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

Beth, appreciate you joining us today. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later?

I took the leap to full time artist and photographer 2 months before the Covid 2020 Lockdown. I’d known for a while that I wanted to own my own business, I just wasn’t sure how to get started. In January of 2020, I found myself at a precipice when I was suddenly laid off from my full time job as the marketing director at a local yoga studio. During my time there, I was able to take the 200 hour yoga teacher training course, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to make that my living moving forward. I had been painting watercolor pet portraits as a side gig for about 4-5 years, and felt there was a good chance I could make it as a full time artist—and so I lept. 2 months later the world shut down and I was so scared! Would people still want something as seemingly frivolous as a hand painted portrait of their dog? The answer was YES! Do I think I could have done it sooner? Probably. But the timing actually ended up working in my favor and I’ve been thriving in my creativity full time for almost 4 years now! In late 2021 I pushed my skill level even further when I started offering family portraits that I would take on my iPhone and charge minimal fees for. Over the course of the past 2 years, I’ve parleyed that hobby into a full blown, successful portrait business as a wedding and family photographer. Being both an artist and photographer keeps me incredibly busy, but also very fulfilled. I feel like the timing was perfect, and everything happened when it was supposed to!

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

I’ve always been creative. From a young age, I enjoyed creating beauty—whether that be decorating my bedroom, or painting, or playing music. As I grew older, I tried to earn my way through college at dead end jobs that brought me little to no joy or fulfillment. Finally, in 2014, I had a breakthrough when I picked up a set of cheap watercolors and fell in love. I worked tirelessly to learn and grow in my technique. I still have a lot to learn, but I have grown so much in my skill set and confidence. The same goes for my photography—I believe in lifelong learning—you’ll never know everything there is to know! I enjoy challenging myself with different mediums in both photography and art, and have really found myself enjoying large scale acrylic pieces for peoples homes. This past spring, I completed a 5ft by 5ft abstract landscape pieces that was a lot of fun. I’ve also got around 7 weddings I’ll be photographing this fall—never a dull moment!

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Social media hands down. It provides the most visibility for my work. When I post a recent session or watercolor piece, I feel like it inspires people to imagine having something like that if their own—be it family pictures or a one of a kind hand painted portrait. It’s a unique and personal gift for any occasion!

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

I get so much enjoyment from seeing people touched by a special moment captured in a photograph, or a pet or loved one painted in watercolor painting. It’s incredibly heartwarming to have someone share how much having a tangible memory means to them

Contact Info:

• Website: www.BethSymons.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/bethsymonsfineart
• Facebook: Facebook.com/bethsymonsphotography

Image Credits
All photos and paintings by Beth Symons