We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brittany Weldon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Brittany, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

This past year I have written, illustrated and published my first children’s book, titled “Ellie Has E.O.E”, and it by far is the most impactful project I’ve had. This book is part of a series dedicated to helping young children understand medical diagnoses, whether it be their own, a family members, or a friends. It is the first art project where I used both my medical background as a pharmacist as well as my creative side. I have donated and will continue to donate these books to Texas Children’s Hospital to give to kids and parents who will benefit from them- and this has made the project very dear to my heart. I am currently working on the next book in the series, and knowing I can make a small difference in the lives of children at the hospital has been a huge inspiration.

Brittany, 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 always been an artist from a very young age, and I decided to become a business when I graduated from pharmacy school and had more time to dedicate to art. The mediums I use are ink pen and acrylic paints. I have recently started working with digital illustration while publishing my first book, and I look forward to working with this medium more in the future. My passion lies in nature- I love the outdoors and hiking, and most of the art I make involves landscapes, natural history or animals and insects. I am passionate about the environment, so any proceeds I make are donated to the Nature Conservancy.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

When I first started in my art journey, I felt that I needed to go to “official” classes if I wanted to be a “real” artist. I looked into college courses for drawing and painting, but with the cost being so high I couldn’t enroll. This made me feel as if I was hindered in my growth as an artist. However, much later I started watching tutorials and reading online, followed other artists on social media and dove into the online artist community. This has allowed me to discover my own personal style, learn different techniques, and grow as an artist. If I could go back in time I would have gotten involved online much sooner.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The biggest (and most beautiful) change that has occurred in my life was becoming a mom. After having my son, I had the opportunity to step down from a full time pharmacist to a part-time pharmacist so I could be home with him. I also had less time to dedicate to my art business as well, and things slowed down quite a bit for me while I was adjusting. Becoming a mom is what inspired me to begin illustrating and writing children’s books, and I am very excited where this new step in my business will take me.

Contact Info:

• Website: beejannise.weebly.com
• Instagram: art_beejannise
• Shop: https://society6.com/beejannise
• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ellie-Has-Brittany-Weldon/dp/B0B6XRPZ8L