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

Brynn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

Yes! I am currently making a full time income from my creative work. To be clear, it was a SMALL part time income at the start 8 years ago, but its grown over time to become a sustainable business + FT income!

At the beginning, I held multiple other jobs to stay afloat financially (nannying, apprenticing under another artist) in my business as I was just getting started (right out of college). I began working under a fine artist as her studio manager + assistant and learned so much from her about what it means to run a sustainable studio practice. While I was working for her, I carved out the time to take on commissions and create personal work. I began building a social media following from the get-go, sharing my journey every step of the way, no matter how humble. After about a year of working for my artist pal, we both decided it was time for me to go off on my own and build my business.

This was a SCARY but necessary step for me to grow as an artist and business owner. I had to be strategic and trust in myself and my work that it was worthy to be purchased and that it was GOOD. I decided to structure my business at the beginning by booking a good amount of monthly commissions and getting some “guaranteed” income to offset the unknown nature of selling my personal work. Soon, I added a few giclee reproduction prints to my website + some product offerings. This helped create some passive income! I applied to some licensing websites as well and this helped to bring in “mailbox money” to offset heavily relying on my originals to carry my finances.

After years of building a repertoire of collectors and followers, I was able to rely heavier and heavier on my personal work (I launch artwork in collections on my personal website). As demand grew, my prices raised, and my paintings sold. I was able to start giving myself a higher salary + bonuses too!

Brynn, 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?

My name is Brynn Casey, and I’m a fine artist living north of Atlanta! My work focuses on coastal landscapes – from the open water, to beach scenes, sunsets over the water, and sea oats. I have wanted to “be and artist when I grow up” since I can remember, and took this dream seriously when I earned my BFA in fine art at the University of Georgia. Upon graduation, I apprenticed under a fine artist who was self-representing and making a career out of her work. I learned the ins-and-outs of what it looks like to run a sustainable studio practice from her, and I owe her so much (shout out to Britt Bass).

I offer original art spanning from small sketches and framed watercolor studies on paper to large custom canvas pieces up to 72″+ and everything in between. I also offer products featuring my work such as greeting cards, yearly calendars, plus paper and canvas reproduction prints! What I love most about my work is how it transcends my personal experience and always infiltrates into other’s experiences and personal memories. Collectors are ALWAYS telling me they are drawn to my work because it so starkly reminds them of a special time in THEIR life. I love being able to remind people of some of their fondest memories by the water.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I am an enneagram 3, and if I don’t keep myself in check, I can start to work really hard ONLY to receive people’s approval. When I began painting and selling my coastal artwork, I was in such a “honeymoon phase” with my work that everything felt courageous, brave, NEW, fun and fresh. Then, my work started to sell.. and then I started to notice that people liked certain things I painted the most or gravitated towards XYZ color palette, etc. Somewhere along the way, I began to create with an end goal to sell the work and I lost ALL sense of experimentation and creativity. This is tricky, of course, when your art becomes your livelihood… so I’ve had to be strategic in “unlearning” this way of working and be patient with myself. This unlearning process is taking place as I type! It’s taken years to begin this unwinding process for me because my personality is SOOOO driven by approval, I am petrified of my work being a total “flop”. I’ve allowed myself to try, fail, and try again in the comfort of my home studio. I’m currently working on a passion project that is bringing me SO much life and joy, it’s reminded me of how it felt when I first started my work! I’m trying to reframe my mindset on my work as a whole – it is simply an offering to those who choose to consume it. I cannot control whether or not they like it or approve of it, and I need to stop trying to pre-meditate or manipulate how the work will be received.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started posting my artwork on my instagram account when I was still in college (art school) 10 years ago! I have consistently shown up and been very very authentically myself in my storytelling from day 1. I feel like I have offered a good balance between having an unfiltered approach with also an elevated/polished account to show honor to the artwork I’m offering. I hope to make my followers + collectors feel like I am approachable and their friend who happens to be an artist. I feel strongly that people are even more apt to invest in your work if they feel like they can connect with you as the artist, so don’t hide yourself behind the work! Share YOU and bring people along through your story too as you share your work!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brynnwcasey.com
• Instagram: @brynnwcasey.art
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brynnwcasey.art

Image Credits
Morgan Beatton