(Springfield, MO) -- An area artist is making a name for himself as he shares his craft with people around the community.

From an idea to a sketch on a piece of paper, his work has gone from coast to coast.  This young entrepreneur is working well beyond his years.

Ryan Smith is still in high school.  Despite the economy, more young artists are taking a chance with their work and finding success along the way.

Smith is making a living from right inside his own apartment.

"I kind of wanted to shake things up and break the mole," he said.

Smith, 18, is a senior at Hillcrest and trying to finish high school -- all while running a business he started two years ago.

"I didn't want to be the average kid anymore.  Because, I really didn't find anything impressive about being the average kid that does everything by the book," said Smith.

Smith's clothing line uses his own trade mark design and is now being sold in a handful of states. 

"But I didn't get into the clothing line for the money.  I've actually released a hat before, I actually didn't really make money off of it, but when I get people saying 'oh, I saw this kid wearing your trucker hat,' it was, that was worth it," he said.

Leaders with the Springfield Regional Arts Council says local artist, like Smith are getting younger and younger.

"Young people aren't as inhibited, especially if they haven't been at home.  They are more adventurous.  I would say, they're more daring and they don't have the inhibition an older person has, the fear of failure, and the fear of success.  They don't have that yet so, they're willing to just go out there and do it," said Sandra CH Smith, executive director of the Springfield Regional Arts Council.

In recent years, the council has beefed up its programs just to help young artist express themselves while helping them with their studies.

"The arts help kids with Math, English, Science because it opens that side of the brain and so the kids do better on their math tests -- if they have an art class of some sort," he said.

Through his company's website, Smith says he gets a lot of requests for not only his clothes, but his other work.

He draws, paints, shoots video and is a photographer.  So he stays pretty busy.  If you would like to check out his work just head over to www.rottix.com

When Smith graduates from high school, he eventually wants to move his business out of his apartment and into a real studio where he can have more space to create his clothes and other art work.