We were lucky to catch up with Emily Coldiron recently and have shared our conversation below.

Emily, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I started my creative career after burning out from both corporate and non-profit work. I felt like many of the career milestones that were supposed to bring me joy were actually meaningless once I achieved them. The reality is that I had suppressed a lot of my creative energy and I found it difficult to thrive in an environment with a lot of constraints. Once I left my last role, I knew that it was time for a change. However, it was hard to find the confidence to pursue drawing and painting as an entrepreneur. I had to work up a lot of courage to start posting/sharing my artwork. Once I started to do that regularly, the commissions and clients started coming through. I would’ve loved to start sooner but it took years of work to dismantle my self-limiting beliefs. If you have a vision, the best thing to do is try and just give yourself a chance.

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.

I am an ink and watercolor artist and I specialize in creating playful, colorful artwork. I offer a variety of prints but I also do commission-based artwork. More recently, I began offering anniversary gift artwork that highlights special moments in my clients’ relationship. I really enjoy working 1:1 with my clients and creating a one-of-a-kind piece that can be gifted and cherished. I’ve also worked with several business owners and directors to create custom illustrations. Some of my more recent artwork has been used for wedding stationary and business promotion.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Learning more about business and entrepreneurship has changed the way that I think about everything. I was never someone who thought about starting my own business, but I do believe that if you want to make money with art, it will never hurt to learn more about sales, marketing, and taxes. I wish that there were more resources specifically for artists, but you can always take lessons from other businesses and apply them to your own.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I don’t have a huge following, but I do get 90% of my clients from TikTok and Instagram. My biggest advice (and something that I need to do more of myself) is to keep showing up. It’s okay if your videos are cringe or imperfect. You truly never know who you will reach. Social media is a much more accessible pathway than art galleries or MFAs. Plus, you don’t need to be an expert to have value – the more often you put yourself out there, the more likely you are to find folks who resonate with you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://orangegrovehomeart.etsy.com
• Instagram: @orangegrovehome
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@orangegrovehome
• Other: TikTok: @orangegrovehome

Image Credits

N/a