We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Paulette Carr a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Paulette, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

For 30+ years I worked in an office environment. It paid the bills, helped support my family, and I loved the people I worked with everywhere. When my husband died suddenly in an accident, I had the stability to pay my own bills and could have continued in this field as Director of Operations and CFO for a small school furniture dealership. But one thing that a sudden loss like this does is remind you of what is important in life. I started to think about the future in another way. My children were grown, married and had children of their own. I felt like I needed more…. more joy, more fulfilling ways to spend my time. I wanted to see my children and grandchildren more, so I retired early!

I still shake my head now, because I had no idea of what I wanted to be when I grew up and here I was retiring with no clear direction other than see my kids more. I didn’t want to be one of those over involved parents who can’t let their children live their dreams, so I started thinking about what are my dreams?

While I sat in a sort of limbo for a year, a friend won an art class for 4 in a charity silent auction and invited me. It spoke to all those things I always wanted… to be an artist! Within 2 months, I had found studio space, purchased equipment and started down this road.

That first studio lasted about 5 months… I needed more… I was painting out years of frustrated creativity. I worked in the basement of an old school without heat for a bit, I worked in other working artist galleries… But I really just wanted to paint. Soon, I had accumulated 500 pieces of art!

At that point, I had a home studio, and I was missing the synergy of having other artists around and my new husband thought at 500 pieces of art, I should go and sell! I had sold a few through Facebook and in the galleries/studios, but I was still painting…

I was reading the paper one day and a winery was opening with a gallery wall… I had never approached someone to exhibit outside of the gallery/studios I worked in. I stepped up to the owner and in a bashful, eyes down way said the words for the first time: “I am an artist, would you be interested in exhbiting my work.” Terrified, doesn’t quite cover how I felt asking, fearing rejection, thinking they could say no, or your art isn’t worthy or … who knows whatever other nightmare response! But they didn’t. They fell in love with my work and I became their resident artist! I went on to exhibit in credit unions, chamber of commerce, distilleries, real estate offices, county parks, insurance offices…. I would have a 160+ pieces of art out around the community which all got changed out every month.

The Brave in Brave Art comes from my first teaching experience. I had recommended a friend to teach at the winery, because, I am terrified of speaking in front of groups. She called me 2 hours before she was to teach and said she was sick. I told her to call the owner and explain that they had to cancel. The owner called me immediately and said she couldn’t cancel, it was their first class and they had 25 people signed up already…. so in 2 hours, I came up with supplies, a picture to paint, set up a business account… felt like it was the bravest thing I had done in a long time… I was terrified. As I explained to the class it was my first time and the situation, and if they could be brave enough to trust me with the class, we’d get through it together. And we did…

Before I knew it, I was teaching classes…. the nightmare of every introvert, but I found that I gained so much from all the people taking my classes. I still have a hard time speaking in front of groups, but I find when I am passionate about something, I can do it! I started doing community presentations on The Art of Selling Art Shamelessly and speaking to Rotary.

But this all leads up to the biggest risk…. purchasing my own studio/gallery. One day I was moving the 160 paintings around, and it was snowing and 40 mph winds and the wind ripped a painting out of my hands and I decided I had enough of moving paintings. I had enough loading supplies into the car and driving all over West Michigan to teach…. (I did continue at the winery since I was so grateful for their belief in me!)

We purchased the building that is now Brave Art Studios & Gallery in October 2019. We began renovations ourselves immediately. Doors and windows came in wrong, the roof leaked that was inspected to last us 15 more years, even the hot water heater went bad two days after I closed on the sale. That all said, we now have a beautiful gallery to sell art, not just mine, but a featured artist every month. I have a studio of my own, a classroom to teach and a gathering studio for artists to share.

This has opened so many doors that I never knew existed. I answered the call for volunteers, and somehow found myself helping to form the Otsego Arts in Otsego, Michigan. I curate a gallery at the community hospital. We (my husband and I and a great group of volunteers) have done two fund raisers this year….

So, while it was a risk to open the doors of Brave Art, especially during a pandemic, it has been completely worth it in every single way!

Paulette, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a passionate promoter of art and artists. I believe that an art filled community is a healthy community. I believe that art will speak to you. I think that each artist has an individual voice that is needed in this world. That, that voice speaks for those who don’t have the emotional language to express themselves sometimes. As an instructor, I teach techniques, but promote individualism in artists. I encourage artists in all mediums to get their art out there. No art should be in your basement hidden from the light. Our gallery has exhibited established artists and first time artists. I am equally excited for both. It is so moving to see an artist moved by their art hanging in an exhibit. Our customers are our neighbors… they come through, first out of curiosity and then enthusiastically to support our work, whether it is purchasing art or taking classes.

We have diversified our income stream, selling art, teaching classes, and we have a garden space that has sculpture and can be used for small events. We offer Art In the Garden once a month during warmer months so Artists can come out and sell their art in the open air.

Part of our model in making art relevant to our community is to give 5% of our paintings/photography to a community based charity every month. We have donated to Domestic Abuse Shelters, Theaters, Kids Food Basket, Animal Rescues…

The two fund raisers, separate from our 5%, involved community and our featured artists, working together to raise funds for Global Giving, for the Ukrain Refugee Relief and Sylvia’s Place Domestic Abuse Shelter.

I am proud of our impact on our community in helping the Arts become a force that makes a difference. I have proposed and headed up a project that supplied murals along the water front in Otsego, offered plein air painting events in two cities.

All of these things are possible with our presence now as a business in the commuity. I believe that as a business, we have a responsibility to grow our communities .

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I first started out painting, in that first studio, I had a mentor I looked up to. She is a truly talented artist. When I decided to move on from that space, she was not happy about that and told me that I had no talent, no ability to create art and no business even selling my art. I really hadn’t put anything up for sale, but someone walking through the studios wanted to buy a piece, so I sold it and I had some sales from people who saw my art on Facebook. what else would you do? But her words devastated me. I truly looked up to her and all the praise she gave me prior to those words melted away. I actually quit painting for about 9 months. Why would I throw good money after bad, if I was truly that untalented or clueless! Towards the end of that 9 months, I happened to visit some friends in New Mexican and had opportunity to sit with an artist there who heard my story. He offered me the encouragement that the world needed my artistic voice, that my art was worthy. He also spoke the wisdom to my heart that ALL ART IS WORTHY. I had never thought of it that way. but I picked up my brush again and started painting, and witnessing those words to encourage other artists!

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

My creative journey was first to grow myself. I didn’t think I could have an impact outside of that. I have since learned that not only do I have an artist voice that is worthy, I have a community voice that is heard. I want art to make a difference, to give artists a voice, as I work to make art relevant to our communities (I work in three cities.) Curating the hospital gallery helps me connect with artists in a peaceful and healing way. The gallery there serves, not just patients and their families, but the hospital staff, especially during the pandemic, it is a peaceful retreat from the pressures of the health care environment. In Otsego Arts, we started a little over a year ago, and have done 2 art competitions, 2 plein air events, an artisan market, updated an art garden and the mural project. These events change the face of the community, not just visually, but emotionally, to sit in those gardens and walk the mural walk, or the exhilaration of winning The Art Thing! I have done plein air events in the town where the gallery is located as well and recently joined the board on the Arts Council there. Although this all seems community oriented, rather than business centric, that is where I want the business to be. In the community making a difference. So many of the artists involved in these activities will be (or have been) our featured artist. Some have become not just customers, but friends and volunteers who step up along side us to make a difference.

Contact Info:

• Website: braveart.art
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braveartcarr/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BraveArtStudiosandGallery
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/brave-art-studio-and-gallery

Image Credits
my images.