The SaltyMF GOAT
The SaltyMF GOAT Podcast highlights engaging stories from entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, veterans, and others making an impact in their life. Each episode delves into the real and raw experiences of the guests, providing meaningful insights into their lives and journeys.
The Attitude Wears Well.
The SaltyMF GOAT
Walls That Speak: Muralist Erica Arndts on Pursuing Your Creative Passions
In this episode, artist Erica Arndts shares her journey from a traditional art background to becoming a successful muralist. She discusses the challenges of navigating the art world, the impact of social media on her career, and the intersection of art and politics. Erica reflects on her creative process, the importance of following one's passion, and the societal implications of artistic expression. The dialogue also touches on the controversies surrounding her work, particularly in relation to political themes, and the evolving nature of art in contemporary society.
Erica and Brad explore various themes including community engagement, the value of art education, health perspectives, and the artistic process. They discuss the importance of connecting with the community through art, the pitfalls of traditional education, and the evolving landscape of health and lifestyle choices. The conversation also highlights collaboration opportunities in the art world and the significance of personal expression in a rapidly changing society.
From her roots as a creator to the challenges of building a career as a muralist, Erica shares the raw, real, and rebellious side of being an artist in today’s world. We talk passion, persistence, and public art—and how she keeps her work grounded, loud, and unapologetically true.
Time Stamps
00:00 The Journey of an Artist
03:12 Navigating the Art World and Personal Growth
05:51 The Impact of Social Media on Art
08:59 Art as a Medium for Expression and Controversy
12:03 The Challenges of Artistic Identity
14:58 Politics, Art, and Public Perception
18:00 The Role of Art in Society
20:53 Finding Balance in Artistic Expression
26:47 Community Engagement and Book Recommendations
29:59 The Value of Art Education
36:02 Health Perspectives and Lifestyle Choices
39:04 Artistic Process and Collaboration Opportunities
45:50 The Evolution of Art in Society
Everyone has a story to tell, it may not be perfect nor ideal, but it is REAL.
The Attitude Wears Well!
Erica (00:00)
I thought I'd get ripped apart for painting Jesus. That was when I'm like, all right, here we go. Let's crucify me now. And people were really cool about it. But yeah, going into politics, it's...
Brad (00:15)
People are insane. just everyone just for a moment. A president, a past president of the United States was almost assassinated on live TV. A president was almost assassinated of a, and you, everybody should be appalled. let's f***ing roll.
Erica (00:30)
It was JFK
Brad (00:48)
Welcome I'm Brad Banyas. You're listening to the Saltymf Goat. Today we're really excited to have a wonderful, talented artist and muralist, and Erica Arndts is in studio with today. And I mean, I just love her stuff and I love her story. And she's actually like a beautiful woman. And usually if you're listening to our show, you're looking at like Harry, disgusting old dudes. So Erica, welcome to the show.
Erica (01:13)
Thanks, Brad. Thanks for having me. Yeah. Excited to be here.
Brad (01:17)
Yeah, I was so excited. I felt like I knew you because we had talked. Yeah, we were deep into the politics and the wokeness at one time.
Erica (01:21)
We had good conversation.
That's right. That's right. And I'm bummed I did not bring my dog. ⁓
Brad (01:32)
George
I you know George is a wonderful lab and I even told the crew I'm like hey George is probably gonna be in here George is with Erica every time then you showed up like ⁓
Erica (01:43)
Well,
it's probably for the best that I don't because he can get R. Kelly on people and like pee on people. really? really excited and it's just with all your equipment it would not be advised.
Brad (01:56)
You didn't get that joke. It's true.
Erica (01:58)
Yeah, we're working on it.
Brad (02:02)
I
have two, we have two chocolate labs, a male and a female. And I love, the females to me just have been amazing. And we've had several female chocolate labs. But it is funny, and the male though is like that. He's a marker. You like George. And it drives me nuts. It really pisses me off. He's just like peeing everywhere. I'm like, dude, what's up? Let it go.
Erica (02:24)
Does he actually like lift the leg to mark or see George? He's like, he gets like this nervous. He's excited and just waddles and wiggles around and peas while he's doing it. And he's usually walking over people's feet. And then next thing I know, he's like peed on their shoes. I'm like, really sorry.
Brad (02:42)
Yeah, it's all right. George does what George you do. You do you, George. Yeah. Well, I mean, you you have such an interesting I mean, you're you're you're after like if I think if I was an artist, I'd want to be like you. You're all over the place. You're painting in, you know, nice places, weird places, and you're on the road quite a bit. So I want to understand, like, did you always know you're going to be an artist and muralist? I mean, what at what point are you just like, you know, I'm pretty
good at this and you know I want to make money so how did that happen?
Erica (03:16)
I
mean I was always drawing as a kid and I knew I was good at it and focused on that but the typical line was you can't be a starving artist you need to do something with your life and this was back in I graduated high school in 2004 so the whole mural scene has not erupted yet so I went to school for fine art hated it did not like drawing vases for four hours a day it was awful so I got into fashion design
Moved to LA did fashion design for like three years. Just was not my scene I don't like being around like uptight caddy women and it was just like it was the perfect storm was not gonna last I loved what I did though. So I was designing leather jackets for Alice Cooper. See Tyler Metallica. It was really awesome but I yeah, I was just
Brad (04:08)
That is amazing.
Erica (04:11)
I wasn't obsessed with it, like I wanted to be with whatever I was gonna do and the money sucked. ⁓ And then 2008 happened and no one was hiring in the fashion industry, everyone's letting people off, so that's when I moved to Georgia and became a physician recruiter and just left all the art behind and it paid really well.
met some great lifelong friends, but I was miserable. just, I knew there was no way I could do this for the long haul, and I was painting on the side, and people were buying some of my canvas paintings. I was always painting on the side. And then I painted my sister's nursery, and painted one of her kids' rooms, and then my other sister's kids' room. And this is right when social media really took off with Instagram.
right in the beginning when Instagram was actually great. And then it's just started gaining some momentum, posting my work, and then I finally was getting enough work where I could quit my job. And then ever since then, it's just been traveling mural life.
Brad (05:23)
I love it. I love it. Your just demeanor in life and the way you approach life from conversations we've had in the past, it's it's like refreshing, you know? And it is tough sometimes. I think, you know, it's hard, you know, we deal a lot with musicians and, you know, they're working their jobs and, you know, working on their craft and, and it kind of, you know, it kind of wears on your soul, like when you can't be doing what you want to do every day.
Erica (05:51)
It's awful. It's life draining knowing that you're not mentally in it. You're getting paid well. And you go through all of these, should I quit the job? I'm not going to have guaranteed income. What am I going to do? Am I going to make it? What if this is a terrible decision? But what if I never do it? You have to do it. You have to. You can always go back and get the job. Any job you want. But you have to take the jump.
Brad (06:15)
Absolutely
Right here you heard it from Erica folks you got to follow that passion, you know Yeah It's it is I mean, I think it's art is such, know to me though Like with some of the things you're doing as well is and it's it's like a it's like a billboard You know, you've done seen these just amazing murals on the side of buildings and the good news is I mean It's kind of once you do that. You're also getting free advertising Yeah
Erica (06:22)
Yeah.
Exactly, I'm getting paid to
advertise, because I get to put my name on it, legible, big enough so everybody can see it. And that's how I get a lot of business is people see the murals, they just Google my name, they can find me easily, ⁓ it's like a snowball. You just keep getting work. And there's dry spells for sure. Like, wintertime can be challenging, definitely. ⁓
Brad (07:07)
Well, you and George
can pack up and go, go south. That's right. That's right. That's I love it. So when you've kind of you've been in Ohio for a bit, right? You're back now in Georgia, but you're in Ohio. ⁓ Like what was that? Just you you were brought into some by someone to do some work. You did the work and then just kind of start community like networking locally. How did how does that?
Erica (07:10)
That's right, go south of the border.
Well, I'm
from there originally. So born and raised in Ohio. So but I left Ohio when I was 21, moved to California. Then I was out there for like three and a half years and moved to Georgia for eight years and then moved to Mexico, lived in Mexico for about two years and then came back to Georgia. No, went back to Ohio. I needed like a reset after Mexico. I needed to really hit the reset button for a minute.
a pivotal time of my life, we'll say. And so I went, that was the first time I lived back in my hometown since I left at 21 and I was 34 at the time when I went back. So it was great, it was bittersweet. I had a lot of resistance going back, but it was like.
The familiarity of it, my whole family lives there. My hometown just embraced me and my art and I have the most murals in my hometown. And it was just one after the other, the work just did not stop. So I learned to love it, but I just can't stand the winter. It's hard.
Brad (08:42)
Yeah, when?
It's so tough because I grew up here in Atlanta too and I've always thought about moving somewhere and whatever. every time I go somewhere, travel, go for work and I come back, you just kind of feel like, I should, this is home. But you're like, it's home.
Erica (08:58)
And you have a good climate here too.
Georgia's a great state to be from live raise kids family the weather's Yeah, I'm too it ⁓ I made I've made two two loops some on my second loop. No my third loop actually Yeah, I think I'll be here for a while
Brad (09:11)
Yeah, I'm glad you're back. Glad we got you back from.
Maybe it's meant to be.
That's
awesome. I've seen lately you've been doing a lot of kind of I would call like portrait-tron athletes that bravely. I saw some of the things you were doing with Chipper Jones and it was just, it's crazy. I'm showing my kids like, look at this, look at this, look at this. You'll see her art, we'll post some of your art up as well on this podcast. So do you like doing the portrait, like the
kind of I don't know you call it don't know if that's called a portrait
Erica (09:57)
Yeah, that's portrait. If it's a human, it's a portrait in my opinion. I love it. I like all different styles of art. I did a lot of pop art when I first started in Atlanta, and I love that because I love the bright colors and I like the simplicity of it. And then the portrait work is definitely more challenging, but I like the challenge. It's stimulating to my brain to do something different. It's harder. And I just I like trying to make every painting better than the last one.
Brad (10:27)
The details insane. Like it's insane. It looks like real. Like it look, you know, you know, some things you see, you're like, Oh yeah, that's really cool. We're like, when, when I was looking at it, was looking at it. I couldn't get out of my, my kids finally dad, get it. It's good, but you know, whatever, you know, I mean, it's cool. It's good, but, it's just the detail that you go through. Like how long does something like that take if you're going to just like from start to finish and you're going to, know, whatever you pick any, person or athlete, whatever.
like how many how many hours you think are in something like that? ⁓
Erica (11:02)
like the Braves
paintings because those were big those were definitely bigger but when I I'll do I have to hyper focus on one thing at a time so if I'm doing like a graphic design project right I do live nation concert posters that's what I've been doing did that all day yesterday I cannot do anything else but just that
And I can't dabble in painting and the poster graphic design stuff. I just have to do one at a time and give all my attention. if I'm painting, I get up really early in the morning, like 4.30 every day, coffee, workout, paint, all day.
just take my dog outside, short walks, I apologize. And then I go back up and just paint. And it'll take, I'd say those ones probably took three days each, about three full days each.
Brad (11:54)
That's crazy. Even though the fact that you could do that in three days, like I have ADD or ADD, whatever. I'm whatever, off on-spectrum, whatever. I don't know what it is, but somewhere. I'm somewhere in there. I couldn't. Like art, I drew Orville Redenbacher in my art class. Remember the popcorn guy? And like, was, I got an F in art by the way, but like it was the only thing, and I don't know why, I have no idea why that dude resonated with me and I could focus
Erica (12:03)
Yeah.
Brad (12:25)
But I drew him when he was I wish I had it because it was actually pretty good and even my art teacher came to me Miss Titi if you're out there you gave me an F Yeah, but but like she didn't think I did it like she's like you didn't do this. I'm like, yeah, I really did She's like there's no way here's your other work. I'm like, I don't know why but this guy horrible Redbacher like
Erica (12:46)
I got him you. He really spoke to you. There's a connection.
Brad (12:50)
the only good grant,
I you should probably give me a C on it something. But that's it. Orville, thank you. Thank you for the C. Yeah, actually, well, I love that popcorn. So yes, so my, my, my pass with art, I can't draw a stick figure, but so any, anyone that my sister growing up that I grew up with, she could, she could paint. Okay, she was pretty good.
Erica (12:55)
He was coming out of the box for it. It's great. It's the best. Childhood favorite.
You some artistic genes in there.
Brad (13:18)
I'm more the thinker, like I can see it. I can see it and then give it to someone who's really talented to wrap it up.
Erica (13:20)
The idea is.
See, I sometimes struggle just with the general idea. And I'll go to my parents, because they've kind of become trained to be my second pair of eyes. Like, they're not artistic, per se, but I can show them something and say, what looks off about this? And I'll be like, I wonder if they're going to pick out that pinky finger that I know is off. But then they'll say, no, it's actually something with the ear is off. I'm like, ⁓ I
I thought the ear was great. I'm like, okay, now I have to do the pinky finger and the ear. But I always like having someone look and just say, like, does anything look weird to you or what would be a good idea for...
XYZ mural like what what comes to mind if someone says you know the history of Atlanta what would come to mind to you because what might come to mind to me is different than Someone who's lived there their whole life or just looks at things just more general right where I might just go way Deep end like it's like no, that's a bad idea. It's just too weird
Brad (14:28)
maybe it's
not. That's what art is. I think art's lost some of that.
Erica (14:33)
I we've lost some weirdness in some pushing of the ⁓ of comfort zones, which I experienced last year big time
Brad (14:43)
You wanna talk about that? I'm ready to dive in. Blow it off, let it go. We're in the McBastard studio, the company's called Salty Motherfucker, no one cares, let's go. If you're offended, great, we intend to offend you.
Erica (14:46)
off.
Yeah,
no last year it was a very interesting year with the Trump shooting attempts. I painted a portrait of Trump the night it happened and I've never been super into politics and I think a lot of people would assume artists are liberals. To be honest, this was the first year I've ever voted in my life and I've come a long way from just being a
Brad (15:22)
Relationship
you're right first
Erica (15:23)
Thank
you. I did. I did. I feel strong about my decision. And I waited till the right opportunity because I think I was just buried in ignorance of also just trying to survive, being in school. My mind was not in politics at all. It's just like things work. I'm getting paid. I don't have time to go into the depths of politics, religion, none of it. was just I've just been like survival mode.
Brad (15:51)
which is 98 %
of the people.
Erica (15:53)
Yeah, yeah, for sure. But 2020 happened and then things were real. I went into every rabbit hole, every conspiracy rabbit hole. I just was glued to my screens. The project paperclip, all of it, reading books. I was just obsessed. And it's fascinating because it's just like everything you thought you knew is turned upside down on its head. So, so yeah, I did a painting of Trump last year.
And it just raised hell on every platform. And ⁓ the pinnacle moment was a mural that I painted in Atlanta eight years ago. It was for this dance studio. And I painted a dance-themed mural for their studio. And they saw my Trump painting, and they were just appalled.
offended, immediately put me in this like racist homophobic category.
Brad (16:55)
That's where everyone goes. If someone doesn't like what your belief is, that's where you go. Yeah.
Erica (17:01)
Just in
your home home. So I was just like, what? And the weird thing is that the girl that hired me, we used to work together in the physician recruiting. We were friends. I'm like, dude, you know me. What's going on? I reached out to her. She didn't respond. I'm like, OK. I'm OK. Made your voice clear. So yeah, they were asking for fundraising from the community.
to cover the cost of painting over the mural.
Brad (17:35)
Which had nothing to do with Trump. I know. It wasn't even related.
Erica (17:38)
Your
own billboard, like that's really dumb.
Brad (17:41)
You know, there's some
dumbasses in the world and I think when you get to a point, I'm old, I don't care anymore anyways, but you get to a point and you almost, you almost either have to laugh or feel sorry for people that they're so like ideologically off center. Like just out of wow.
Erica (18:00)
I think it's selfish and egoic that like I think it's just people with a really strong I'm right you're wrong and It's like no, I'm just sharing my belief
Brad (18:10)
It's called hard. Yeah. Remember that? Remember the member of the artists were allowed to do whatever they want. Yeah. You need to do some more weird shit. Let's do some weird shit.
Erica (18:15)
Yeah
I
I thought I'd get ripped apart for painting Jesus. That was when I'm like, all right, here we go. Like, let's crucify me now. And people were really cool about it. ⁓ But yeah, going to politics, it's...
Brad (18:33)
People are insane. mean, get... Just everyone just for a moment. A president, a past president of the United States was almost assassinated on live TV. I don't give a shit if you like him or not. A president was almost assassinated of a... Everybody should be appalled. Like, you should be holy shit. What?
Erica (18:49)
It was ch-
Right,
right, not wish him death and say, I'm sorry, missed. Like that's sick. ⁓
Brad (19:06)
Those are nice people,
the people that are wishing them death. The good people.
Erica (19:10)
I mean weird as in it, but there's a disease in this country. Absolutely. In the world. mean I lost so many friends. got I got brutally attacked and it's just like you know what this is good practice to take some heat because normally I paint very safe things. I'm painting celebrities, musicians, whatever. This is definitely the hottest topic of like
Brad (19:33)
But you know what that does? ⁓ What it does is you just because someone screams the loudest doesn't mean they're right. And behind that, there's a lot of people just sitting back, like taking everything in. And I bet you got a lot of business.
Erica (19:52)
I did.
I did. I saw a of work.
Brad (19:55)
Thank you to the naysayer moron ideology crazy people what happens is sometimes when you draw attention to someone for something that you don't believe in there's a whole group of people millions maybe that like that and so it's free advertising
Erica (20:14)
It was good.
Brad (20:15)
Feel
free to slander me and Salt EMF all over the network. Please do it. Please do it. This Brad Bain disguise an asshole. Please spread the word. Because what happened is we started this fan groupies saying I told you that.
Erica (20:28)
All
Brad (20:28)
And
we were in a particular area and some people got out of, been out of shape that like, guess we were, they didn't like the fact what we were doing. I guess how dare we spend our own money to write an app for musicians to better their life. that? No, I know, but it got silly, very similar to, not as bad as what that was. Wow. But it was silly. And then what happened was,
after that in that area. By the way, thank you, because we got about 250 signups. Appreciate the negativity. Love it. Bring some more. My point in that is, sometimes people think they're getting their voice off. They're getting a point off. In reality is, there's a lot of people that really don't like what you're saying. They're just not coming out and voicing it.
Erica (21:15)
Right, they're not
coming to your defense. Which I was actually surprised. A lot of people did come to my defense. A lot of people, I mean there was plenty of hatred. Plenty of people who surprised me of like, wow, really? Like you know me. Some of my own friends that are in the gay community. I'm just like, really? We've been friends for years. Nothing has changed. I painted a painting. Get over it. And I happen to like the guy too.
Brad (21:40)
Absolutely.
Yeah.
what? Well, you know what? All this, you know, democracy shit and whatever. Hey, look, this is America. If you don't like it, go somewhere else. I mean, we've, we've, you yeah, Venezuela, great place. Right. But I mean, my point in that is I don't want to get too much in the constitution and all that stuff, but freedom of speech is for everyone. It's funny to see in the sixties and how stuff moves and kind of how one party moves to the total opposite. The other party comes in the middle.
Erica (21:53)
You don't want to even come in.
reverse
roles the republicans are the democrats now completely
Brad (22:15)
like a straight
flop. Yeah, I'll be honest, I don't like I don't like either party. So I'm a constitutional. There's a constitutionalist. Yeah. So and I think that the division in our country is done, I think intentionally through propaganda and you talk about rabbit holes. ⁓
Erica (22:32)
Yeah,
the news, all of it. It's so all the way to like fluoridated water and.
Brad (22:38)
It's good for
you. We had a bunch of it in the Navy left over. Let's put it in the waters It's not good for you That's one thing I think it's died humors
Erica (22:44)
I was looking at you for a second like, wait a
Brad (22:57)
You know give me shit if you don't like my shirt whatever is cool. I'll be alright. I'm not gonna. You know I'm not gonna
Erica (23:03)
too
sensitive this country's gone soft everybody has a problem everyone's getting their feelings hurt it's insane I love you
Brad (23:12)
I absolutely love you. think you're I think you're a dude.
I
love strong women. I love strong women with with their belief system what they want to do and I mean that's that's amazing. The world tries to and strong dudes are just as good. You don't have to bow to anyone whether you're a female to a male, a male to a female. Be strong in your character and your beliefs and be who the hell you are. Just be who the hell you are. Anyway that's sorry I went off on that rant.
Erica (23:43)
myself yeah yeah
no it's all good because they can go the extreme opposite with the extreme feminism and demasculate yeah of men it's happened we need to find like a nice balance again
Brad (24:01)
It's true.
I mean, it's it's our nature. It's you know, now we've evolved. Well, we haven't really evolved. I always tell the story gets laughed because I'm still picking dog shit up in my yard with a bag. So I have not evolved. But by the way, like we we think we've evolved into such amazing creatures. Well, read, you know, read Socrates, read ⁓ Marcus Aurelius, read the Stoics, read whatever. Two thousand years plus ago, they're talking about the same things were
talking about.
Erica (24:33)
We've got a long way to go. It's kind of embarrassing. We should be farther along. Yeah, I think we should. Basic things like let's stop poisoning our food. Like can we just go back to food? Like hunting and gathering. Let's just like eliminate all of the big processed food plants and go hunt your food and see how you do. Have a garden and get a gun.
Brad (24:38)
You think we should? I just I don't know. I just think we I.
I'm good at
that. I can do that. My daughter was not a really big, sorry Maddie if I bring you out and bring you into this shit, sorry you're really to me so tough, But ⁓ she's not really a big hunter either but we took her pheasant hunting one time. And she loved the experience. So she got a couple birds and she was like, I love this experience whatever but I don't like it it's fine. It's real.
Erica (25:00)
I haven't gone hunting, but I would like to.
That's
how we should be doing it.
Brad (25:29)
Just
the way it is, you know, it is what it is. I just, I'm proud of you for doing what you want to do and doing a great job. mean, she's amazing, by the way. I mean, we're going to put some of her work up, like, what are the things you, do you like doing, are the murals your favorite thing to do? Is that like what you would say, if I had to paint today, it would be a mural or do you like the portraits or?
Erica (25:57)
Because they're so different like I like being at home in my peaceful place I'll listen to podcasts or listen to audiobooks I listen to audiobooks that's that's my that's my jam and just paint and get completely lost and Just have the comfort of being at home. I can paint at any hour I want it's just really cushy and nice But then I love the thrill of being four stories up high
Brad (26:21)
I was about to say I've seen you on some ladders like yeah ⁓
Erica (26:23)
Yeah, I
like the machinery and I like it's just playtime like murals are like it like brings out the kid in me I just get to play and I can't believe people are paying me to do this on their build Yeah Yeah, so they're different. I like the thrill of the murals. I like the travel
Brad (26:36)
Well, you're
Erica (26:47)
Meeting new people at every job site. I really like that just getting the community excited people stopping asking questions and stuff So it's I I like that a lot
Brad (26:59)
Wow, look that person that's just been ostracized. Look at the things that just came out of her mouth. Now does that sound like a villain? Shame on you. Shame on you. Well, you've got to read this book, and I'm going to say it, and everyone gets started. You have to read The Creature from Jekyll Island.
Erica (27:19)
downloaded that a few weeks ago actually in the set the one the Federal Reserve who's that by Carl? Is it Carl Sagan?
Brad (27:25)
I can't remember the guy's name, was 70s.
No, I don't think, I don't know if that's, it was written in the 70s. He was like a financial journalist. But anyways, so all you people out there, you will go on a watch list, but you need to download The Creature from Jekyll Island and read about what's going on right now with our dad in the playbook and how it works, because it's not new. Hold this here, hold on, hold on. You need to do it. Anyways, I'm sorry to bring that back to you.
Erica (27:46)
I need to get out. need to...
I love a good book recommendation. I live for books. I don't have a TV. I haven't had a TV in seven years. So all I do is just listen to books.
Brad (28:04)
That's great. yeah, the TV, I'm not a, every now and then I'm sports guy. guess I like college football. So. Makes sense. I don't know. You're,
Erica (28:13)
I got into
the westerns the 1883, 1923, the Yellowstone.
Brad (28:20)
Yeah, well, the scenery just where they're filming it, too, is like that's to me was some something.
Erica (28:27)
Have you been out there before? Montana?
Brad (28:30)
gotta
go.
Erica (28:32)
I watched a few seasons of or a few episodes of Yellowstone and I always wait till after the show comes out so I can binge and I'm like what's all the hype with this show I'm not gonna like it and I watched a few I'm like I am hooked and then I planned a solo camping trip drove out to Montana and perfectly I had a client reach out and he wanted some paintings and he lives in Jackson Hole so I'm like great I'm just gonna do the paintings and I'm gonna drive
them out and deliver them and I'm gonna camp and sleep in my car for like two weeks and just went all over and it's just it is just beautiful out there. you? No I didn't paint once while I was there I'm just I want to be
Brad (29:11)
Did you do any landscape like paintings or?
He's taking it in.
Erica (29:17)
Paul Bunyan and just chill, in the forest, make campfire. No, but I grew up fishing, like up in Michigan on the lake and doing salmon fishing, but I've not done flying.
Brad (29:31)
I
think you would enjoy that. You would like that. George could just sit on the bank. sun. I'm just kind of sad that George, didn't bring him We'll bring him in next time. We'll bring him in next time. Well, if you were ⁓ talking to anyone that wanted to be, I because you're a professional in the profession of being a muralist or artist.
Erica (29:34)
I'll need to give it a try.
Georgia
I'll make sure he goes to the bathroom first.
Brad (29:59)
like creator, like what advice would you give them? you know, to, you know, obviously you'd made some things about, you you didn't like doing what you were doing, it was part of what you were, but like, what advice would you give someone that says, you know, they're 18, they're getting ready to go into art school, or they're 20, like what advice would you give them?
Erica (30:22)
Don't go to art school. That's the biggest scam ever. College, I think, is one of the biggest scams. Unless you're going into a field that you know you want to do for life. You want to be a dentist, you want to be a doctor, lawyer, whatever. Go get your degree. it. Yeah. No fluoride.
But otherwise, I think people need to graduate high school and go get a job. See what you like to do. Don't immediately go into college. Like, I got a four-year associate's degree with $150,000 student loan debt.
Like, why are people encouraging this? I don't know. ⁓ And also, I was in a different time where I think more people are awake to stuff now, where people might question going to school. So I would just say, just paint. Just do whatever you're doing in the art that you like to do. Just create. Put it on social media. You have free advertising. Social media wasn't around when I was first getting started. So you get free advertising. And if you want to get into murals, go offer yourself.
to someone for free and just get your feet wet and then it just snowballs. You don't need a degree. You do not need, especially with YouTube, you can teach yourself anything. If you want to practice, practice on your walls at home. Paint your walls at home and then paint over it and start over again. So I just say just create, don't go to college.
Brad (31:42)
I love it.
We're, yeah, I kind of agree. As somebody who went to five colleges, yeah, is that right? Yes. Do you want one? Chuck Shime, actually it's salty school pod now, but it was the fuck Chuck 10, but because Shime was trying to ban nicotine and Zen, but sorry.
Erica (31:55)
That naked teen?
Is it Chuck Choo?
trying
to do that right now. They're saying that nicotine will be completely gone in like 10 years.
Brad (32:16)
Amazing.
Erica (32:16)
Good for you. They don't want
you to be healthy. And I think there's something, you should look up Dr. Brian Artis. He's blown a lot of whistles about the COVID sham and nicotine also. And he's one that, he's a big proponent of using nicotine if you're ever sick. If you get COVID anything, put a nicotine patch on or chew the pouches.
Brad (32:39)
Yeah,
it's ⁓ like so for years I was a big tobacco person and really I thank my kids for turning me on to nicotine because like that you're this terrible for you like you're and ⁓ But yeah, I just I mean I'm probably addicted to it, but I have that kind of personality so but but but the reality of it is it does They say neurons in your brain fire more they can see like when you have nicotine and it's funny because You know, I don't care the way if you want to a cigarette smoke a cigarette
they actually the filters are what is really causing the cancer so wrap your own cigarette get some clean tobacco you maybe maybe you'll die sooner but whatever enjoy it most people that ⁓ that I knew that were like heavy smokers a lot of them were like really highly intelligent and their mom
Erica (33:26)
And they're still alive?
Brad (33:27)
It was crazy. Yeah, and so I always think like What is this, you know, so yeah, I'm a huge naked dude that that's why we made these we like we literally made these my kids were like, hey, can you make these things for
Erica (33:32)
than two.
Is it like
magnetic?
Brad (33:46)
It's it's yeah,
it sticks. It's waterproof and all that but you know most people are using it not only for their pouches for nicotine, but they're storing some gummies or maybe a few blunts or something. It's legal.
Erica (34:00)
It's not legal
here though, right?
Brad (34:04)
I think I don't know I think no no no disappear. I think they did all the Delta 9 that's changing You know we had Georgia Hemp Company on here the really good company We've had several people with the THC drinks on nine dot was on I don't know Something came out I'm not an expert in it so I'm not a really like I'm not a fun guy if I smoke weed I'm I'm like land land land on the floor
Erica (34:18)
ban it in Georgia did they
But now I just I can't go out in public it's not enjoyable. I don't just like how did I use it? You know all day every day Make it too strong now. Yeah, it's different now. It's if it was just like the good old brown CD
Brad (34:48)
So everybody, it's just, you when we called.
Came from Bubba's field. Yeah, so I grew some good weed. Yeah now all the synthetic and the crazy stuff they do yet It's not I want to do dispensary. I don't know we were in LA and Anyway, so the guys in there and he's like, yeah, we got this flower this flower and I'm like What are y'all talking about? Like this one's some weed like from like 1980 and like that I don't want to go to like Mars or anything I don't I don't want to see purple people. I you know, just and the guys like laughing he's like
There's really not anything like that anymore, man. I'm like, yeah, so.
Erica (35:34)
Yeah, there's no mild anything. It's all super sized and super charged. then everybody's to think that everybody is smoking that stuff around us. like, should you really be driving a car? Like, should you have a child?
Brad (35:48)
Absolutely.
It'd probably be better if I had 30 beers and drove and smoked a joint and drove. 10 miles an hour. Oh, the speed limit's not 10 miles an hour? Yeah. Anyways, I don't know how we're getting on this stuff, anyways. they could team up. I'm cool with it. I'll you some mushroom stories. It'll really blow your mind. Right, right. So we're in the McBathrooms.
Erica (35:53)
Yeah, it's kind of scary.
because the next
It's same place.
Brad (36:14)
It's a safe place. What is it? The safe tree or? Same for you.
Erica (36:18)
That's right. We're in the safe room. Yeah.
I'm glad to see you like the nicotine. That's good. I think more people need to know about it. Absolutely. And not have it be demonized. Because it's a nutrient. It's not a chemical. It's a nutrient. ⁓
Brad (36:34)
My favorite kind of Salt
in there, yeah. The little nicotine salt, yeah. So a lot of things is, so people that are on, I have a lot of friends that they're on all kinds of, I guess you class them antidepressants or things like that. And I'm like, just try this. And a lot of them weed it off.
Erica (36:39)
of this.
With the nicotine.
Brad (36:57)
I'm not a doctor.
So I don't have a PhD in anything, you know, I'm not a doctor, but I'll take a look but ⁓ you know that several of them said that it helps specifically calm them Wow
Erica (37:11)
And also just not having too much sugar, think, is a huge cause of so many problems.
Brad (37:15)
Absolutely.
I mean, know, look at us getting all health and health. So we've we've done some work with carnivore snacks. Have you ever had their stuff carnivore snacks and call out free will bill you next week. ⁓ They it's kind of like I won't say it's like jerky. It's almost like a chip thing. ⁓
Erica (37:22)
Do you carnivore?
Wait is this
like carnivore crisps?
Brad (37:37)
Yeah,
carnivore snacks. They're really good. We've been around, obviously, Charles Mayfield. Feral Life, best skincare in the world. Hi, Charles. The Lard Works in Mysterious Ways. Charles, you're the man. We've got involved with all these people. I've heard of the carnivore diet and all that, but I'm one of these people. I'm just kind of moderation. don't know why I say that, but if you put a gallon of ice cream in front of me, I'll crush it.
Erica (38:06)
same. mean, Titan's is kind of carnivore.
Brad (38:11)
Yeah, yeah milk
whatever but yeah, I don't know a ton about carnivore but I've you know I know people that have done it and and they swear by it makes sense I mean, it's funny to to hear people starting that's why I don't listen too much to the health community because You know one minute fluoride fluoride is good for you Helps your teeth. Whatever. I mean you just you never know But to me as close as you can get to nature, right? It's like you were saying right as close as you can get growing your own tomatoes growing your own
Erica (38:29)
Okay.
Brad (38:40)
or cucumbers, whatever it is, processing your own meat if you have the ability to do it. I think the reason people don't do that is because technically if you're gonna do that, you need to know how to cut the animal up, how to get rid of it. stuff like that. And it's kind of weird if your dad's carving up the deer or whatever in the sink. You're like, hey dad, are you okay? Are you psycho? What's going on? But yeah, I think the closest you can get to natural is probably always good for you.
Erica (39:04)
Right.
Brad (39:10)
So and you look like you're in good shape so You're working all the time probably so you're out painting your active. Yeah, do anything like to hike or anything like that? did
Erica (39:11)
I agree.
It's doing good.
I I do, like to hike, I do. out. I'm
not offended if you ask me if I like to go on a hike.
I like to go to, I just discovered the Etowah River Park. Love that place. I go there like almost every day. I love to, I'm a simple exerciser, walking, like own, like use your own body strength or resistance, ⁓ arm weights, squats. I'm a big fan of squats.
Brad (39:56)
You would like, ⁓ so I used to hike a ton up in North Georgia and stuff and up above such as there's some great trails. Like right outside Delonago. if you're into that. But it's awesome. You coming in here to confirm LA stuff or what? Absolutely not. Zac Sweat, folks. That's Zac Sweat behind the camera.
Erica (40:22)
name.
Brad (40:25)
Well, anything you want to tell just the audience, tell them like how do you, I mean, obviously you're on Instagram, your art's on YouTube or whatever it is, but if someone wants to engage you for anything, a portrait, a mural, like how do they get in touch with you and just tell them about your process and how you do it. Yeah.
Erica (40:45)
You can find me on social media, @ericarndts. It's a hard name to spell and say, so we'll write it somewhere so they can just Google me and you'll find me on the different platforms. Email me. If you find my phone number, you can call me. ⁓
Brad (41:01)
She's not giving that
out. I won't. Okay, don't do it. There's some creepy days on her stuff. There's some creepy people watching her stuff.
Erica (41:10)
Or the
haters. I don't want to get any crazy.
Brad (41:14)
direct the hate
to me, Brad Banyas, 678-Bowell.
Erica (41:17)
I've got George
to keep me protected. yeah, and I just, I'll paint anything. I've been asked to paint guitars, vehicles, boats, buildings, anything. I mean, you can, if you can imagine it, I can probably paint it. ⁓ And yeah, I mean, there's nothing I won't paint. I can paint anything from landscapes to people to animals, pet portraits.
Anything logos. love a pain. do. I enjoy it.
Brad (41:51)
I want you
to do some stuff with us around because you're talking about like live nation and so, know ⁓ shameless plug but we're in our studio ⁓ With our salties live music and our band groupies We're doing a lot of things like we have this brand called the goat full dead And the whole idea behind it was kind of incorporate our goats into kind of you know, old-school music Yeah, and things like that and I would love for you to do that, you know call out to ⁓ nothing shaken
⁓ Brett Whitley, he's done a lot of our designs in there. He's awesome guy. like we are getting really involved in this and I just think it'd be like ⁓ really cool to do some things with your original art. Because you're famous and we're not.
Erica (42:38)
I'd go
that far. But you could also think about ⁓ live painting. I do live painting at concerts.
Brad (42:46)
Like so. So tell me like.
Erica (42:48)
Have
you ever been to Park Tavern in Piedmont Park? Really? Seriously? And you're from Atlanta?
Brad (42:55)
I'm like hiding, I'm hiding in place. People think I'm out front. I'm really the guy hiding.
Erica (43:01)
Okay, well,
they used to have, it's a great restaurant, event venue right at Piedmont Park. ⁓ When I was living down there, when I quit my physician recruiting job, I went and waited tables, which.
It was a great time and I'm a terrible waitress. That is one thing I should never do again, ever. ⁓ So they knew that I painted and they're like, you should paint live during our concerts. So they set up a little stage for me, put strobe lights on me, and we would have, every Sunday, there would be live music. And they would get big name people in there and I would just paint live. would do like, if it was a country musician, I would paint.
Earl Haggard or Willie Nelson or somebody that would fit the theme of the music or if they were really well known I would just paint them and people love to watch people paint it's just like Bob Ross in action.
Brad (44:00)
I
love it. Yeah, you let's see the Bob Ross, but it's you. It's Erica Arntz. Yeah, you just paint. I love it. I would just say, you know, I would just come off the wall with crazy shit. I can come up with the ideas and you can paint. That would be amazing.
Erica (44:14)
Take something
off my plate.
Brad (44:15)
Well, if you ever want to come to one of our, we're at Fetch Park Buckhead this weekend for our first concert, Salty's Off the Leash. So thank you to Steven Ochs at ⁓ Fetch Park for hosting us. We have Hush Money, I wore my Hush Money shirt, the original Hush Money shirt. ⁓ Past our prime, a guy named Nic Elliott and Lon Ray, he's an R &B guy here in Atlanta.
And so we're putting on our first mini concert. hopefully that's Saturday one four at Buckhead, Fetch Park Buckhead. Hopefully the rain stays away. Oh yeah. Yeah, we'll hope for that. So if you're bored and you want to just come see, can bring George. Really? Yeah, it's a dog park. Really? Yeah, you've never heard of Fetch Park? They have like eight or nine of those around Atlanta. And it's like a membership. and...
Erica (44:53)
Really?
Brad (45:03)
Stephen Ochs was an ex professional baseball player who played at Florida State. He loves his dog. So he wanted to build kind of an experience, right, where you could come and watch, they have big screen TVs. They have the old air streams, like a bar. there's, so it really just turned it into kind of like a dog park slash.
Erica (45:24)
hang out.
Brad (45:25)
Social yeah
kind of social gathering he's just done an amazing job and it's very good to us to try to look, you know highlight local artists. Yeah at their parks so George George can make some buddies. Definitely. Yeah, but I don't know if they have one in can but this is call out the fetch park what we got to do it. You got to help our partners out. Yeah, and by the way fetch park
Erica (45:36)
Well, me and George will have to check it out.
Brad (45:50)
So I have Erica here and she is a muralist and that you have ⁓ art all over your fences at all your parks. I think you should engage Erica and I will make that introduction. Totally. Steven after because they do have some similar type art stuff and I don't know who's doing that. But you're going to do our ours there.
Erica (46:11)
Totally. That's right. I'm going to be the house art. Resident art.
Brad (46:13)
That's right. No
one else, no one else, no one else puts a brush on that fence unless it's Erica. So, well you've been amazing and I mean your life to me, you could write a book and you probably should do that at some point.
Erica (46:27)
I'd have to make
it anonymous. An anonymous author.
I have an alter ego name. Share it all. To really go to the depths of an artist's life.
Brad (46:43)
Well, mean, shit, let it off if you want. mean, we've already pissed people off, but who cares? mean, we're at this point, let's make them really mad. Let's make them stew.
Erica (46:51)
I
think we covered some good ground. We definitely covered some good ground.
Brad (46:55)
You don't, you don't, you
don't have to.
Erica (46:56)
There's
artists are weird. We are we are a weird bunch. We're different. You have to wear that black sheep mentality with pride, which I think it's easier to do now versus when I was growing up or even in college, knowing that you like to do art or whatever. It just wasn't like cool necessarily. But now I feel like it's everything is accepted.
Brad (47:21)
Yeah, it's to me too, the like in the age of the internet and AI and all these tools now that can, you know, hey, create something for me, create this canvas where we make it look. Yeah. I mean, it to me, I think we're going to go back to a society where we want that actually human connection. And we literally want to know the artist, the person, some like there's some connection between them, what this is created, makes it more special. Right. You know, I mean, like this is cool. I mean, I love it.
Good job. Cool. I give like you that was a mural like you did that right because it's part of your expression coming out and I'm not you hear me talking about art I mean I kind of love art but I'm not really an artist or anything like that but ⁓ I appreciate it because it is a skill I mean it's it's amazing how you can see the detail that you see and put that on canvas it's it's crazy
Erica (47:51)
It is really cool.
was
crazy. We're all a little crazy.
Brad (48:17)
I'm crazy, by the way. I'm a nut. So definitely if you haven't figured that out yet, but it's okay. It's all right. Well, I think you're amazing. ⁓ Erica Arndts, everybody get out there and you'll find her if you type in her name and see some of our work. We'll try to highlight, get some things from you that you want us to highlight in this and we'll put it. ⁓ This will go out on YouTube and Spotify and all that good stuff. But you have anything else to say like that you want to say?
Erica (48:44)
Just
stay groovy and carry on.
Brad (48:46)
Stay groovy and carry on. That's our next T by Erica. Stay groovy and carry on all you saltymfers. Well, salty nation. That's it. You're listening to the saltymf GOAT podcast with Erica Arndts. Thank you for listening. Go check her out. And definitely, ⁓ if you've got some projects coming up, she's amazing and her work will speak for itself. Not some hairy guy like me have to give her any credibility. She does not need me folks at all. So Erica, thank you.
Erica (49:15)
Thank you very much, from I-Planet.
