We recently connected with Christine Mason Miller and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Christine Mason, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I was an art major in college and I have taken many art (and writing) classes since then. I have also done quite a bit of reading, studying, and writing about the creative process. While all that education provided me with a solid foundation, the main way I learn is by doing. Doing means showing up (even if I’m not initially in the mood), being curious, and trusting the flow of whatever it is I am creating. Sometimes that means putting something aside for a day or a week or even longer; other times it means staying with it and working through whatever issue I’m struggling with.

If I find myself in need of a particular skill, there are all kinds of options these days for everything from simple tutorials to online classes and more in-depth workshops. Beyond that, two of the skills and approaches that have served me best are discipline (showing up) and curiosity. These are the driving forces behind my lifelong commitment to my art, writing, and creative expression. It isn’t about lighting the right candle and waiting for the mood to strike, but putting in the hours and releasing the delusion that every idea that comes into my mind will turn out as perfectly as I envision it right off the bat.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

When I started my business – a handmade line of greeting cards under the brand Swirly – in 1995, I had a vision of being a licensed artist with books and product lines, all aimed at inspiring others to create a meaningful, creative life. I did not have a business background, so I basically had to learn as I went along, but I enjoyed that process and loved the independence.

Over the course of a decade, I was able to grow the card line and expand the business to include multiple license deals, product lines, and other commercial illustration projects. I handled all aspects of the business, from designing the cards, getting them printed, and organizing inventory to managing a team of sales reps and negotiating license contracts. The Swirly line ended up with more than 1200 retail accounts that included Target, JoAnn Fabrics, and Whole Foods Market for a product line with dozens of colorful, inspiring gift and stationery products. At its peak, Swirly earned seven figures in retail sales.

My work has since evolved to include original mixed media artwork and gallery shows around the country, six published books, in-person art workshops, online classes, and creative retreats in Ojai, CA, New Orleans, and at Esalen Institute in Big Sur. There have also been other branded, licensed gift lines and two podcasts.

While the expression and medium have been different over the years, my work has always been about encouraging others to create a meaningful life. This has been true from day one and continues to right now. My aim is to create beauty, offer encouragement, and serve as a positive force in the world. It is my belief that every time someone does something in service to their own creative spirit, he or she creates a ripple of inspiration that goes farther than could ever be known.

I am currently in the early stages of building a new body of work for a gallery show to be held in Milwaukee in 2023.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Compensate artists for their work, talent, effort, skills, expertise, vision, labor, and time. I have heard too many stories of people reaching out to an artist with the message, “I would like to buy your (fill in the blank), and although your price is $50, I’d really like to pay $30,” or some variation of that. In other words, too many people believe it is totally acceptable to undervalue the work of artists and request discounts for no particular reason.

No one would think of going into a retail store such as Target, picking up a t-shirt, and making a request like that.

To be fair – too many artists agree to these requests and/or undervalue their work as a general rule. The whole idea of a “starving artist” is ludicrous and serves NO ONE. Ditto for the idea that a financially successful artist is somehow a sell out.

When an artist is adequately paid for his or her work, that artist then has the resources to continue creating. If an artist ends up with an especially robust balance sheet, he or she can use those resources to expand their creative vision, support other artists, and encourage more creativity all the way around.

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?

My journey is like any other journey – full of twists, turns, and plenty of mishaps. My job is to show up and do the best I can in service to whatever task is in front of me. This requires discipline and persistence. It requires time, energy, and flexibility.

My guess is that someone who might struggle to understand my journey as an artist believes a myth about what that journey looks like. While I absolutely have moments when I feel the stars align and I am channeling a mysterious artistic magic, they happen because I show up day after day after day. It takes time to develop an idea, to figure out how to make that idea real, and to work through all the details that don’t work the way I’d envisioned. Don’t we all do this every day? Whether as a baker, an engineer, a parent, a spouse, a dog trainer, or a gardener, the basic outline is the same.

Steven Pressfield’s book The War of Art helped me understand a lot of this.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.christinemasonmiller.com
• Instagram: christinemasonmiller

Image Credits
Photo of me – Lisa Field All others taken by me.