We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Layla Luna. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Layla below.

Alright, Layla thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

The best investment I’ve made is taking the time to do one thing every single day to feed my studio practice. That one thing doesn’t have to be an intense 8-hour painting session, it can be as small as researching an artist, placing a supply order, or visiting an exhibition. Over time, the act of dedicating a portion of my day to being creative has become a habit and ingrained a sense of deep value in making work.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’m a painter with a focus on southwestern landscapes and the author/illustrator of a children’s story series called The Lolly Stories. On the painting side of things, I typically spend several months working on a series with the intention of an exhibition. I take on a couple of commissions throughout the year as well. In the kid’s book series realm, I constantly have a Lolly illustration in the works and self-publish a couple of short illustrated stories a year. I just finished Lolly and the Story-Making Machine, a story-starter workbook for grades 1-3.

I was super fortunate to have had the opportunity to take art classes at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History from 5th grade until I was a senior in high school. It was an amazing learning experience that laid the foundation for a lifetime pursuit of being a practicing artist. I went on to get a BFA in Painting from Arizona State University and an MFA in Painting from Texas Christian University. I studied at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand and artist-in-residency programs around the US have been a big part of my studio practice.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew about basic business accounting responsibilities like paying quarterly federal and state sales and use taxes. I wish I knew the importance of having a separate business bank account and a database to keep track of inventory. We’re released into the world and expected to operate within a system that doesn’t provide a rule book. This is especially true for people pursuing creative careers.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Things have changed greatly since having my daughter. Since becoming a new mom, my studio practice has had to continually adapt to fit my daughter’s changing needs. Compared to past series, the current work has been scaled-down in size and simplified in color palette to accommodate condensed studio time. The longest stretches to work now are during naptime and after my family is in bed for the night.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laylaluna.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laylalunastudio/

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