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

Alright, Brianna thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I love being an artist and being able to do what I love every day. The one thing about being my own boss that is sometimes challenging is the self discipline. I have to make sure I am managing my time properly in order to have a successful business. I occasionally think about how life would be different if I had a regular 9-5 job with benefits and a consistent income. Some months can be slow as an artist and you don’t always make as much money one month as you would another. On the other hand some months you make amazing money, so it always seems to balance out, which I’m incredibly grateful for. When I have the thoughts of working a 9-5, I know I ultimately wouldn’t be as happy.

Brianna, 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 have loved art and creating ever since I was little. I grew up drawing and doodling in all of my classes. When I went to college, I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to do. My parents were very supportive and told me that I should do what I love. I decided to major in fine arts. I was really only used to pencil sketches at that time, but quickly fell in love with painting in one of my classes. I started with acrylics which was really nice. The following year, I took another painting class and the professor challenged us to only use oil paint. It was so different from from painting with acrylics and I found it much harder to figure out. I wanted to get better at it though, so I took a class that this professor offered every single semester until I graduated and was fully confident in that medium. After graduating, I had no idea how to find a job as an artist, so I ended up becoming a server for a few years. I was not happy with that and knew I wanted to be an artist. I found this artist Andrea Ehrhardt on instagram one day, who offered a course called the Artist Academy. She’s just a few years older and wanted to help struggling artists learn the business aspect of the field so that they could become full time artists like her. It was one of the best investments that I made to help me move forward as an artist. I started posting more frequently on instagram and would do a bunch of pet portraits for people and then expanded and would paint landscapes and wildlife. I began doing murals as well which helped me get noticed more and more. Slowly but surely, my business as an artist has picked up and became my main source of income. I am able to create different series of work that I love and still take commissions. I think it’s important to be a part of a community as well since being an artist can be very lonely at times. I started getting involved in art fairs and selling original work there. I am very proud of my growth as a business owner. I always want my client to be happy, so I always make sure we are on the same page with commissioned work, so I can help make their vision come to life. As for my own original work, a lot of people will notice I love to use the color blue in most of my paintings. I want my viewers to feel a sense of peace and tranquility when they view my art.

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

I think the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is making people happy. I love being able to add something beautiful to a someones home or to a wall of a business. I think it is amazing to be able to create for others and hear how a painting reminds them of something and what it means to them.

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

A lesson that I had to unlearn was that I cannot make a living as a full time artist. When I was in college, I had a meeting with an advisor and we were discussing my major and she proceeded to tell me that I should change my major because I wouldn’t be able to make a career as an artist. This was tough to hear especially coming from an advisor. For a while I struggled with doubt and thought that maybe she was right. I had to look at other artists who were successful and had to ask myself “If they can do it, then why can’t I?” It is hard at times, but I continue to put in the work and follow advice from others so I can continue to be a full time artist and have a successful business.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.briannadamato.com
• Instagram: Brianna_damato_art
• Youtube: briannadamatoart
• Other: TikTok: Brianna_damato_art