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

Alright, Sigrid thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

We had a lot of information sessions on how to become a full-time artist after graduation when I was in college, people shared many stories and their ways to success, but nothing I could relate to until graduation.

I worked as a full-time fine art painter and a part-time set dresser when I started my career, but only the part-time job pays my rent. Life was pretty difficult because I didn’t know where to start. So I googled “how to become a freelance artist”, and the results didn’t help much. Then I learned, it is very important to make connections. I had to push myself to go out and talk to people because any connection is a good connection. Then I met a lot of people from different industries, they provided many opportunities to support my creative career.

Sigrid , 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 mixed media artist and painter based in California. I work with mixed media most of the time. I like combining traditional oil painting techniques with expressive brush strokes and experimenting with different materials’ visual effects, such as resin, acrylic board, plaster, found objects, and house paints.
I’m inspired by the renaissance painter Raphael Sanzio and French neoclassical painter William Adolphe Bouguereau in the early study stage. Along the path of my artistic practices, I developed a strong interest in expressionism and surrealism from artists like Lucian Freud and Kandinsky. I project my personal feelings and experiences onto the figures in the paintings.

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 was once questioned “why would you want to become an artist? you could still paint even tho your main job is something else.” She saw the struggle I’ve been through and asked why didn’t I choose something easier to survive. The fact is, I could choose anything else over being a fine artist, it’s just a different set of stress I’ll have to face. I’ve tried non-art-related jobs before, and I realized it’s not my personality to work in an office, and I don’t like to work with people all day long.

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

As a painter, I’ve been given advice that bringing my portfolio to galleries is not a good way to approach galleries, but I think, being brave and going to a gallery you admire to introduce yourself isn’t completely a bad thing. Sure, some people wouldn’t like it, but it never hurt to try.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://xsxi.space
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sigridq_art/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jin-qian-725813132/

Image Credits
photo of artworks @ofphotostudio