Today we’d like to introduce you to Devereaux Clark
Hi Devereaux, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 2017 I moved to California with my best friend. He and I left Salem Oregon so that we could get away from a lifestyle that no longer suited us. At the time I had just gotten off of probation for a felony conviction in 2012 for Marijuana.
I was finally free and I had a choice to make, so I took my chances and packed my bags.
I left with a backpack, $1,200 dollars, and a dream to do something more with my life. I managed to get a ride all the way down here by my mother who wanted to send me off with well wishes.
My friend and I didn’t have a plan at all, but we knew that there was much more to offer here in Southern California. The one place I knew we could start would be Venice Beach. My friend Louis and I got dropped off at a laundromat so we could wash our clothes because it had been a couple of days and we had already used most of the clothing that we owned.
When we finally got to the beach. It took us a few days to explore and learn the area some more. We slept outside in the sand, we took showers at the gym with the membership we both had gotten before leaving. That was our most important expense.
After about two weeks, I got a job working for a T-shirt printing store in Venice beach, and not long after, Louis got a job at a similar shop not too far.
The store was the kind that sells souvenirs and other trinkets along with customizing your own shirts and other clothing items.
We worked there all summer while still remaining homeless, trying our best to fit in with the people around us. Everything was so new and big and fun.
I spent about 7 months sleeping outside before I managed to find a place to stay for the first time.
I battled with homelessness for a while off and on since I’ve lived in California.
Life progressed, I had my fair share of relationships, I found new jobs and ways to stay afloat, but was always balancing on the line of being homeless or having a place to sleep at night.
For over 10 years now I have been making music and practicing my photography.
This has been something that has been an integral part of my personality coming up as a young adult and into adulthood, and part of this is what pushed me to move to LA.
I studied at the Los Angeles Film School to get my associates in Audio Production/Engineering and while doing so had the opportunity to meet and mingle with many celebrities and public figures on a personal level.
These people have inspired me to keep pushing for my dreams in hopes that when I have my moment to shine I can do it without hesitance or remorse.
2020 hit everybody hard. I lost my job, my apartment, everything I had worked towards and I was facing homelessness again for the 4th time since moving to LA. I decided to move back to Oregon for the first time so I could check on my family. I stayed for about four months before coming back because of how much I missed being here.
There’s just something about California that draws you in.
I then stayed for another year before moving back to Oregon to take care of some legal troubles that I needed to face before being able to move on with my life and elevate to my true potential.
From July of 2021 to January of 2023 I was living in Oregon. I hit rock bottom. I felt like I had taken such a big step backwards and everything was caving in on me. It’s like I was back to square one.
I was in a toxic relationship. I gained 60 pounds, I was living at the poverty line in the middle of nowhere Oregon on a rural back road.
Finally, I got the courage to come back to LA and do what I failed to do the last time I was here.
I moved back and hit the ground running. I got a job my first day back at the old reliable T-shirt shop in Venice, and slept in my car until I found a place which took way longer than I’d like to admit.
While working at the T-shirt shop in Venice, I have managed to scale my photography business while also partnering with a friend to start our own Print shop in downtown LA.
As of August 2nd, 2024, I am no longer working my 9-5 and work for myself full time while also running a Custom Print shop in Downtown LA with my Partner Chase Dotten, a well known Comedian and Actor. We specialize in Direct to Garment Printing, Direct to Fabric Printing, Embroidery, and more. You can find us online at www.caliprintclub.com
I’m no longer struggling with homelessness, I have a house with my girlfriend here in the valley, I’ve gotten my passport and taken my first international vacation to Santorini, and I’m looking forward to so much more now that I have this sense of freedom back and don’t have so many negative things hanging over my head.
I understand that things can go from good to bad in a very short amount of time, so I never take anything for granted, but I’ve also learned recently that the same can happen in reverse if you put your mind to it.
I asked myself, how can I be “this” or “that” if I don’t do those things every single day? If I’m putting my energy into somebody else’s interests then how can I say I’m truly fulfilling mine?
Cheers to quitting your job!
I do all of this for my Daughter Brooklyn. Love you baby girl.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Homelessness, Drug addiction, Legal setbacks, Financial limitations, Covid- 19
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My friends and family know me for my Music. They know that has been a passion of mine since I was young. On the professional side of things, I advertise my Photography/Videography and Also my Custom Print Shop in Downtown LA.
I am most proud of my resilience to life’s challenges.
What sets me apart from others is that I’m willing to risk everything when it comes to following my heart and living in my truest form. I’ve had everything and I’ve had nothing, and I know how to get back from nothing.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is the impression I leave when I die.
I don’t know if it’s ego or it’s deeper than that, but I fear losing my ability to communicate and express myself, and what I fear most is running out of time to do so.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.caliprintclub.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northwestraisedme/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@devdoesit
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-299056559
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/@directvisionentertainmentd468
Image Credits
Reggie Rare, Alexis Diaz, Alley Rose, Alice Metza, Benjamin Yee, Aiyana Moore, Miles Grossman
