We recently connected with Charlotte Colt and have shared our conversation below.

Charlotte , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I grew up in a family that was very fond of arts, in Nice, South of France; I have followed a traditional academic path (literature, then business school, and fashion and design Masters…) but I have always been very drawn to artistic professions.
My first 10 years of work, I have been working as a project manager in several fields, but always envying those who worked as creatives.
I have always loved drawing, never took a class, but « knew » somehow it would also be my thing. So I just « did » it, somehow : I started drawing like crazy, day and night, during Covid (2020).
My former employers believed in me and trusted me for my very first assignments, and then word of mouth kicked in !
I created my status as a creative company and launched a website with prints, and did many « live drawings » on instagram to communicate as much as I could.

Charlotte , 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 started drawing figurative scenes, a lot of faces, people, Southern landscapes all inspired from my Riviera. A lot of my inspiration come from artists such as Henri Matisse, Cocteau, Picasso and so on.
My thing is really « live drawing » : from scratch I would start a portrait, a scene, with black ink or colours, and film it. This became my signature, somehow. Drawings alone, or with short poems.
This is how I got some of my first assignments with brands such as Dior, Roger & Gallet or Schiaparelli : live drawing is a great animation for their customers events.
I also do Murals for hotels, bars, and private homes. I try to collaborate as much as I can as I love sharing a brand’s vision.
Some clients give me a « carte blanche », whereas others have a specific theme to stick to, and this is quite challenging but I am always very enthusiastic about it.
My latest collaboration is with Vacheron Constantin, I was lucky enough to create one of a kind windows for their Monaco boutique.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

From my point of view, I do not know if this is very french or not, but I feel like creatives are seen as people who are not hard working people. I thing they do not get it, how difficult it is to be able to « produce » an artwork made to order, to please your client, etc. I wish people were more encouraging.
Artistic and craftsmanship jobs in France are still not very « sexy ». Luckily, there are strong communities that try to show the process of artists, deal with their journeys.
The French association « De l’or dans les mains » for instance tries to show how important it is to transmit skills, show how craftsmen work… I think we need more of those people to transmit that kind of message.
It starts at school with young kids.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to deal with my « Impostor Syndrome » and this is quite something. When you start drawing at 34 years old, with no background whatsoever, self-taught, it is super difficult to admit that this is your thing and that you are GOOD at it. Otherwise clients / people wouldn’t order you art.
I think this also comes from our education. As if with school / university, we are made to do one single job for the rest of our lives. And for those who change path, something is not « normal ».
I had to deal with my self-confidence, and was lucky enough to be surrounded by people (friends, family and of course clients) who never doubted my skills. And Told me they believed I had found my path. So my advice would be to do our best to unlearn something with the guidance and help from people who believe in you.

Contact Info:

• Website: charlotte colt.com
• Instagram: charlotte.colt
• Linkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/charlotte-colt-bbb32712

Image Credits
I have put the credits directly in the images name : FABBIO GALATIOTO for the portrait Others : Francesca Matta Marie Genin Luc Josia-Albertini