We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Anita Peters. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Anita below.

Anita, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?

I never considered myself a risk taker until one day, in November of 2021, I woke in my Florida home to the sweetest sounds of my newborn niece laughing; in the bedroom next door—at 6AM, might I add.

Let’s rewind to July of 2021 (still in Milwaukee) my partner and I decided to separate and I moved back home with my mom. At that time, I still had dreams of being a full-time artist, but, I had no idea of how to get there. The job I worked printing t-shirts had taught me a lot about myself, my work ethic, and most importantly, the craft of mixing colors. In my spirit, I knew I was ready for the next phase in my life. So, when my sister asked if she could hire me as her nanny in Florida, I said abso-freaking-lutely.

After 24 years of living in Milwaukee, no money saved, I packed my 3 suitcases with all the clothes, books, and purses that would fit. The plan was for me to use this opportunity to focus on my craft; studying art books; going to art shows; making a business plan. Guaranteed pay, room and board, AND the beach was down the street?! I thought it would be the best 3 years of my life lol. Wrong.

Literally one month after moving in with my sister (J), her husband (D), and their 2 month old daughter (JD), D received a call with orders to Japan for him and his family, scheduled the following summer of 2022.

I said ALL of *that* to say, there has been and always will be moments in life where you’re presented with a choice/desire. With those choices/desires, comes advice from outsiders. Here’s what that looked like for me:

Desire: Quit your job at the post office because you are unhappy here.
Advice: “You should stay, think about your retirement plan!”

Desire: Find a job that you like for more than just financial reasons.
Advice: “Accept whatever job that pays the most!”

Desire: Pursue your dream job as an artist in a whole new state.
Advice: “But you’re so good at printing our designs on t-shirts!”

Needless to say, I took those risks of quitting that job where I was unhappy. I found one that I liked because of the lessons it taught me on the daily. I moved across the country to gain a new perspective that would expand my creative ability.

Leaving Milwaukee taught me how much of the world there is to experience. I started to find no sense in ONLY wondering ‘what if’. And now that the summer has passed, my niece and her parents are home in Japan, I am now living in New Orleans— my newfound home away from home. When people ask me ‘why New Orleans?’ My answer is simply, “I have family nearby” or “for my art”. But the truth is, I remember my trip here at 17 and I saw the biggest and prettiest oak tree I had ever seen in my life. I thought it was so magical. I wondered to myself what it must feel like to live in a place that felt so *alive*.

Everyday, I find a new reason to take my dreams seriously. I find reasons to keep going. I work with artists like myself, with dreams of doing their part in changing the world. I meet people everyday that don’t blink an eye when I say I’m a full-time artist. I spend my time painting pictures that tells not only my story, but the stories of others. Stories of love and loss and everything in between. Because I know that it can and will inspire someone else to keep going.

Side note: In retrospect, I can see why my decisions would be considered risk-taking, but in that very moment, it felt like I was simply following my heart. The aftermath forced me to confront my relationship with fear and recognize that I have the choice to not let it dictate my choices. Teaching me to see problems as a chance to gain clarity and to see mistakes as an opportunity for change.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Anita Peters, I am the owner of Anita on Canvas. Originally from Milwaukee, I now live in New Orleans as a full-time artist.

10 years ago I discovered my knack for art. Initially, I only saw it as a hobby. Since a young age I had internalized the stigmas of being an artist (you know the movies where the kid wants to pursue art and everyone’s mad they won’t choose a career that’s more “practical”, yeah shout out to every movie ever). I refused to allow myself to dream. In 2020, I moved into a house that had a separate space for me to work on my art. I finally had an art studio! No more painting portraits on my living room floor in front of the tv! That experience changed me. I knew from that moment on, I had NO choice but to make room my passion.

I had to admit to myself that I was just scared of being an artist. Scared of what people would think or say. Scared of being misunderstood. Ironically enough, making art and starting this business helped me live with those fears. What am I doing now? I am on a mission.

Our mission is to inspire a generation of people to be the best version of themselves by creating beautiful art that tells a story. When people discover who they are, they discover their passions and fulfill unimaginable dreams— doing their part in changing the world.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Often times people come to me and thank me for being who I am; showing grace and compassion, even for the smallest of matters. It feels good to be reminded that my presence has made a positive impact. Qualities like grace, compassion, and patience are things I learned from spending time a painter. Making art can get complicated, some things take a couple hours to complete, other things can take years. Some pieces of art can make you question every life choice you’ve ever made, other pieces won’t let you finish until you learn how to forgive yourself and grow from a mistake. Art has taught me how to be kinder to myself. In turn, it taught me to be kinder to those around me. Not to say I am perfect, I promise I am far from it— it’s just that choosing to do the kind thing becomes easier the more you do it. So when people feel seen because of something I did or said or made, it makes my heart smile. Everyone deserves to be seen.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

No one is going to save you. I’ve had moments where that statement would send me into a deep depression.

My own thoughts became my worst enemy. No person, no title, no amount of money, nothing could save me from myself. So I had to do the work to understand that I was worth fighting for.

It wasn’t just therapy or medicine that I needed, I needed to learn more about the ways of the world. Experience life just for the sake of experiencing it. The funny thing about life is that it will present you with solutions, but, it’s all up to *you* to implement that solution before the opportunity passes. If you’re lucky, you’ll get another chance (the even funnier thing is we’re all lucky in our own way).

I never really liked to read books as a kid because I thought you had to be “one of the smart ones” to do that (kids, right? Haha!) It wasn’t until I was an adult when I realized how much power just one book can hold. Reading Nathan McCall’s autobiography Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America (1994), relieved some of the pain I felt from growing up with an inconsistent father. The Alchemist (1988) by Paulo Coelho helped me realize life becomes magical when you pursue a dream. Michelle Obama’s Becoming (2018) taught me that other people’s expectations and labels are not my responsibility. The Four Agreements (1997), Atomic Habits (2018), these gave me an objective look on life and how my own behaviors can help or hender my growth as a human. To only name a few, these are what got me curious about life and how I can possibly do the impossible.

Honorable mention, Between the World and Me (2015) by Ta-Nehisi Coates.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://anitaoncanvas.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/anitaoncanvas?igshid=Zjc2ZTc4Nzk=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anitaoncanvas
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitapeters
• Other: www.tiktok.com/@anitaoncanvas