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

Brin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I have been drawn to connect with my creativity for as long as my memory lets me remember. Creating art has been one of my healthiest coping strategies in the face of adversity and uncertainty. After my mother passed away when I was in high school, my artwork became one of the few constants in my life. However, I never imagined I would be lucky or skilled enough to hone my art skills into a professional career. I was under the assumption if I was to have a “successful” life I would need to pursue a career more stable, more validated by society, more conventional. However, conventional, is something my life and myself are far from.

Through the most gracious offering, I found myself in a position where my entire higher education was paid for. Instead of choosing a creative field, I was encouraged to pursue psychology, my family assured me if I wanted to explore a creative path, this could be done after I had a “real” degree. However even as I continued through higher education my art is what helped me move through various programs. I brought my sketchbook, markers, pencils, and paints to almost all my college classes. It helped me stay engaged, it made learning exciting, and my teachers were wildly supportive. I went on to publish research in my undergraduate career related to using art and other nonconventional ways of learning in the college classroom. Shortly after graduating I found myself in a doctoral program, working on my PsyD in counseling psychology.

I began working as a therapist, helping others to heal through both conventional and non-conventional therapies. My research and academic studies took the forefront of my attention and creating time for my own art work as well as creating time for my own healing fell to side. I found myself surrounded by exploited grad students, who were reassured that a doctoral program was suppose to make you miserable, you were suppose to be struggling, because once you had a degree your suffering would be worth it. I found myself surrounded by therapists and psychologists who were either jaded and crass or wildly burnt out from compassion fatigue after giving everything to their clients. I found myself surrounded by professors and faculty willing to push out research they weren’t passionate about. Professors who were also exploited by higher education. My doctoral program was new, and in my three years I had three different advisors, because they one by one chose to leave struggling and new program. I became disillusioned by higher education and quickly burnt out as a therapist.

Half way through my third year of my doctoral program, in March of 2020 the pandemic began and we went into lockdown. Still, I pushed through, still I struggled, still I tried fit myself into a box that never felt quite right. Mentally, physically, emotionally, I was struggling more than I ever had, but I continued to push through, because the “right thing” would be to finish my program. I couldn’t quit or give up something I worked so hard for.

Four months later in July 2020 my brother, at 30 years old was diagnosed with the same colon cancer our mother passed away from. My family lives in the Virgin Islands, where there can often be a lack of resources medically. Once the cancer was found my brother was evacuated by air to Walter Reed in DC, where doctors shared they had never seen this level of cancer in a 30 year old patient. As I watched my brother navigate through his own medical and emotional healing journey, I finally gave myself permission to navigate my own healing.

I allowed myself to hit the giant, glowing, reset button on my life. I was reminded how short and fragile life is and I was ready to explore what made me happy, what I was passionate about. I wanted to wake up and be excited! This is when I knew I wanted to pursue an artistic path professionally. I left my program. Still passionate about healing, I went through a yoga teacher training course where I reconnected with my creativity.

I began a Facebook, instagram, tiktok, and Etsy page for my art work. I connected with other artists and realized I could actually pursue a career in art, inspired by the thousands of others doing the same. I let myself try any and all art I could. And soon after I was selling commissioned pieces regularly. I began creating murals in homes and businesses. I began body painting and soon after found my social media exploding with new followers. I began live painting at weddings and events. I began connecting with authors and creating illustrations for children’s books. I began to wake up each day excited about where my art would take me.

It’s not always easy, and I work every day to grow my art business. However, allowing myself the freedom to pursue an artistic path professionally, and allowing myself to redefine what success looks for me has been one of the greatest gifts.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

After leaving my doctoral program in 2020 I began to explore my own healing through art, and would soon after continue to develop my own art business. I want to create a life I am excited about, to try new things, to push my artistic boundaries, to push my personal boundaries, and to figure out what it means to live my most authentic life.

I began social media accounts for my art work a few years ago. I connected with other artists and realized I could actually pursue a career in art, inspired by the thousands of others doing the same. I let myself try any and all art I could. I began to wake up each day excited about where my art would take me.

I don’t have a specific niche for my art, which can be challenging when I try to describe my services and projects. My main freelance categories include commissions, murals, live wedding/event paintings, and very recently, illustrations. Through these various categories I’ve had the opportunity to travel, to connect with people, and to bring light and joy, all through my creations! I am also passionate about body painting, however this is not something I monetize, and I often use my friends and family as human canvases.

I have already booked a few live wedding paintings during the summer, and for this, I am so proud of myself. I have been trying to promote this service on my own social media pages and I have also started to reach out to wedding planners and vendors. It’s not always easy to reach out, especially because I don’t have a huge portfolio of work in this category, but I am hopeful that this is an area of my work I can continue to grow. I love LOVE, and creating live paintings, especially at weddings has been an incredible honor for me.

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

Social media is such a strange thing, and each app or website is drastically different. I try to post every day on all of my social media platforms and to stay engaged with other creatives and other people who follow me.

My largest social media following is on TikTok, where I have amassed over 13,000 followers, largely from my body painting videos. This has been quite the double edged sword for me. Body painting is a newer area of exploration for me, so my pieces aren’t always as detailed for refined as other artists, I’ve had to come to the understanding that not everyone will appreciate my art, and that there will always be “haters”. I’ve also come to realize how over-sexualized the female body is, and how absolutely disgusting some people can be.

I recently had a video go viral, with over a million views, however I was flooded with comments telling my I was a horrible artist, telling me it wasn’t real art, or telling my I was disgusting for painting on people. Shortly after sharing some of these comments though, I was overwhelmed with love and support from other artists, followers, and creatives.

I think it’s important as a creative to remember that my art doesn’t need to be for everyone. And often when there are 100 people who hate my work, there are probably just as many, if not more, who are behind me and supporting me along the way. Social media can be tough, and if I do find myself getting overwhelmed I try to take breaks, delete or block mean or hurtful people, and remember that social media is not real life.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My overall mission for my art and my creative journey is to explore. Explore myself, explore what healing looks like, explore new materials, new projects, new people, new places! Life is short and I want to spend my days exploring my creativity and helping inspire others to do the same.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: brinsarttt
• Facebook: Brin’s Art
• Other: TikTok: Brin’s Art

Image Credit:
Meredith Zimmerman