We recently connected with Adrienne Getka and have shared our conversation below.
Adrienne, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
In 2018 decided to take a risk and I changed my life completely. I was stuck in a dead end job of 10 years and an unhealthy marriage of 12 years. My creative goals were in my horizon and I wanted to see what I could accomplish if my dedication to painting was 100%. So I quit my job and ended my marriage to pursue life as a full-time artist. It was scary- no health insurance, no savings to fall back on, no guarantees in making sales, and I didn’t even have an Instagram page for my art yet. I was very unprepared, but something told me it was now or never.
That first year was extremely difficult as I was trying to get my art out there. I was mainly focusing on social media, but also had some of my pieces in physical shops and tried a few art markets. I stayed committed to building up my Instagram page with posts and followers. Sales would happen here and there that helped tie me over with bills, but since I hadn’t yet cultivated a distinct style, it was hard to find a niche audience.
It was after about one year that I began to have steady sales and it’s the best feeling in the world. Even when things still get difficult 5 years later, I remind myself that taking such a huge risk in life pays off.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I believe the weird child grows up to be the creative adult. That’s me! I’ve always been a weird & creative being. I was never a great student in school except for my art & music classes. I couldn’t excel at something I wasn’t passionate about. This passion for creativity has stayed with me my entire life, so it only makes sense I went into a creative career.
Pop art is what’s always pulled me in. I love bright colors, pop culture, unique images, etc. Colors & repetition are my biggest inspiration so that can be seen in many of my paintings. Living in New Orleans is a major theme in my work and I paint a lot of the houses, buildings, and spirit of the city.
There are many artists who paint New Orleans images, but I think what sets me apart is my use of color and skeletons. Yes, skeletons! I don’t paint people into my work, I paint skeletons doing all sorts of things- playing music in a brass band, throwing beads off a balcony, dancing in a cemetery, etc. When people see my work, they know its a Pretty Rude.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is bringing joy to people with my art. A lot of my clientele orders commissions from me to be given to someone as a gift, I get a lot of birthday and anniversary commissions. This just makes me so happy! The fact that someone wants to pay me their hard earned money for something I create in order to make someone else in their life happy…it’s a full circle. I could be having a bad day and then receive a message from a client saying the recipient of my painting was brought to tears with how touched they were. What a reward on my end!
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
It can seem daunting to build up a social media presence from scratch, but it’s also a fun process. I’d say start by using the location finder to connect with other accounts in your city. Like their photos, leave comments, let people know you are in fact a real person! It’s also important to not only post photos of your art, but photos of yourself and things that inspire you. You are not a machine, you are a creative human. The point of social media is to be SOCIAL, so let that come across in your posts. Always respond to those who reach out to you, it goes a long way!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.prettyrude.com
- Instagram: @pretty_rude_art
- Facebook: @PrettyRude