We recently connected with Kimberly Winn and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kimberly thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I have drawn and painted since I was a child. I grew up with art in mind and took every class I could get my hands in in middle school. high school and even in college. My distraction to art came in high school when I was introduced to sports medicine and decided that was the pah I should take. I followed this new love for helping athletes who were injured with prevention and care of injuries. Thirty years would pass and art remained a hobby, a few commissions and creative moments with friends and family. In Jan 2020 my brother was diagnosed with appendiceal cancer, very rare and hard to detect. He was stage four by the time it was detected and I was devistated and eleven month later he passed away.

I turned back to art to calm my soul and mind. I would draw and paint for hours, rekindling my love for art and healing myself mentally and spiriturally. I started selling art on Etsy, in vendor shows and picked up more commissions. Then father passed away 9 months after my brother, levaing my mom alone and my sister-in-law and nephew with out my brother. I decided to return to my hometown of Irmo, SC and leave Dultuth, GA behind after 23 years.

I felt that a change was needed and decided with my money from selling my house, I would buy a building and open an art shop for the community, artist and myself. I bought the building in July 2023 and open the doors officially on Apirl 4th with a ribbon cutting from the Irmo Chamber of Commerce. This has lead me to to become the professional artist that I am and helping other artist rise in the industry and teach the community along the way.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After purchasing my building and property and opening my doors in April 2024, I have hit the ground running to provide a space for local artist to display their art work. I have taught them how to price heir work and how to market themselves. I continue to learn as well and work hard to ensure I have a safe space for all aspiring artists beginners to maters to feel like my art shop is a comfortable enviroment to create and learn.

I am most proud of the connections that I have made over the past year. I had left my hometown for over 30 years and returning over a year ago and not knowing the art community, past friends and town officals has been a great feeling. Opening my business and building it from the ground up takes a lot of energy and help form the people closest to you, and I have been very lucky to have great friends and family who support me.

The services I provide for the community and artist are; studio space for artist to showcase and sell their art, create, learn and teach classes. The community based classes(painting, drawing, papier mache, jewelry making crafts…etc), home school and private classes. My shop is available for rent to host wedding showers, graduation parties, birthday parties, baby showers and more. I have a space for local businesses to host team building exercises and other collabrative opprotunities. Partnering with local vendor groups to provide a safe space to have vendor shows, food trucks and live music on my proprty.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think the most important thing that non-creatives could learn from my journey as an artist is that just because I can draw, paint and create art doesn’t mean I didn’t put hours and years into learning the craft. Many people are masters of their own craft, i.e. plumbers, tree service, lawyers, doctors…etc. each took a long time to learn and master what services they provide. Each of them also would not waiver on prices and sell themselves short to the public. When people come to vendor shows, or shop in and art store or gallery they mock at prices and feel that art is over priced. I would like someone to imagine telling a doctor that they are not paying their bill for the 10 minute appointment that they saw the doctor. However, artists can spend 8 hrs to two weeks on a painting and charge a fair amount and people think it is unfair pricing because we have talent. That 10 minunt doctor visit took years for that physician to go to school, learn and study to become a doctor. Same goes for artists, but people seem to think otherwise.

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

I think the best way society could best support artist, creatives and encourage a thriving creative ecosystem is to shop locally in farmer markets, small businesses, and instead of buying mass produced art, take a class, commission an artist or purchase from local artist. The world is producing more AI genterated art pieces, books and movies and if people buy into this new world, the local artist will fade away and the apperciation for art will fade away with it.

People create businesses to bring soemthing to the community that big box stores cannot. They bring customer service, geniune care for the products they sell and love what they do. If society pours into their local communities, then the community becomes strong and a beautiful place to raise children and grow old. No one truly wants a sterile enviroment of big box stores and AI generated merchandise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artistic-aspirations.com
• Instagram: artisticaspirationsllc
• Facebook: Artistic Aspirations, LC
• Other: Nextdoor: Artistic Aspirations, LLC

Image Credits

All image credits are by me, Kimbery Winn