We were lucky to catch up with Tabitha Paige Schmitt recently and have shared our conversation below.

Tabitha Paige, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I always knew I was destined to be an artist. It wasn’t even a question for me. It was just my identity. I had been painting professionally since I was 13 as a muralist in Houston, Tx and being an artist was simply who I was. However, when I began to think about college and a major, I started to question being an artist. I had heard the label “starving artist” countless times and was not sure that it was a path that was safe to pursue. I decided that I would play it safe by getting a “backup degree” knowing I would always be able to paint on the side. After getting my masters degree to pursue speech therapy, I spent the next 5 years knee deep in a full time career. I never had time to paint and being an artist was becoming less and less of my identity. I knew that I needed to reclaim my purpose and talents so I decided to open an Etsy shop that I would run in the side. I would do small paintings and maybe even sell some prints. I also began listening to podcasts and educating myself on running a business because I knew there had to be a way to make a living as an artist. I slowly learned the ins and outs of marketing, print making, licensing, wholesale and all things business related. As my knowledge grew so did my business. After 6 months I decided to pursue life as an artist full time. Each year my income from my artwork increased as I applied more and more business principles to my craft. After 5 years my husband was able to quit his corporate job in order to fully run my business. I now am able to just paint and I have officially reclaimed my title as artist.

Tabitha Paige, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am an artist who specializes in oil and watercolor paintings. I sell original fine art and prints as well as license and wholesale my artwork. I am also a published author/illustrator of Our Little Adventures book set and Wishy Washy. The children’s books I write merge my talents as an illustrator along with my expertise as a speech pathologist.

All of my artwork revolves around nature and the outdoors. I love using earth tones and colors that bring a sense of peace and calm. Painting has always been very grounding and calming for me and I always hope that my paintings reflect that.

I am most proud of having a talent that is also a career. I am so grateful that I get to paint every day and make a living doing what I love. It has been a long journey to get here but I am so thankful that I chose to leave the corporate world to pursue a creative career an an entrepreneur.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It is incredibly rewarding to have the ability to create something with my hands that other people buy. I have sold countless prints and originals and I am always so humbled that people choose my art for their space. It is also very rewarding to earn a sustainable income through my craft. I am able to support my family, stay home with my children and do what I love every day.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

After the birth of my first child, having the time to paint became harder and harder. I used to spend all day in front of an easel painting as often as I wanted to until becoming a mother. Without extended periods of time to paint, I knew we needed a way to pull in income that didn’t require hours of painting. I needed some type of passive income in order to sustain my business. That’s when I started to educate myself on licensing and wholesale. I pivoted my attention to learning this side of the business in order to provide foe my family. I landed a dream partnership for my wholesale partner that helped take my business to the next level. We then dipped our toes in licensing which no has become a huge asset to our business and yearly income.

Contact Info:

• Website: tabithapaige.com and foxhollowstudios.com
• Instagram: @foxhollowstudios and @tabithapaigeart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/foxhollowstudiosart/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TabithaPaige