Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jamie Von Stratton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jamie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I am an artist for a living. I am an artist for a living in Seattle, the 7th most expensive city to live in the United States.
I think about the alternate reality where I got a job in HR at Microsoft in 1999, or maybe I stuck it out in retail and invested wisely. It’s a fun thought experiment, but ultimately the reality I chose to make for myself is the right one. I am doing what I love for a living, and nothing’s stopped me yet.

It’s challenging living on an artist’s budget. You handle everything: finances, marketing, client outreach, bookkeeping, taxes, most importantly The Product! We do all this, then on top of it have to keep our product fresh, innovative, and appealing (this can be applied to any freelance artist or small business). Typically the cash flow ebbs and flows, so keeping a monthly budget can be tricky.
When the above feels like too much….dreaming of being on a payroll and having a fixed income sure sounds nice. Weekends to do laundry and brunch? Amazing. Being done with work at 5pm? Sign me up!

But then….then I remember my world is filled with art and chaos and weirdness and laughter, and I control how much of that I need to consume. I can stop at 2pm to take the dog to the park. I can work till midnight so I can fly to Mexico for a week the next day. I’m the one at the party who’s excited to talk about my job, and if I’m lucky, others might be entertained by listening.

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

Primarily I am a costume designer, followed closely by my career as a burlesque performer. It’s hard to say which came first, one built off the other back in 2004. Much like the Moon is Earth’s satellite, burlesque/performing orbits me and keeps my rotation on track.

In my teen years I was involved in theater, and when I wasn’t good enough to be cast in the leads, I found myself in front of a sewing machine, with thrifted goods or my grandmother’s vintage garments, to make sure I at least looked the best (definitely not being the best team player on that one). I opened a little shop in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood when I was 25, where I sewed clothes for the racks. This was the time when the burlesque troupe I danced with (The Atomic Bombshells) began getting picked up for international gigs. Needless to say I couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to travel! I pivoted from public retail, to freelance client work. My fellow burlesque and drag performers really supported my craft’s formative years. Many of the clients I had then, I still work with today.
So…it’s been 20 years. What’s changed? Burlesque and Drag in Seattle (and beyond) is thriving. My client list grew to include pretty much every big business Seattle is known for, and includes artists like Macklemore, Jinkx Monsoon and Ben DeLaCreme…and the ultimate client: Dolly Parton (sadly cannot share photos yet, under an NDA).
The Atomic Bombshells are still twirling our tassels, now stretched between Seattle and New Orleans. I’ve flexed my showbiz skills beyond burlesque, and now travel 3 months of the year with a band called Manuela and the Brew Crew, an interactive Oktoberfest parody band.
That’s my career start in a nutshell.

What am I most proud of? The skills I’ve learned along the way. I honestly believe that any version of myself from the past, would be stoked about who’ve I’ve become and the pieces I’ve created presently. I learned to sew in a time before YouTube and online tutorials. Now, you can learn to do ANYTHING online, it’s an amazing resource. I’m proud that I learned 85% of my skills by trial and error, and really mucking things up along the way. And now, I can utilize the internet to figure out how to make metal armor out of foam. I’m proud that I embrace the ever changing world around me to further my knowledge.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I don’t have any specific stories, but I can share this ethos: be ok with being reasonably shameless.
For purposes of this question, let’s marry ‘artist’ and ‘small business owner’, because being an artist for a living IS being a small business owner. Here’s the thing about being an artist, chances are high you’re a gig worker (selling a painting, cast in a limited run of shows, etc). And being a gig worker means the hustle is real. You’ve got to figure out ways of always being on the minds of those who may want your product. Any way you do this is the right way, if you believe in your product.
Talking to people, being active on social media, sharing your growth at your skill, and above all else: leave your embarrassment about sharing your craft at the door.
Will you have cringey moments: 100%
Will you look back at previous work and be like, ‘oh my, ugh’. 100%
Will you also look back and be like ‘damn, I was really on to something there’. 100%!!

Being a little shameless about sharing your craft is not the same as hyping up something you don’t believe in.
Believe in it, share it, embrace it, even if it’s not perfect.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

In building on what I said above: so you love your product, for all its flaws and imperfections you thinks it’s amazing and you’re sharing it with the world… now it’s time to be humble. You will face criticism and clients who aren’t satisfied. So let’s talk about how to have integrity around your product, while facing negative feedback. I’m not talking about the comment section of social media platforms. Let the trolls fester, you’ve got more important things to do. I’m talking about your paying clients. You work for them, after all.
I’m going to go out on a limb here and say one of the reasons I’ve maintained some of my clients for over 20 years, is because I let them tell me when something isn’t working, without getting defensive. If you meet them with openness to solve the issues, likely you’ll have a pleasant experience working with that client.
Try and take an ‘address the issue, and focus on the solution approach’. Your client doesn’t necessarily need backstory as to how it happened. Context can be relative, but the solution is most important.

The #1 recommendation I have to quell any unhappiness from the start.: manage expectations. Be very transparent about cost. Paint a clear picture of what the client will be receiving before any money exchanges hands. As the product is being built: check in with your clients on the regular, to get approvals and give updates. Importantly, talk to the client if you don’t want to do something. Remember, they are hiring you for your artistry, it should be a fine blend of their wants and your flavor. If it’s not the right fit, that’s ok to. Better to find these issues out at the top of the project, than when you’re invested both in time and money.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.jvonstratton.com
• Instagram: @jvonstratton
• Facebook: Jamie Von Stratton
• Linkedin: Jamie Von Stratton
• Youtube: @jvonstratton

Image Credits

1. Macklemore’s Instagram
2. The Atomic Bombshells photo: Marcia Davis
3. J Von’s personal wedding photo: Paul O’Connell photo
4. Oktoberfest 2025: Ian Phares Photography
5. Jinkx Monsoon in Jvon: Season 5 Win
6. Ken Lapworth Phtography
7. Irene The Alien by Eric Richard Magnussen photography
8. Burlesque Hall of Fame by Ed Barnas Photography