We were lucky to catch up with Sheneese Rohelia recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Sheneese thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

So I learned, and quite honestly still learning to paint by simply doing it. We can want to do something all day and watch people that we feel have mastered the craft, but until we actually put our own action into play, I don’t know if we are truly learning it. When it comes to painting and/or crafting as some would say, I believe trial and error is a great way to learn and besides simply feeling (having passion) that is pretty much what I have done. Knowing what I know now I really don’t feel there is anything I could have really done to speed up my learning process. I mean I do often wish that I had started painting earlier in life but at the time that was not anywhere near my desires. However, I will say that I sat on the idea of painting for over a year before I actually took action. Skills that I feel are most essential with almost anything are determination and willingness to learn. Some may think these aren’t skills but personally I feel that it takes SKILL to be determined to do something you want as well as being willing to learn whatever it is you need to learn to be great. The biggest obstacles that I have faced with learning more would be some physical issues and random self doubt.

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.

Now for those that don’t know of me or parts of the story of how I got started allow me to tell you. So rewind to Midsummer of 2015, I just had a brand new baby girl and went through some medical challenges that literally stopped me from working. As a very independent person this was hard for me and one day I randomly thought of doing something as a hobby to feel better. That something was to paint! Though this is what I wanted to do I was still going through a rough time physically so I sat on the idea. Fast-forward to December 2018 my oldest daughter knew that I had the desire to paint so she gifted me my first paint set. I immediately opened it up and started what I already knew I wanted to do and fell in love with it. Though I was doing this as a hobby, in January 2019 I sold my first piece to someone that offered to purchase it! The lightbulb went on and shortly after, I launched an Instagram account and official website for people to purchase my original pieces. I was actually producing 4 to 5 pieces of original artwork per day when I first started. As a visual artist many have seen me start from absolutely nothing with no official or unofficial training to where I am today with my grown small gallery, still consistent with my GIFT (craft) and ever growing in it. Not only have I grow in my skill of painting but I’ve also grown in custom products I offer. While original canvas artwork is still my primary focus, I also create and offer customize resin purses and earrings as well as household items like coasters, pillows and a wide variety of other products that include T-shirts and customized hand-painted furniture pieces. I truly have not limited myself on what I’m willing to do when it comes to being a creative in the arts. I believe this is what really draws people to me personally and allows me to stand out as an artist. I’m versatile and My heart is completely emerged and everything I create from the color choices to the subjects or lack of. I believe in what I do and I’ve been told that people believe in it as well and have often been inspired and motivated! This is fuel to my fire and another reason I absolutely love what I do and will not quit. My brand is about being unapologetically versatile and free and loving who you are and what you do. Art is a story and while everyone won’t understand your story someone definitely will.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative in your experience?

FOR ME, the absolute most rewarding aspect of me being a visual artist is the internal feeling I get of complete freedom and fulfillment! Everything happens for a reason and I’m in this place for a very specific reason. I know that this is my purpose- I believe that and I embrace it with everything in me. The compliments and the purchases are a beautiful BONUS and still, for me the feeling of accomplishment when I create is everything. After that I can only hope that others see and feel “SOMETHING”!

Have you ever had to pivot?

A big eye-opener for me in business was when I was a still very new artist vendor at a Global art show and and a locally known art buyer stopped at my table looked at my art and gave me great compliments. He began to talk to me about my subjects, my texture and how great it was and how my pricing did not match the quality. I WAS WAY TOO CHEAP. He proceeded to tell me he understood that I was a new artist I did not want to charge too much because it was “unknown” but that my art should be appreciated because it was not “beginner” work and that he knows individuals that would love to have my artwork in their home but would not pay because of the low price tag. To them it’s spoke like low confidence. He literally told me to “not price according to my circle of family and friends and their wallets”! This was game changing because that is exactly what I was doing. I mean pieces were moving but I was losing!! I upped my confidence that same night and even re-priced every single one of my pieces. I still did not raise my prices as high as he suggested (there was still growth that had to happen) but I definitely made sure that I would not lose again. I no longer focus on how many pieces move BUT knowing that when one of my originals move, that it is appreciated and valued by the customer/client/collector.

Contact Info:

• Website: Sheneesespieces.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/sheneeses_pieces
• Facebook: Facebook.com/sheneesesart

Image Credits
Photo credit to Sheneese Rohelia Photo credit to Arion Smith