We caught up with the brilliant and insightful April Moffatt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
April, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us 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?
I had been working part-time as 6th grade humanities teacher and writing articles part-time for crafting magazines. I had always wanted to be an artist from an early age but believed it wasn’t practical to think I could earn a living from it. About 4 years ago I decided I was going to learn to paint just for myself and see what happened. As I started sharing my work, friends and family started offering to buy my work and requesting commission pieces. I really took my studying seriously though and kept practicing and taking courses. I already knew in my mind’s eye how I wanted to paint and what the results would be but I had no idea what the process looked like at first. I just kept painting almost everyday until my own style started to emerge. The business side has grown very organically; the more I share my work, the more I sell.
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
Growing up in a tiny rural town in California pretty much allowed me to run free, exploring nature often. I always wanted to be an artist but believed the lie that “you can’t make a living from art”. When my youngest graduated from high school, I threw off that thought and pulled out my paints and have been painting every day since. I am heavily influenced by the classical impressionists but strive to bring about elements of expressionism as well into my paintings. I am always striving to “capture the light”.
I want my paintings to invoke the emotions of my subjects and especially the wild feelings of being out of doors surrounded by the beauty of nature. I have lived in many beautiful places and am always aware of the geography and landscapes around me. For the last year my husband and I have lived out of travel trailer visiting many states, which has given me endless inspiration for landscapes. I also use painting to connect with God and the spiritual world all around us.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I actually love the journey. When I am creating a painting there are so many steps and a thousand decisions I have to make that expose what the painting will eventually become. I have had to learn the process and with that, a lot of patience. When I was first learning I would go too fast, excited for the final result, but I’ve really been learning to enjoy every single step of the process. That creative flow is so healing and relaxing at the same time.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Just be consistent and be authentic. Faking who you are is just exhausting! I think it’s healthy to remember that both myself and my art is not everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, that’s a good thing because I don’t want to compete with a big box store. Connecting to real people with your real self is the best and most simple focus you can have. People love seeing my process and it doesn’t matter if I have no makeup on and am making a mess in my studio. In fact, I have been pleasantly surprised at how emotional art is for people. Most people purchase my art because it makes them feel good. It reminds them of a fond childhood memory or a loved one who has passed on. Sometimes it is purchased to celebrate a place where something beautiful in their life happened. By sharing my everyday process and the realness of my life it helps them to relate to my art personally.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aprilmoffatt.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilmoffatt
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aprilmoffattart
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJa1fkY96lyZ_fRw9J9qAWQ
Image Credits
April Moffatt