We recently connected with Laura Killpack and have shared our conversation below.

Laura, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with a hypothetical question – if it were up to you, what would you change about the school or education system to better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career?

This topic really touched me because I felt so limited as a student trying to figure out my career goals. I would encourage young people to look inward and be curious about what they are feeling pulled towards. It’s hard to know what we want to do with our lives. I felt pressured to choose a path for reasons like my parents wishes, society and financial security. As a student, I was not encouraged to take the time to dig deep and decipher my true aspirations. I am a creative person, always drawing, doodling and daydreaming. I wasn’t the best student, but looked forward to my art and writing classes. Being an artist was not a good option as a career choice to make a living back then, so I decided to go to college for Education in hopes of becoming an art teacher. It takes a lot of trial and error, introspection and self inquiry to finally feel you are on the path to a fulfilling life. Often times, your heart’s true goals are buried under what you think you ‘should’ be doing. Half way through college I switched my major to Studio Art and my soul felt at home in those classes. I had found my people and I was excelling. Traveling is a great way to open your eyes to culturally different points of view, increase self awareness and independence. My semester abroad in Italy helped me see that being an artist was a viable career choice. I gained confidence in my skills and myself as a person. At the time it was scary and I didn’t know how I was going to make it on my own. I took various jobs to support my dream until I could make it my sole reality. If you are truly passionate about something, you will do whatever it takes to make it work. I think students would greatly benefit from starting this process early on in their lives. Even now as a succesful artist, I practice my self awereness daily to guide my path forward. “Two roads diverged in a wood and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” -Robert Frost

Laura, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a full time artist in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. I studied Studio Art at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and studied at the Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy. I opened my own studio gallery in the Spring of 2023 in a converted barn near downtown Rehoboth. I use acrylic and oil paint, plaster and pastels to create atmospheric, textured, serene landscape paintings on canvas. I exhibit my work in galleries along the coast and have painted murals all throughout the state including the Delaware Art Museum and the Freeman Arts Center. I find inspiration while exploring southern Delaware’s many scenic trails and waterways. I sell my work from my studio and on my website (www.laurakillpack.com) and have grown a local client base as well as collectors up and down the East Coast. I offer commissions as a large part of my business where I work with clients to create custom paintings. I have a passion for interior design as well, which I get to showcase through my second business with my husband in our beach rental properties. I love using my creativity and artistic touch to make these properties special, of course showcasing my art in that facet as well. I feel blessed everyday looking at the life I have created for myself. Spending time in the natural beauty around me and coming to my studio to paint is a dream come true. It feels especially fulfilling to let my creative spirit flow through me into my work and the more I lean into that, the more connections I feel with the world. My wish is to continue to evolve as an artist and person, to remain open to the many possibilities out there.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Art was my side hustle for years before it became a full time business. I started out creating for myself, as a hobby, simply because I felt most alive while painting. But, I didn’t know how I could make a living from it, I just knew I was good at it, and my friends and family seemed think so too. Traveling and bartending was how I was living my life in my 20’s, I would create art for free in the bars where I worked… bars in Puerto Rico and Costa Rica still have my paint on their walls. I found myself being pulled to find a deeper purpose in my life. Yoga, meditation and talking to other artists that I admired were helpful in my search to find my true self. My first paintings were sold to my friends, and then to friends of friends. I started posting on Instagram and setting up my art for sale at local markets. Slowly, steadily, and with many twists and turns, as I grew as a person, my art also grew. I evolved many times, from painting colorful waves and palm trees, to wooden signs, pet portraits and finally got a lucky break as the can designer for a local brewery. I created over 100 labels for them and reached a wider audience. I was making some good money by this point and was ready to take it full time. A local art community called the Developing Artist Collaboration, created by my mentor, Leah Beach, was instrumental in giving me the confidence to grow. Their Creative Career Support Program helped me create my brand, my website, gave me a studio to rent and even helped me with professional photos. I participated in their markets and reached many of my clients there. By consistently putting in the work to both my business and my art, I found my clientele and my signature style.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I believe in focusing on my own self awareness as a guide to my life. I think the clarity from introspection allows me to deeply connect with what is real inside myself. This is where my signature style of peaceful, calming, nature-forward paintings was born. I strive to make my experience here on this Earth authentic. I have found that this is the only true way to align with lasting contentment and peace. Everything else falls into place when you prioritize your own healing and take the steps forward as the best version of yourself. I honestly think this is how my clients found me. The serene energy in my paintings resonated with them. I struggled with “imposter syndrome” in my early years of selling my paintings and would undervalue myself. But through this journey of spiritual growth I have prioritized myself and my time, strengthening the confidence in my work. Authenticity will always support your goals.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.laurakillpack.com
• Instagram: @LauraKillpackFineArt

Image Credits
Neil Parry, Leah Beach, Megan Steele