Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Aleigha Reott. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Aleigha, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
I think the best way to talk about where I am now is to discuss how I got here. I grew up in a very creative family near Raleigh, NC. Art has always been an essential part of my life! I received my MAEd with concentration in textiles and my BFA in metalsmithing from East Carolina University (GO PIRATES!). I taught elementary school art in the public school system in North Carolina. My husband and I moved to Georgia in 2012, where I also taught in the Marietta school system. I stepped away from teaching the school system, then started and ran painting events as MsPinkATL/PaintNiteATL for nine years. Then Covid happened, and shut down the world. This was the push I needed, and in the Fall of 2021, I opened my own art studio! I just celebrated my one year anniversary of doodle Art Studio (www.doodleArt.studio).
Aleigha, 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?
At doodle Art Studio, the goal is to cultivate a safe environment for guests to explore their creativity in a variety of art mediums. I wanted the studio to be a place where people could feel free to express themselves, and be accepted for who they are. I take art education very seriously. I want you to learn the processes of different mediums, and come away from the sessions feeling like you’ve learned something you can use in the future! What sets me apart is I have experience teaching art to people aged eighteen months to senior citizens, as well as people with special needs. I teach multiple mediums including drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles, sculpture, metalsmithing, design, clay, and mixed media. Watching some one discover an art medium for the first time is one of the happiest moments of my day!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When Covid hit, my in person painting events had to be cancelled. So, I started doing virtual painting events. I did over 80 of these events over Zoom for about a year. I was able to connect with people all over the world. We had people join from all over the U.S. and Canada! Adapting to this was definitely a learning curve. When I opened the studio, we still have people wary of Covid, and so I introduced private events called “Pop-In with your Bubble,” and doing one-on-one individual tutoring sessions.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I enjoy the personal interaction aspect of teaching art. I love seeing people begin to understand how to utilize the tools for a certain medium, and seeing them flourish. I also really love it when an art piece I have made for sale really connects to someone and they purchase it with such excitement!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.doodleArt.Studio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doodleart.studio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doodleartstudio.mspinkatl
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/doodle-art-studio-marietta
- Other: https://nextdoor.com/pages/doodle-art-studio-marietta-ga/ https://www.instagram.com/mspinkatl/
Image Credits
Aleigha Reott