We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Emily Stegamos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Emily below.
Emily, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
I’ve always been happier when I was creating than when I was doing anything else. I have held many jobs over the years, at different management levels. They’ve all taught me something valuable, and all had their pros and cons. I had tried several times to make a career from my art in the past, but didn’t have the business savvy or the proper drive to make it work, and each time I ended up falling back into other jobs. I always knew I wasn’t meant for those jobs, however. Finally, in 2019, after working several years as a retail manager of a t-shirt shop, something in my heart started thrumming and I knew that it was time to take the leap one more time. I had garnered a lot of experience managing a business, had learned various print processes, and gathered a huge number of resources for making my own merchandise and marketing myself. I was also miserable. As a retail manager, I took a brunt of the ire from angry customers. Most of the time it wasn’t anyone’s fault that something bad happened, but I always had to take the blame, and I wasn’t really allowed to say no or turn away a customer. I didn’t have time to create anything outside of business hours because I was so tired and had to use that time to do chores or run errands. I wasn’t eating well because my breakfasts were hastily made and unbalanced, my lunches were always interrupted by a needy customer or a question from an employee, and my dinners were usually takeout or frozen dishes since I was too tired after work to make anything for myself. My mental health took the biggest hit because of all these factors, and I felt like I was going nowhere in my life. I felt like I had failed myself and the friends and family that had all supported my art in the past. I couldn’t enjoy any hobbies because I had limited time to myself. I was exhausted and drained. So I finally decided that enough was enough and put in my two weeks’ notice.
Things changed SO quickly in those first few months. My bank account took a big hit, but my emotional, mental, and even physical health all improved drastically. I started reaching a healthy weight, I was able to spend my time how I wanted to, I was able to get things done in a more timely manner than when I was working a full time job, and my creativity skyrocketed. Being generally happier and healthier also improved my work output. I could focus on my tasks easier and improve my skills faster. Over the last few years I have continued to grow my business and have only gotten happier. Sure, in those first couple years there were rough times when I doubted if I had made the right choice and thought about taking my old job back, but then I would shake my head, focus back on my goals, and inevitably pull out of my rut.
I can’t imagine going back to retail, customer service, or desk jobs. I’m beyond happy where I am. It’s where I belong and it’s what I’m meant to do.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Emily and I have always been drawing since I could hold a pencil. My earliest memories of drawing were when my mother worked in our local library and I would go to work with her when I wasn’t at school. I would pluck Lee J Ames’ drawing books off the shelf and follow the steps from every single book. My favorites were fantasy/sci-fi and animals. Years later, those are still my biggest fascinations. I am enthralled by nature and specialize in creating and illustrating cute and bizarre critters. I also do pet portraits and character/people portraits. I earn my living by taking commissions such as these, as well as turning my creations into various merchandise, such as pins, stickers, prints, magnets, and more! These are available to purchase online, but I also sell at local markets and conventions and always enjoy the face-to-face interactions with my customers. The biggest thing about my brand is inspiring a sense of whimsy and wonder in this world, as well as promoting a message of positivity. I have struggled with depression and anxiey my whole life and in the past I came very close to the edge. I was in a very dark place and needed some way to pull myself out, so I created what would be my current brand motto: “Life Is Wonderful, You Are Loved.” It is a message that I repeat to myself whenever I feel like I’m failing again. Life is wonderful- there is beauty and wonder and all sorts of incredible things you have yet to see in this world, and it would be a shame to give up before you got to experience them. You are loved- no matter how awful you feel about yourself or how awful someone is making you feel, there is always going to be someone who loves you unconditionally, and while they may not be vocal about it, they would be incredibly sad if you weren’t in this world anymore. This mantra got me through some of the hardest times of my life, and so I try to share that message in everything I do, because I feel like everyone deserves to hear it and believe it.
I’m proud of what I’ve done with my artwork and how far I’ve come from who I used to be. I’m always growing and learning and I don’t want to stop!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
One of the most rewarding things for me is seeing the reactions from clients when they see their finished portraits. Whether it is their pet or their loved one or their original character, when they see that final illustration, they glow. A part of them lights up brighter. That part that knows there is still wonder and love in the world. I will never get over the feeling that gives me.
Another thing I love is getting to introduce people to new animals and educate them about critters they may not be aware of, real or not. There are all sorts of cool facts and lore about creatures in this world and I am still learning about all of them, and I pass that info along to my customers. It’s that same sense of awe a child has when they run up to their parent after school and start info-dumping about what they learned that day. Adults can have that same sort of passion. At some point we were told we had to grow up and can’t obsess about those things anymore, but that’s one of the biggest lies we were taught. It doesn’t matter how old you are, you can still share that childlike excitement about your latest obsession. You’ll find all sorts of interesting people that way. Seeing adults transform in such a way as they talk to me about whatever animal merch they’re looking at is such a delight.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
In the world of art, word of mouth is one of the best ways we get noticed. Sharing our pages, websites, social media accounts, webstores, etc. anywhere and everywhere, with full links and tags, I might add, does wonders for us.
It’s so disheartening when I see someone share a piece of artwork on their Facebook but don’t mention the artist or where to follow them. The general public needs to be more proactive about driving traffic to their artist friends.
Especially in this age of automation where AI is starting to oversaturate our visual intake, it is becoming more and more important to foster a safe space for artists both young and old to grow their talents and their audience.
Humans are meant to be creative beings. We’re the only ones that do that. We invent things, we imagine things and try to make them real. If we lose that, we lose the very essence of who we are.
We must protect that at all costs.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ejscreations.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/emisabirb
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EJSCreationsArt
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/EJSCreationsArt
Image Credits
Jon Caspian Photography