We recently connected with Cayla Zeek and have shared our conversation below.

Cayla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work for about 5 years now. I’ve been juggling multiple jobs for as long as I can remember wether it was feeding cats, teaching painting classes, working as a sales associate etc. While I had other jobs, I was always creating my art on the side and putting it out in the public eye through art markets, galleries, bars, restaurants or setting up in front of businesses. At one point when after I graduated college, I was working full-time as a middle school art teacher and driving to New Orleans on the weekends to set up at art markets on Saturday/Sunday. When my art started to take off where I was getting more commissions for design work, painting, as well as selling my art prints and greeting card designs, I realized it was time to leave my job teaching, and pursue this as a full-time career. The big business step I learned was design work for local businesses and I think it would have helped me to have taken some graphic design courses since I am completely self-taught in that realm – I definitely reached out to some different mentors in the community to learn some design tips from how to create different files or something as basic as what is a vector? In my career path currently, I’m starting to move more into painting and film-making as well as growing my business Mattea Studio where I wholesale greeting cards and art prints all over the country.

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 back background and context?

I’ve been drawing and making books since I was a child. My mom told me I always had a story book or something I was creating. It was in high school through my art teachers I learned that creating art could be a full-time career possibility. From there, I was always moving in that direction whether I knew it or not. I was lucky to work for a local mom and pop shop where the shop owner taught me about entrepreneurship. From her I learned about wholesaling, how to turn my art into something I could sell and make profitable, so I’m really grateful for her and everything I learned working there. It made it possible for me to leave my teaching job after I had graduated college and really pursue art full-time.

I am predominately a painter, but I also own a business called Mattea Studio after my middle name where I wholesale greeting cards, art prints, postcards and stickers to shops across the country. I have also created poster designs for events in my community, logos for local businesses, album covers, music videos, fashion photos, etc. I work in many different medias setting me apart from others. I’m really proud of my paintings and films. I get a lot of joy from those projects and feel I can push my creativity when making them.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Being my own boss and feeling excited about my work. I’m always looking forward to the process of creating or making something new. I get butterflies about new projects. While sometimes the work can be hard to figure out and times may feel uncertain financially, I trust that if I hustle and make things happen, the bills will get paid and I will get to continue doing what I love.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I really enjoyed David Lynch’s book “Catching the Big Fish”. I found it insightful about how ideas come about and making those ideas into something whether it is a painting or a film. He gives insights about using the tools that are available to you and being resourceful which I found has been very helpful for artistic growth. The book “Art and Fear” David Bayles and Ted Orland was one of the first guides I was handed and that was helpful with helping me overcome artistic insecurities. It gives you that push to move past doubts that will always rise up in your mind no matter how long you’ve been creating, and work on the courage to continue through the artistic process.

Contact Info:

• Website: matteastudio.art and caylazeek.com
• Instagram: @matteastudio @caylamzeek
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matteastudio/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0tqEp7XNM7btTU5dAy-6BA
• Other: wholesale: mattea.faire.com Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/StudioMattea

Image Credits
Alex Baudoin