Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Breyona Sharpnack . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Breyona, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

For a while, I put my art on the back burner for several reasons. At some point, everyone will experience a bout with depression. Anxiety, OCD, and bipolar disorder are part of my life and went undiagnosed and unmanaged for a long time. I stopped doing the things I enjoyed and creating art was one of them. After getting the help and treatment I desperately needed, I could pick back up a pencil and brush and start enjoying the one thing that kept me forever grounded. ART! I enjoyed being a custom cake artist for 7 years and decided to leave the business because it no longer was fulfilling or enjoyable. I was working on the terms of other people and the fact I didn’t always have creative freedom became limiting as my client base grew. I had made hundreds of cakes and was creatively burnt out.

I had been showcasing my artistic skills in the form of food art and totally neglected the original form of my creations. After a brief break, I decided to once again invest in art supplies and start creating on canvas as a form of therapy. Painting is very soothing to me and it allows me to escape. Painting and creating content gave me creative freedom. I get to do it on my terms and that is what makes it enjoyable. I started sharing my paintings and the process of me creating art on my social media and then I was asked to post more paintings and inquiries started to come in about purchasing my completed creations as well as commissions. The reception was unexpected and I was unsure of how to proceed. I didn’t want to get into it as I did with the cakes to ultimately end up hating it and losing interest in it again. I didn’t really think anyone would be interested in them because I do a lot of dark expressions/goth and pop art but the right people were seeing and appreciating my art. After telling people “it’s not for sale” and my office/art space began to fill up with completed pieces I was holding on to; I decided it was time to let some of them go. I sold my first painting to someone who was a complete stranger in another state and it was at that point I realized I could really do this professionally.

Breyona, 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 was born and raised in Georgia and had always had the itch to draw and paint. Even if that meant on the walls and not paper. I never took an art class and entirely taught myself how to draw and paint through trial and error. My techniques are not textbook standards but rather what works for me. I offer art that can not be purchased in-store and is unique. each piece is 1:1 which means there won’t be another one. I do not provide prints because I feel like this takes away from the authenticity and I do not want my stuff massed. Also, some of the things that I paint are inspired by other characters and are mash-ups. I do a lot of fan art. I get inspiration from a lot of random things but mostly pop culture and anything space-related. I like to offer art that is affordable (I didn’t say it is cheap) and art that is guaranteed to be a conversation piece wherever hang it.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Do not create what is popular but create from my heart and imagination. It is easy to paint and create what is trendy but that isn’t who I am. I have to feel inspired and be able to really visualize and connect with whatever I am creating.

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

I didn’t do anything fancy or invest a lot. I just paid attention to the quality of the content I was producing, posted consistently, didn’t post stuff for clout, and just kept things as authentic as possible. It is easy to portray as something you’re not but it becomes a full-time job and a burden to keep up the false image. The right people will see you and follow you. Sometimes you will lose followers and that’s okay. If it no longer serves you let it go and as always don’t take shxt personally. There are some people who are unhappy and who just troll for the hell of it, so keep an eye on comments, and moderate your posts and consider the way you interact with your audience. Don’t be afraid to block people. Lastly, shoot for quality over quantity. It doesn’t mean shxt to have thousands of followers and only 2% are actively engaged or none of them are turning into loyal supporters.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/adyingcraftdesigns?section_id=29616090
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mstattooed/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adyingcraftdesigns
• Other: Tiktok: Mstat2d