We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Angie Nordstrum a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Angie, appreciate you joining us today. Are you happy a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Heck yes!! Living the Artist Life is the best life for me! I made a very conscious choice to leave my “real” job six years ago to pursue my lifelong dream of working for myself. I had always wanted to branch out on my own, but life kept throwing me curve balls that made me believe I needed to stay in the “real” job. When I got divorced, I thought that meant I would never be able to branch out on my own. I had a young son and needed to keep my health insurance and benefits. But I got to the point where I just knew I had to give self employment a shot. My creative spirit felt unappreciated and squelched in my “real” job. I remember sitting in my “real job” office knowing and believing that if I could strike out on my own, I could make a living doing graphic design and painting. Some of my close friends believed in me too and gave me the confidence to submit my resignation.

For the past six years I have worked full time as an artist and graphic designer in my own business. I love being self employed! Some days I work twelve hours at the computer or climb up and down ladders or paint in the baking sun but I love it! I wake up in the morning and I’m excited to hop over to the computer and work on my current design project. I design my life to be present for what is most important to ME and my family.

For me, once I got a taste of the artist life, I knew there would be no going back to a cubicle job. As artists and creatives, we have gifts to share and I believe we flourish when we are given the time and space to create.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?

I am an artist and mom. I have been slinging paint and designing all around the Front Range for 20+ years.

Growing up I was always into art and crafts. I loved being in 4-H and creating projects for the Iowa State Fair. I took every single art class I could find. I loved drawing, painting, clay, jewelry making, fabric dyeing, sewing, weaving, quilting and collaging. I was obsessed with sewing and making crazy clothes. I would go to the fabric store after school, find a cool pattern and fabric and go home and sew late into the night so I could wear an outrageous outfit to school the next day.

In college I was fortunate to spend time in London taking millinery and footwear classes. Spending time in early ’90s London provided me with tremendous creative inspiration.

One of my first jobs after college was painting for an object ‘d art furniture company. I couldn’t believe I got to paint and get paid! When I moved to Colorado I had a wonderful job designing clothes and surface design prints for a local clothing company. I also worked as a designer and store artist for a large natural grocery chain. I’ve been fortunate to almost always have a creative job of sorts.

One of the elements I love the most about working with clients is taking their creative idea and bringing it to life. My lifetime of learning and working in a wide variety of media gives me a unique ability to successfully work with a wide variety of substrates and construction styles. My 20+ years as a graphic designer gives me the ability to show clients renderings and mockups to scale and easily present a variety of design options. Whether I’m painting a mural or decorating a wall or designing a logo, my goal is always for the client to LOVE what I create for them.

The thing I am most proud of is the example I have set for my son. I’ve been a single mom for over ten years and I started my own creative business when my son was small. He watched me as I worked nonstop to get clients and create excellent work. Making and creating art. Building MY business.

My son saw all of this. And now he tells me what he remembers. He saw me struggling when I was working full time and creating my side hustle. He watched me find the courage to make changes for a better life. He watched me climb ladders and scaffolds and make public art. He saw me face rejection and bounce back. He saw me working my tail off and not giving up on my dreams.

Last year I took him to visit one of the restaurants where I designed and created all the decor. He had observed me working on my laptop for weeks designing the space. When we walked in, he said, “Holy crap Mom, this is what you made on your laptop?! This is awesome!” Proud momma moment right there.

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

Seeing my art or design work out in the world and watching viewer’s reactions is a delight! I love watching people interact with the art, especially when its is something unexpected or something they want to take a picture of.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I do believe we are all creative, whether the creativity is expressed through painting or dance or construction and engineering.

Creatives flourish when we are given the space and time to create. As children we are so creative, but the typical school system allows for less and less art and creative time as students get older. I think this part of the system does such a disservice to children’s creativity. Not every student thrives in a typical classroom setting. I sought out every creative class I could attend and I thrived in those classes. There is a meditative or flow state associated with making and creating. Creatives of all ages flourish here.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.angienordstrum.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angienordstrumdesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angienordstrumdesign

Image Credits
Hayden Niederhauser, Ken Sanville