The Story of How I Became a Professional Artist. And Managed to Stay Somewhat Sane.

This will be lengthy, and I enjoy words, so get a cup of tea and settle in.

During my streams on my Twitch channel I get this question quite often, and it’s a question that is difficult to answer quickly, as what people now know as my art has been a culmination of effort and education of the last 30 years of my life. I honestly cannot remember a moment in my life where art wasn’t a part of it, be it actively or passively.

As a child I was a voracious reader and also enjoyed drawing quite a bit, but my artistic efforts didn’t actually come to fruition until I was able to take art courses as an elective in sixth grade (this was around 1988). Having a space where I was able to experiment with different materials, learn new techniques, push myself, and derive inspiration from my peers was an amazing new experience for me and I took it and ran. Art consumed every free elective I had all through junior high and high school where I was fortunate to be in a school system that not only had incredible extra-curricular programs for the arts (Art Club and the National Art Honor Society, for example) but also offered AP level art courses to help you amass your portfolio in preparation for scholarships.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, my father’s job required that we move to Hawaii in the middle of my senior year. I realize this would be a dream relocation for most, but the academic situation in Hawaii was nothing like what I was accustomed to, and I was distressed to learn that the highest level of art education they provided was 10th grade level – considered a “blow off” class for 98% of the students in it. I became discouraged and spent more of my personal time on art than in class as I was mocked for taking it too seriously.

Art took a backseat for a time, as I went to college in Hawaii and I had to think long and hard about what career I wanted to pursue. The reality of being a professional artist began to ebb away, and as I’d always had a fascination with the health sciences I decided to major in Microbiology. Working part time and attending college full time consumed all of my bandwidth, and art was largely forgotten.

Shortly thereafter, I ended up eloping with a young man in the Navy (hey, I was young, in Hawaii, and he was in his Navy Whites. YOU try and say no to that) which resulted in our being relocated to San Antonio after his discharge. This actually happened to be a beneficial turn of events as this allowed me to re-prioritize my career path, and after some lengthy conversations with my new husband I decided to change majors. Art once again became my focus.

This is where the style most of you have come to know and appreciate was born. Granted, in college, the goal is to expose you to all mediums, techniques, and fundamentals, but it is also to help you discover your signature as an artist. At first I floundered a bit. My work has always been on the monochromatic analytical side, and being in an intensive art program with a diverse group of students can be very intimidating at first. I’ve always had a competitive streak that despite providing me with a great deal of drive, can also adversely affect my self confidence. This was no exception. Being immersed in an environment where for the first time I was not the most talented one in the room was a truly humbling experience for which I will always be grateful. My painting classes were challenging as I was focused on my detailed architectural renderings (thanks to my two semesters of architectural history) while other students were creating large-scale colorful abstract pieces which were praised in peer critiques while mine were dissected and torn apart. Had I made a mistake? What was I doing here?

Then I took my design classes. A light went off. This was where my aptitude made itself apparent and I ended up with a 100 average in both semesters. I loved the work; lots of black and white ink on bristol paper. It was pure joy.

After my husband and I finished college he took a job in Seattle so we moved once again. His career was set and I had no idea what I was going to do at that point. The cost of living between Texas and Seattle was astronomical, so I got a job as a server at a restaurant near our home to help ends meet. Fortunately we had a garage we never used so I was able to have an in-home studio, which was glorious. I would wait tables during the day and paint in the evenings and on my days off. I loved it.

This went on for some time, and as life has a way of doing what it does, we ended our marriage after 10 years in 1996. I moved in with some friends near downtown Seattle and got a job as a receptionist, while still maintaining my artistic tendencies in my free time. I had found myself in a community of incredibly creative and intelligent people so I was never short on inspiration. I would often look for careers where I could indulge my creativity, but Seattle had become intensely tech-centric and all the jobs were for graphic designers, an area where I only had mediocre experience.

Years went by and I decided to prioritize my career as I craved the independence it afforded. I left the receptionist position and was offered a job in advertising at a local newspaper, which I adored. Unfortunately, that ended after a few years due to the ever-shrinking print media industry and layoffs hit. A few more jobs later and I miraculously landed a job as a QA engineer at a small advertising boutique agency in Bellevue due to my ad experience and keen eye to detail. I loved the work; it was a combination of creative and technical and kept my brain cells active. After a year in the position it was decided I had a natural knack for project management and I was promoted.

I stayed in project management for several years, using my art as a way to detox my brain from all the technobabble of my career. Two years ago I was hired by a consulting firm to be a vendor at Microsoft. I loved the work, the confidence in my skills, the experience, but the 60 hour work weeks were tapping my reserves without any chance for a refuel. I had resigned myself to the fact that this was my career path, which honestly I was ok with. I was very fortunate to be where I was and was good at what I did.

I had some setbacks around this time. I've been an epileptic since I was 12 years old, an affliction which I had adapted to, but what I wasn't prepared for was the uterine cancer I had to contend with at the peak of my technical career. This realization that life can kick you in the ass when you least expect it was a sudden one, and had some bearing on my decisions to come later. (I am now, thankfully, in remission.)

On evening I was at my favorite local haunt working in my sketchbook as I often did, and the restaurant manager, with whom I had become friends with, asked if I’d heard of adult coloring books.

“Adult what…?”

“No no…not that kind of adult. Like, complicated coloring books for adults. Your work would be perfect for it! You should look it up.”

So I did. The first thing I thought:

“I could do that.”

So I drew some sample pages and joined some coloring groups on Facebook, stunned at first at the number of people in the community. It was phenomenal. Not only were these people completely devoted to coloring books, but they were doing incredible work with colored pencils, gel pens, fineliners…it blew my mind. So I posted a few images to get some feedback and the most popular question was, “where can I get your book?”

So while still working full time I decided to self-publish a coloring book just to see what would happen. Drew several pages, updated on my Facebook artist page, noted the feedback, until someone mentioned I should start a Kickstarter. Why not? I thought. So I did.

The Kickstarter completely exceeded my expectations. The book, Ornamentium, should be wrapping production next month and exceeded its goal by 60%. I was, at the very least, motivated.

I knew a few published authors in my community so I asked around to see how one goes about publishing a book. It was highly recommended that I get an agent. I went about doing hours of research on the process. I put together a proposal with images, comparative market research, artist bio, all the bells and whistles. I had put together plenty of proposals for work so I had an idea of what I was doing.😉

I began to realize I was spending more time on the coloring book effort than I was my actual job. Could I make this happen? Could I make this a thing? This was my dream. What if I just took a break? Six months, I thought. I’ll take 6 months off from project management, see if I can make it work. If it fails, I’ll go back. No problem.

I spoke to my boyfriend about it since we live together and he was all for the idea. Excited, I dare say. So with a combination of euphoria and sadness I let my team at work know I would be leaving to pursue my dream, and I left shortly thereafter. To make coloring books.

A year later I have an agent, a publisher, a deal, and have four books published and am working on a new title and several corporate projects concurrently. I still have to pinch myself to make sure this is real. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve never worked harder in my life. This is not for the faint-hearted. It is nonstop, competitive, and demanding. And I absolutely love every second of it. Days have never flown by so quickly. In my new career I am illustrator, project manager, marketing director, webmaster, social media intern, publicist…there are so many hats. And the reality that this could honestly end at any time. But I’ve proven that I can make it work. I want this to be an illustration business, and I will make it work. I’ve had to make sacrifices to my social calendar, time with loved ones, sleep, and yes, occasionally a shower. But when I receive emails and messages from people thanking me for my work and photos of their coloring efforts and how beautiful it is, and knowing for the first time what I’m doing is touching people on a real, personal level – makes every sacrifice worth it. I have no idea how long this will last, but I am grateful to have it for now. <3