Local Artist Brings Pop Culture Downtown
Michael Thompson is a Euclid resident, a 5th-grade science teacher, and a talented artist who creates unique, pop-culture art pieces that resonate deeply with those of his generation (the 30+ crowd). He started his large portfolio many years ago by drawing “moments” that were important to him and found all these same moments were important to lots of other people too.
“I’ve been drawing since I could write,” says Thompson, who bought his first digital art tablet in 2016 to help him work through the death of his grandmother. “One of the first things I drew was Kyrie (Irving) hitting THE SHOT in the NBA Finals,” Thompson added, “I put the championship trophy in his hand, and everyone I knew wanted copies of it.” This sudden demand prompted Mike to start selling his art- and Waking Dream Creations was born. His business name is also a tribute to his beloved grandmother whom he said was hugely interested in dreams and the meaning behind them.
Through Euclid’s innovative RECAST City program- Thompson learned retail readiness skills to help take his business from selling prints at vendor pop-up events, to opening his own retail storefront in downtown Euclid. The RECAST program taught participants like Mike marketing, pricing, advertising and budgeting— all the skills they need to open successful storefronts- and now will be subsidizing the rent on those storefronts to help these small businesses get started without the burden of initial overhead costs. “I learned a lot about digital marketing in the recast program” Thompson offered, “using Facebook ads and targeting audiences on social media was my biggest take-away.” This is no surprise considering Mike has created a successful e-commerce presence selling his unique designs in a variety of formats through Redbubble.
Mike’s plans for his retail storefront in downtown Euclid include not just merchandise sales, but a “mini pop-culture museum” devoted to sports, music and movie nostalgia. His goal is to showcase the moments that made his generation who they are. “I want people to walk in and feel nostalgic,” said Thompson of his storefront design plan, “I’ve been building this unknowingly since I picked up a pencil, and there’s so much opportunity for me to grow here.” The Lakeshore Blvd. Recast City storefronts are currently under construction, getting ready for exciting tenants like Waking Dream Creations to bring downtown to life.
In the meantime, you can see and purchase some of Michael Thompson’s unique pop culture art at www.wakingdreamcreations.com
