We were lucky to catch up with Ana Stapleton recently and have shared our conversation below.
Ana, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?
My career has spanned many creative industries, from working in the art departments of feature films to selecting art, furniture and accessories for hotels, restaurants, and homes. I’ve learned many valuable lessons along the way, so it’s not easy to identify just one of them, but I will try! Because my career trajectory hasn’t been a straight line path in one single industry, a huge lesson I learned was to approach each job, no matter how small or large, with an open heart and with courage. Often, there was no groundwork or stepping stone for what I was about to do, so I had to summon a mix of common sense, faith, and humility to get me through the day. One of my first jobs in my 20’s was to be a PA on a movie. Though I’d just graduated from law school, I was excited to start at the bottom, running coffee orders and errands because I knew that I wanted to pivot into creative work and those were the dues to pay for the opportunity. Despite the grunt work, I got a first hand view of all aspects of filmmaking, and actively tried to learn as much as I could about how it all worked. I was quickly given more responsibility, which in turn allowed me career growth. It was a matter of showing up with that open heart and work ethic.
Another lesson I learned is to stay alert for the hidden gems embedded in the daily work, because it will broaden your skills later. Every job I’ve had was preparing me in some way for the next one, even when I didn’t fully realize it at the time. The movie work taught me creative problem solving and flexibility, because the camera was rolling and we had no choice but to figure it out. It also taught me about timelines and budgets, which wasn’t all that glamorous, but I later used all of those skills in my work on hotels and homes. The movies primed me for creative problem solving and project management for all types of projects that have presented themselves. To this day, I try to approach each new gig with a willingness to receive the gifts it will inevitably offer if I pay attention.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m a Mexican born artist, writer and stylist living and working in Austin, Texas. The road to this moment has been winding and varied.
I grew up in a small Texas border town, in a home with picture windows overlooking the Rio Grande. With that proximity to Mexico, I was immersed in the language and culture of both countries from birth. Though I was a creative kid and wanted to be an artist, my first generation American dad encouraged me to apply to law school, to have a ‘”real” job. Because his own dad had only gotten through the third grade, and with the whole family watching, I dutifully applied and weathered the three year detour. But art was calling me as soon as I finished, and much to my parent’s chagrin, I set out to explore what that meant for me. It was not an easy or straight path. I sometimes wished I’d chosen something more linear and predictable. Overall, though, my less traditional journey has made me more resilient, flexible, and curious. I’m much happier and more creative because of it.
Filmmaking was the first industry I worked in after I (barely) passed the Bar Exam. I got the movie job by pure luck, but also by taking a risk. I went to a creative women’s networking event, hoping to figure out where to start my career, and overheard a woman talking about a film she was making. My ears perked up, because I love movies, but thought they were all made in Hollywood. I summoned the courage to introduce myself and ask her for a meeting. She wasn’t hiring but had a friend working on a film called “Office Space”, so she connected us. I was hired as a PA, but the financing fell through soon after, so a few of us moved over to the “Varsity Blues” film that was hiring. I quickly fell in love with the fascinating world of movie making and spent the next decade working on back to back projects, learning the nuts and bolts of most aspects of the industry. It was an exhilarating and inspiring springboard for all of the projects that came next.
In the midst of a robust production era in Austin, I had an opportunity to move to Mexico to work on design driven hotel projects. Though I was hesitant to “lose” my hard earned footing in the local film industry, I took a leap of faith, sold my house, and moved to Playa del Carmen at 7 months pregnant, with my husband, toddler, and two cats. I was drawn to the idea of reconnecting with my birthplace and of course, living at the beach! Because of my cultural fluency, I became the on the ground design liason for the hotel group and interior designer, working on an array of projects, from sourcing tile and unique decor to managing inventory and assisting with installs of luxury model villas and spas. I used every bit of creative problem solving and project management I’d learned on movies, and learned a ton of new skills that would later serve me on hospitality and interior projects in Austin.
Once back in Austin, I pivoted from film work to sourcing and curating art, accessories, and furniture for hospitality and residential projects. These jobs were more flexible and family friendly than the sometimes grueling schedule of movies, and allowed me time to raise my children. I programmed art shows and salons for the hotels and did visual storytelling for design forward model homes. Through the storytelling work, I reconnected with my deep love of both story and treasure hunting, one that first blossomed in the filmmaking days, as I searched for the perfect set pieces and props to tell the story in the script. To this day and even between jobs, I’m on the lookout for unique and stylish objects and inspiration.
When my kids left for college, white space emerged that felt like an invitation. I’d done fun, creative projects, but they were art adjacent to my own vision and story. I decided to find a studio space after a decades long gap in putting brush to canvas. And to reconnect with my passion for writing, which had also sat dormant as I focused on telling other people’s stories. For a year, I gave myself permission to try and fail and keep trying. I attended writing and painting workshops, feeling terrified and fully knowing that most or all of what I’d make would be pretty awful, but I trusted that it was better to try and fail than to always wonder what might have been if I didn’t try at all.
The faith has started to pay off. I submitted some essays to a literary magazine and they actually published one of them! I paint every day and can see the progress. I finally worked up the courage to start my art instagram account. And I plan to have an art show with two fellow artists this Spring. I’m now selling my work on instagram (and will soon through my website). My dream is to not only share and sell my art, but also to support fellow artists and propel conversations about creative courage and success outside the traditional gallery setting.
My recent paintings are inspired by the vivid colors of Mexico, by the cultural duality of growing up on the border, and by the complexities of female identity in today’s world. I sometimes incorporate words or stories in my paintings, and am currently exploring the intersections of my writing and art.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
This is such a fascinating question because it’s both personal and universal.
On the personal level, my goal is simply to tap into the creative flow that runs through me and let it find expression. I have to allow enough time for the creative process to unfold and be in a good space in my physical body and psyche, so I’m able to receive the inspiration and not be distracted by ailments or low energy or an anxious mind. From there, I just follow the joyful flow. If something is feeling forced or dense, I step away from it and try something else, because when I do feel light and joyful as I create, I don’t notice the time passing. It is a complete flow state and lots of cool stuff happens. The truth is right there, winking at me. This happens with both writing and painting.
The universal goal follows from there. Creativity is energy. If I share from an honest place, it might touch others who delight in it, benefit from it, and in that way we uplift one another. We’re not alone in this process at all, we’re all here together doing this really brave thing.
I had an experience recently which I think will explain what I’m trying to say. My painting teacher and now dear friend Jodie King invited me to be a guest on her art podcast earlier this year, and I was super terrified that I didn’t know what I’d say. I’m in transition, building a new art business, and I’m at the beginning, I don’t have a sexy elevator pitch or success story yet. The day we recorded the podcast, I hadn’t even launched my instagram account. But, I decided to just show up, tell the messy truth, and have fun. Which we did! After the podcast aired, we both received a ton of positive feedback about the show, because it resonated with so many people who are trying to figure it out and find their way as artists. I connected with both emerging and established artists from all over the world from that one experience, and my circle expanded. It made me realize: we are all in this together!
So, my goal is to show up honestly, however I can, for other artists, sharing my experiences and work. And to remember that we all have a community of like minded brave souls out there, even if we haven’t met some of them yet. My dream is to not only share and sell my art, but also to celebrate the artist’s journey, and to propel conversations about creative courage and success outside the traditional gallery setting.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I’m not an expert at social media at all, but there are several valuable things I’ve learned as I’ve taken these first steps with launching my IG account. This is the advice I’d give people just starting out:
1. Look for opportunities to make a splash. Try to launch or promote your account in conjunction with an event or partnership that will broaden your audience.
For example, I was a guest on a friend’s art podcast and realized I could use that platform to announce that I’d be launching my art Instagram account the next day. She has a larger audience than mine and people did come check it out. Or, create an event with like minded people who have potentially different audiences, even something simple like a small pop up art show or musical performance. Ask your cool local vintage store if they do any pop up events where you could bring your art to sell, and promote it along with them, it’s a win win for you both to bring a new audience to each other.
2. Use a mix of types of posts. One showing your work, one showing your process or a source of inspiration, one showing your face doing something artsy or fun or in the studio. So when you look at the grid, there’s a variety of things you’re offering up.
3. Tell a quick story. I’ve been telling the story behind the artwork in the caption and people seem to like it.
4. Use hashtags, if it applies. I created a tennis painting and used a popular tennis hashtag and I’m not certain but I think it reached a larger tennis audience than if I hadn’t.
5. Consider boosting your post for a few days. Again, I’m no expert, but I picked a painting I thought was the right one to boost, and the results were dramatic in terms of new followers. I even got profile visits, shares, and saves!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.anastapleton.com
- Instagram: @anastapletonart
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-1dyNrMOGk
- Other: link to my episode on Jodie King’s Honest Art podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4qPF1WrZz6AdyIQUXKUsqd
Image Credits
Andrea Scher