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

Brooke , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the best boss, mentor, or leader you’ve ever worked with.

When I was about 17, I wanted to spend the whole summer at my grandparent’s cottage, so I found a job working at a hotdog stand outside Canadian Tire in town. Honestly, it was the best job ever (other than being a full-time artist, of course) and a big part of that can be attributed to my boss, Paul Barclay, who owned the hotdog stand (or “weenie stand” as everyone affectionately called it).

Paul taught me the importance of having trust and respect for the people you work with. He made it very clear from day one that I was valued as an employee, and that my happiness in my position (of flipping hot dogs and running the weenie stand) was just as important as the success of the business. He listened to my suggestions, he always made sure I was comfortable, he was forgiving when I made mistakes, he gave me bonuses when I had a particularly successful day, and for these reasons, I wanted to be the best employee I could. I really cared about this little operation we were running, and over the 3 summers I worked there, a strong sense of respect was built between us. I recently hired someone to help me with my own business, and I am consciously building the same respect with my new studio manager. I want her to be happy in this position, and, in turn, care for the success of my business. That is a big lesson I took away from working at the weenie stand.

Additionally, Paul always presented himself with so much confidence and showed pride in his work. I found this very inspiring, and, to this day, remind myself of this confidence when telling people about my own profession. I’ve had countless experiences in the past where I’ve told someone I’ve just met that I’m an artist, and it’s met with a sense of pity, which I assume stems from the “starving artist” stereotype. I often think of Paul in these situations, and it inspires me to be proud of what I do, no matter what people think.

I recently found out that Paul passed away after a battle with cancer. He was a man of kindness and dignity, and will always be the best boss I ever had.

Brooke , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Brooke Cormier, I’m 28 years old and I’m an artist from Toronto, Canada. After graduating from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture in 2016, I decided to pursue my dream of becoming a professional artist and began painting full time under the guidance of Tim Packer, a successful Canadian painter. Tim mentored me for two years and I have now been painting professionally for over 6 years.

I create mostly oil paintings (occasionally acrylic) and love experimenting in a variety of styles and subject matter, though my biggest inspiration is the natural world. I make a living from selling my original paintings as well as open and limited edition prints of my work. I have built an audience on social media of over ¼ million people from all over the world, and this online presence has played a big role in the success of my business.

My passion is creating and I’ve always loved the arts. I consider myself very fortunate to have been able to make a career from doing what I love. This year I have plans to expand my creative practice to other mediums and genres, and I love documenting my process in hopes that others will find it helpful or inspiring!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

The biggest lesson that I’ve had to unlearn is the narrative of how important it is to “find your unique voice”. At the very beginning of my creative journey, when I was seeking guidance from my art mentor, I was under the impression that I would achieve the success I was looking for once I found my “unique voice” in the art world, or in other words, developed a style that would be unmistakably recognized as a “Brooke Cormier”. My mentor had found his style and I was in awe of his success. My mindset of success became conditional, “I will be successful too…when I find my unique voice”.

Months went by, then years and I began to feel disappointed in myself. Why had I not developed my own style yet? How many years am I going to have to search? What I failed to recognize was the success I was experiencing on the journey. My #1 goal in life was to be a full time artist, and I achieved that! I was making a living from my artwork, people supported me and loved all my creations, even if they weren’t a cohesive body of work. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized that that is what success is. I had to switch my mindset and focus my attention on the fulfillment that the journey itself brings, instead of the destination. You don’t need to have a “unique voice” in order to be a successful artist. Enjoy the process and create what feels right!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

There are a few things that drive my creative journey. First and foremost, my desire to foster my talent. Art has always brought me joy, and it’s always been an area of my life where I could feel confident in my abilities. When it came time to choose a profession, to me there was no other option. I sincerely believed my life would be wasted if I did not dedicate myself to this passion I had; this passion that not only brought me fulfillment, but that I was really good at. My drive is centred in developing my skills and enjoying the journey.

Second to that, I want to help break the starving artist stereotype and show people that not only is being an artist a viable career option, but it is an important and valuable role in society. I had an experience only a few months into working full time as a painter, where I attended a meeting for a local art association. I was trying to meet other artists, network and learn. I had a conversation with the president of this association after the meeting, where I told him I was an aspiring artist at the beginning of my creative journey, to which he responded “Well, you better find yourself a sugar daddy”. This despondent and misogynistic comment, though discouraging at first, became fuel to my fire. I hope that I can contribute to breaking this narrative and inspire others to pursue their artistic dreams.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.brookecormier.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bcormier_art/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bcormierart/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcwoY8oOA0DOW2H7OqmqNzw