We were lucky to catch up with Amber Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amber, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

When I was younger I always liked to create and work with my hands, but I never saw it as a sustainable career path. Painting something pretty came somewhat naturally to me, but it was just a sporadic hobby. I needed to get straight A’s, take all the AP courses I could, go to University, and start the “grind” like everyone else. It was all about how I could make a living and support myself, and possibly a family one day. I feel like that is the way most of us start out, and the path we begin. That’s the only option we can see.

So, that’s what I did. I graduated high school, and started at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2009. There, I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Studio Art minor. After graduation in 2013, I began working in education, and art became less and less a part of my life. Through some ups and downs, having kids, and settling into adulthood, I never touched a paintbrush or any other art medium. Art was a part of myself that I just left behind.

One day, a family friend who has known me all my life reached out and asked if I thought I could paint a portrait of her dog. My husband was shocked when I was asked to paint something, he had no idea that was a part of me. It was not a part of myself that I had acknowledged since well before we met. Initially, I was like “um, no. I haven’t touched a paintbrush in almost a decade, how could I paint a picture of your dog?!” She had faith in me, though. So, she was patient while I stumbled through my first pet portrait. From that point, as they say, the rest is history.

Suddenly, I was buried in orders for pet portraits, and I was having trouble keeping up! It was such a wonderful “problem” to have, though. I expected things would slow down at some point, but it never did. My husband encouraged me to start a business, and to leave my job in education! It was an absolute horrifying decision to make, but I am so glad I did!

The same family friend approached me after I started the business and asked if I’d ever thought about doing live wedding paintings, so she gets all the credit for pushing me into taking that leap! She helped me get my first “gig” as a live wedding painter, and this past year I have been extremely successful as a live wedding painter! It is absolutely my favorite thing to do. Weddings are so special, and to get to be a part of the day, to capture it in such a unique way, is incredible!

There have been so many challenges to overcome along the way, and I absolutely could not have done it without the support of my friends and family! This has been one of my favorite journeys in life so far!

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 back background and context?

I am “mommy” to 2 young kiddos, a wife, a pet mom, plant mom, and HOT MESS. But, I work hard and I love what I do! Bringing joy to people’s lives through painting has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life so far. Getting started, I was only doing commission paintings, mostly pet portraits! Those still tend to be the most popular commission I do. Capturing pets in such a personal way is so fulfilling! As time has moved on, I have gotten very busy doing live wedding paintings, too! I cannot accurately put into words how special that experience is each time. I am excited to continue growing the business and learning as I go!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I think the lesson I had to unlearn applies to almost every artist. I grew up wholeheartedly believing that I could not make a career as an artist. I stopped “wasting” time on art because I knew it would never pay the bills. I believed I could never be good enough to make it. It took time, lots of reassurance from friends and family, and a giant leap of faith in myself to realize that I could make it as an artist. I needed to know my clients, understand what was in demand, and find how that worked into my creative passion. As soon as I stopped worrying if I was good enough, my paintings went to the next level and I haven’t slowed down since!

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I use my own website via Squarespace. I absolutely love having the creative freedom to set it up exactly how I want! I am able to utilize scheduling features, an online store, and an online gallery. The greatest challenge with using my own website is driving traffic to it. I am still working on driving more and more potential clients to my website, and I am continuing to learn the best marketing strategies to do just that! There is always more to learn, and more to be done with owning your own business!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.wildflowerartistry.com
• Instagram: @wildflowerartistry_benson
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildflowerbenson/