We were lucky to catch up with Cat Tesla recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cat, thanks for joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

In March of 2022, I was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 days before we closed on our home in Atlanta, with plans to move to Florida. It was caught on a routine mammogram and I have no family history or risk factors for breast cancer. Because so many women skipped a mammogram during the pandemic (I didn’t), it was difficult to get a surgery date scheduled for a double mastectomy. Sadly, many women are being diagnosed with breast cancer this year! My surgery was scheduled for May 11th, so we proceeded with our move to Florida and managed to have an MRI and meetings with oncologists and surgeons before we left Atlanta. I don’t remember much after that. The shock of the cancer diagnosis on top of a big move was a lot to deal with. We moved the art studio first, then our home. We had about a month to unpack and did as much as we could before heading back to Atlanta for my surgery.

I wasn’t sleeping much during that time and painted a lot. I had a stack of smaller sized canvases in my studio that I began writing “FU Cancer” on, then painting over those words. When I started painting I thought I would end up grabbing black paint and doing angry mark making marking but then I found myself going for bright colors. It was terrific therapy—using beauty to combat illness. I decided I wanted to sell these paintings to raise funds for research through the Breast Cancer Research Fund (BCRF). The “FU Cancer Series” was a big success! They sold out in 20 minutes. I donated the proceeds (about $3000) to the BCRF – it was a very empowering experience.

My surgery was a success and I’m cancer-free. I’m so grateful to be able to paint full-time again. I’m continuing the FU Cancer Series through the end of this year with plans to donate to the BCRF again.

Cat, 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?

International artist Cat Tesla is a contemporary nature-based abstract painter. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Cat grew up with a love for both art and science and obtained degrees in Biology and Graphic Design, along with a Master’s Degree in Human Genetics. She worked as a genetic counselor on faculty at Emory University for 20 years, then eventually traded genetics clinic for art studio. Cat’s work has been exhibited in galleries across the U.S. and U.K., as well as the Knoxville Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art in Atlanta, and the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art north of Atlanta. After 25 years as a professional artist, Tesla’s paintings are in more than 300 corporate collections and nearly 1000 hospitals and medical centers in the U.S., and in thousands of private collections worldwide.

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

As an artist, my primary goal is to create beautiful artwork that enhances people’s surroundings. I work with individuals and corporate clients, as well as the hospitality and healthcare industries. There are numerous studies showing the benefit of art in work environments and places for healing. My collectors tell me that mine is the painting they come home to and say “ahhhhhhhh”.

My other goal is to help other artists be successful. To that end I started a business in the pandemic with fellow artist Julie Schumer. Together we’ve created a suite of online courses called “The Business of Art”, as well as a membership. Our courses help artists do a number of things including: starting and setting up their business, creating an e-commerce website and designing and refining their branding, learning how to manage inventory, setting up and running social media accounts, and establishing multiple income streams. The Business of Art membership is an extension of the courses and is for any artist who wants to continue learning how to increase their revenue from their art business with support from experts and fellow artists. New content is dropped each week in the membership and we have artists from around the world there. You can learn more at: www.bizofartmembership.com It’s exciting and gratifying to help others.

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

Social media is an important tool for artists, Instagram in particular since it’s a visual platform. I think it’s important to have a goal for your social media accounts, not just posting ‘whatever’. People like to follow artists lives because they’re interesting. They tell a story. If you share your story on social media you will grow your account. Authenticity is key. And it’s important to use all of the tools that Instagram provides – posts, stories, reels, etc. – in order to grow your account.

Remember that you don’t own your social media account. You only own your email list. So one idea is to use social media to grow your email list by having a lead magnet and call to action on your y0ur account. We discuss these tools in detail in The Business of Art membership.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.artbycat.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cattesla/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatTeslaFineArt/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cat-tesla/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/CatTesla
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbS1XjwAVDzgTV8FxdEqAFA/featured   
  https://www.youtube.com/c/CatTeslaFineArt

Image Credits
Simo Tesla