We were lucky to catch up with AnnMarie Young recently and have shared our conversation below.

AnnMarie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?

The day after I graduated college was the day I started working and living as a full time artist. I walked the stage in my cap and gown, then the very next day I was on a flight to Alaska to live out of a cabin and paint in the woods for a full summer. I told myself I wanted to give it my best shot with 100% effort before trying to find a “real job” to support myself. Lucky for me it has been over a year later I have been able to support myself as a full time artist. It began with the mindset shift that I was going to be an artist. I had to start telling people that was my job, which was harder than I thought it would be. Prior to this I would just say I was looking for a career in the arts, whether that be education, museums, galleries, etc. However the truth was I just wanted to be a painter. Once I started telling this to myself and to others, it became real.

AnnMarie, 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?

I’ll start with my short bio first and then get into details. I am a 22 year old artist from Austin, TX currently traveling and working full time out of my van in Alaska.

I graduated from The University of Texas in the spring of 2021 with BFA in Studio Arts. I am primarily a landscape painter which is what drew me from Texas to Alaska. I was in search of beautiful scenery and public lands, and Alaska has a ton of it.
During my time in art school I specialized in large oil paintings of Texas State parks and landscape. Since I bought my van in April I have mostly been working on a smaller scale with watercolors. It’s a bit of a challenge to try and bring my larger canvases on the road.

Having freedom is a huge part of being able to live my lifestyle. I told myself I never wanted to have a boss post-graduation, and so far I’ve stayed true to my word. Everyday I get to wake up and have the choice of what I want to do with that day. I am extremely blessed that people choose to support my dreams through purchasing my art.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media is a huge part of how I am able to support myself. It truly helped me find an audience for my work. An audience that actually cares about what I am doing and the story I am telling.

I started taking social media seriously during my last semester in art school in an effort to get more eyes on the paintings I was creating. I was following social media guides and watching youtube videos on how to blow up on TikTok. I was posting something ridiculous like 3 videos a day. I was showing people my art, my studio, my trips, my lifestyle. Then one morning I woke up and had had a video do relatively well. The traffic from that video led people to my website where all of my paintings had sold overnight.

I think people like seeing the artist behind the art. People are much more likely to connect with your painting when you share the story behind it, which is what I was trying to do on social media.

Ever since then I have stayed consistent in sharing my story. Living out of a van and making art in Alaska isn’t something everyone gets to do, but at least they see that someone is able to do it online. Hopefully I am inspiring some artist out there with similar dreams.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being a full time artist is the inner content. That may sound silly, but it’s true. I don’t have a boss, I don’t have work stresses, I don’t have a schedule. Some people search their whole lives for a way to support themselves that doesn’t feel like work, and I’ve already found it at 22 years old. I am so happy all the time and so content. I know with every ounce of my being that this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing with my life. I am so fortunate that my passion is the things that pays the bills, although there’s not many of them because I live in a van. I feel like I am living life rather than just working through it.

Contact Info:

• Website: annmarieyoung.com
• Instagram: @annmyoung.arts
• Other: Tiktok @annmyoung.arts

Image Credits
Katharine Deveise