

Website: manitoucreative.com