10 years ago this month, I graduated from college and embarked on my professional journey as a full-time creative solopreneur.
In light of this milestone, today I want to rewind to 2009 and share with you what those early days of becoming a solopreneur felt like. (Spoiler: I felt terrified!)
My undergrad years studying photojournalism at UNC-Chapel Hill were fruitful in terms of learning photography technique and the art of storytelling. I took all the classes! I did all the workshops! And I even won some of the contests.
But when it came time for me to graduate in 2009, organizations across the country were laying off their photographers left and right.
22 years old and unable to rise above the 2008 financial crisis through naive optimism, I massively freaked out when handed my diploma.
Over the course of my education I had become proficient in my craft, but I didn’t learn anything about how to run a business, do my taxes, or make a living as an artist.
For awhile I brainstormed alternatives to finding a job. I came up with a few wild ideas that ranged from:
- “I should just join the Peace Corps!
- “I’ll move to a commune and stop cutting my hair and subsist off herbs and hippie love!”
- “Or maybe I should do what all the scared undergrads do and be a perpetual student! I’ll get a Master’s… but in what?”
After tossing all these ideas around and coming up short, I decided becoming a solopreneur felt like the best fit.
In those early months, I hungrily sought out a community of artists who became my cheerleaders and safety net.
One particular seasoned photographer took me under his wing as his mentee and taught me everything he knew about running a business, photographing events, and branding. If it hadn’t been for him, I probably would have given up and moved to a commune on a farm in Asheville (and been so miserable!)
If I hadn’t taken this risk of becoming a solopreneur, I would have missed out on the best part of my twenties: discovering and harnessing my own power, my own creative potential. And I wouldn’t have discovered that I am capable of manifesting my wildest dreams.
Giving back through mentoring has been an integral part of not just my art business model, but my calling.
It’s been a way to honor that scared shitless girl that is, admittedly, still inside me.
It’s been my way of giving myself–and all the other scared shitless folks out there– high fives, transforming the fear of the unknown into joyful action and acknowledgment of our innate ability, of our power.
Creating in a vacuum is hard, and we all need help along the way. Not to mention the kind of inspiration that comes from playing with others, bouncing wild ideas off each other’s fabulous noggins.
I still seek out mentors and creative playmates, and I won’t ever cease doing so, because it’s essential in being the best artist I can be. And I also seek out mentees, so that I can give back.
This summer I’m excited to have Kat Timm on my creative team! Kat’s an undergrad at my alma mater, and she’s also my fab new intern.
I sat down with Kat to get to know her better and loved our conversation so much that I’m sharing it with you here! Here’s 10 questions with Kat Timm, my design & art intern extraordinaire!
Why did you decide to major in studio art? What do you love most about it?
Creating art asks you to look at something deeply, meditate on it, integrate its essence into your understanding of the world, then add your interpretation to it as you manifest it into something new and real.
It lets you take an idea and turn it into something you can share with others when words just don’t convey enough information.
Art is always accessible and it gives you back as much as you put into it; you can spend five minutes, five hours, or five weeks on a project and get something different out of each experience.
Tell me about your art!
Layered, gestural, and abstracted representations dominate my illustrative work, while attention to shape and emotion are at the forefront of my photography.
No matter the medium, capturing the personality of my subject is one of my top priorities.
I’m usually drawn to recreate things that I find either beautiful or frightening, and I like to experiment with different media, whether it’s digital painting, photography, acrylics, or pen and scrap paper.
I’m especially moved to create by the shapes I see in nature. The way that form fits function is so marvelously poetic, and the multiplicity of patterns in the natural world is enough to make my head spin with beauty!
What are 3 fun facts about you?
- I’m a Halloween freak. My fiance likes to say he met me screaming in a cage… at the haunted house where I was working as an actress!
- I love studying languages and was almost a linguistics major. I like to watch films in Spanish, French, or German when I want to brush off my (very dusty!) language skills.
- My hair has been some version of pink for the last six years… It’s basically my natural hair color at this point.
What drew you to me & my business? What excites you the most about working with me?
It’s clear that you put your heart and soul into your creative work, and I love how you’ve created a business out of two of your passions. Like I mentioned on the phone, I started out looking for photographers to work with, but when I saw that you were also an artist, you shot to the top of my wishlist for potential mentors!
I’m used to working in an all-hands-on-deck environment, and I love switching between different projects. I’m happy to help with whatever elements of your business you need help with because I want to get a comprehensive picture of what it takes to run one.
What top 3 strengths do you bring to the table for this internship? How do you see yourself using your skills to help my business?
- I’m a fast and enthusiastic learner! I’m naturally curious and I enjoy working hard to solve a problem that captures my interest.
- I have a mind and an eye for aesthetics — okay, I’m a design addict! I love visual art, performance art, written arts, interior design and architecture, wearable styles, user experience design, graphics, radical art festivals, all of it. And I will literally never get bored with design-related projects and I don’t mind iterating until I get something right.
- My word is very important to me, and I try to be very open in communication. If I can’t do something or need more direction, I will say so. If I say I will do something, I will find a way to get it done!
What intimidates you about running a business in the arts or being a full-time professional artist?
One of the big things that intimidates me is not knowing what I don’t know.
I feel like running a business has so many little technical components that it would be easy for something important to fall through the cracks, or I worry that I wouldn’t realize that I was missing a key piece of the puzzle until I’m already in trouble.
The other thing that intimidates me is a combination of the starving artist trope and imposter syndrome. I can’t help but think, “What if people don’t like what I create? What if I don’t make it?” BUT then shut those thoughts down and remind myself that that’s not a useful thought process!
I know that it’s important to figure out what your potential clients want, but when I’m feeling anxious, I try to remember one of my favorite art quotes:
Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art. -Andy Warhol
Is there someone in life who you admire because you wish you had the life/career/experiences they have? What do they do and what part of that do you find attractive?
My previous boyfriend’s mother was my mentor and role model. Living with her completely changed my life.
An archaeologist, naturalist, and artist, she was capable of anything. She built her own home and lived in the bush as a trapper. She gardened and beaded and designed and taught and nurtured. And, she worked hard, thought hard, and made it all look easy.
Her wisdom and guidance have shaped me into a more whole, more thoughtful person. I hope to one day be as productive and confident as she was.
What’s your dream job after your graduate? Are you working for yourself or for a company? What kind of art are you making? Are you living at the beach or in a high-rise studio apartment in NYC? Provide as much sensory detail as possible, and dream away! 🙂
Lately, my fiance and I have been dreaming pretty hard about opening a business together.
We both really want to work for ourselves, and after our experiences volunteering with community theater, we’ve both come to appreciate how important it is to have access to a space to do things. His dream is to own a nature camp, mine is to have my own creative business.
Ultimately we want a property that we can develop as a multi-purpose venue where we can host educational groups, artists, celebrations, and performances.
It’ll be surrounded by woods, green and lush and sunny, and just close enough to a university that we can both work there. It’ll be a place that lets us flex multiple creative muscles, support our community, and collaborate with other doers and makers. We’re earning enough money to keep upgrading the amenities of our property and pay the student loan bills, plus take the occasional vacation.
Sigh! I can see it so vividly in my head! 🙂
What results would you like to see at the end of your internship that would deem it a raving success?
I would love to make some money and see my portfolio grow by a few projects this summer. I’ll especially count this summer as a success if I have developed a daily practice of creating, whether it’s art, photography, or something else.
Are you a student considering a career in the visual arts?
You’re almost ready to take the plunge, but would love some hands-on experience to make sure it’s right for you.
Or maybe you’re a recent grad, and you’ve already mastered composition and form in your photography classes, but… you have no idea how the heck to start a business!
Wherever you are in your journey, I provide opportunities to help you grow, explore, and build your skills. My internship positions can be used for high school or college credit. I offer three terms to choose from: spring, summer, and fall.
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