Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cerena Robertson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cerena, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I recall being a five-year-old child in preschool, distracted by a teacher drawing a house during everyone’s free time. I was so invested, I couldn’t help but peer over her shoulder and watch her draw a house with the front and side showing as opposed to a triangle on top of a square being on the paper. I was so intrigued that I needed to do it myself but did not know how to draw a three-dimensional house. I ditched my Dr. Seuss for crayons and my mom’s printer paper (which she definitely did not say I could use up) to practice my shapes. Then I began drawing the cartoons I was watching on the for practice, and moved on to real human faces. At first they didn’t look too good, which bothered me enough to make me spend 10 years teaching myself how to do my own cool artwork. What made me sad during this process was noticing the lack of representation within the fine arts of the beautiful melanated people I saw every day in my small world. I took the bull by the horns and began making artwork of all types of individuals from all race backgrounds- because why not do it yourself?
As the violence began increasing in Philadelphia to the point where it felt like a war zone, “straightedge” kids like myself were encouraged to stay indoors- so I spent what felt like endless hours of free time at home drawing up a portfolio starting at 10 years old. Soon my mom noticed my artwork and wanted to place me in a school that would nurture my talent as opposed to going to certain Philadelphia public schools where I likely wouldn’t have had the resources I needed, or wouldn’t be safe as gun violence did not stay away from school grounds and surrounding areas. She placed me in A Better Chance, a program that selects inner-city students based off of academic achievement and other talents to be involved in their communities as well as participate in learning experiences provided by the program to get said students into the top private schools of their choice. I was lucky enough to get into the top private high school on my list with a scholarship of $30,000 per year and a $10,000 grant on top, which allowed me to do whatever I needed to do to set myself up for success.
When I began attending The Episcopal Academy, I gravitated to the art room during my free time where I met my future art teacher, Mr. Sigel. As a freshman, I was required to take a beginner’s level art class and discovered that he had bins full of high quality art supplies that I never had the privilege of using. Despite the art program being amazing, most students there focused on athletics, so Mr. Sigel allowed me to bring his supplies home to work on whatever I pleased. I participated in so many amazing activities such as painting murals during volunteer work in a school and infirmary in Jamaica. Meanwhile, I began posting my artwork on my Instagram platform and started getting questioned on whether or not I sold my pieces. I happily began selling my paintings and soon returned my art teacher’s supplies as I was able to afford my own (with my mom’s help).
During my free periods in high school I transitioned from only using drawing materials such as colored pencil and markers to incorporating oil painting in my work. By my second year, I was automatically placed in the advanced art classes with the senior students from that point onward. My teacher would give me tips and tricks for the oil paint as I worked so that I could make it look as smooth, even, and pigmented as possible while doing what I did best. After quickly catching on to the vital rules of oil paint, I created more meaningful work and started to improve in areas I was lacking in. Meanwhile I continued posting my art (and accidentally going viral once in a while) and going to various museums to learn the ways of the art world. I improved my style, proportions, and more before finally securing the look I wanted for my artwork by the time I finished high school. This drove more clientele into my email- enough for me to be a full time artist but unfortunately I followed the pressure of being a full time student. Despite having good grades, I knew college was too academically pressuring for me and I was well aware that I didn’t want to do anything except art… so I opted for an art major.
I soon moved on to college with scholarships, but not enough to go through the four years without crippling debt. I could not bear to see my mother still paying for my brother’s loans while anticipating paying mine. I went through art school for two straight years, but without my father being in my life to financially support my hardworking mother and I… I had to withdraw from college. I took a leap of faith and moved out of Philadelphia, away from the danger and everything I knew to grow a career as a full time artist because I did not want to wait to achieve my dreams. The idea of having to somehow find a way to save up for years of college in order to have an art career later on was suffocating for me. This drove me to work overtime selling my paintings consistently and building clientele at age 20. I had dreams of being in a gallery, and creating one in my lifetime to help struggling artists from areas like the one I am from.
Fast forward to 2022 (now), I have my first gallery show lined up, and have sold multiple paintings for more than I could imagine someone would be willing to spend on artwork. I am forever grateful for those that support what I do because I couldn’t be where I am at now without the help of others that share, purchase, and even compliment my artwork. My passion for painting is endless, and at age 22 I know there is so much more work for me to do- I cannot wait to accomplish more of my goals and help others in the process. The purpose of my art is to display the beauty I see in everyday people, and I know one day it will resonate with individuals around the world that need that representation.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I was five years old, I gained a strong interest in drawing which grew when I hit age twelve. For a school project, I sent a letter to the First Lady when I was around that age about my passion for art. She wrote back with words of encouragement that inspired me to create even more artwork, and soon I entered a program called “A Better Chance” where I learned life skills that got me into a private high school of my choice with scholarships for my art. I began attending the Episcopal Academy in Pennsylvania, and met an art teacher that taught me new tips and tricks for certain supplies I had never used before, all while letting me have the creative freedom I wanted. I used my free periods to practice with oil paint, and this art teacher allowed me to bring his drawing supplies home after school to return to him after use. I used this opportunity to create art to sell so that I could then afford to buy my own supplies. I sold my artwork by only using Instagram to promote it, and replying to emails in order to choose which commissions to accept. By the time I was 16 years old my artwork was reaching places around the globe through the internet. I found myself creating paintings for celebrities and their managers, doing book deals and more. One of my favorite partnerships was at age 17 with Tomi Adeyemi creating the looks of her four main characters in the first book of her Children of Blood and Bone series using just the text descriptions she gave me. I posted my drawings and paintings with the intention of sharing the beauty of visual art with others without knowing the immense opportunity it would bring me. Now, I dabble in digital artwork but my main passion is oil painting. For years I have been creating custom artwork and selling the paintings in my collection to generous supporters (all while holding on to the paintings I love dearly!). I absolutely love the versatility and plan to continue with oil paint for as long as my hands allow me! One of my biggest goals in selling my artwork is not only to continue doing art for a living, but to open doors for artists that are struggling like I was at a point in time through gallery shows and patronage.

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

Social media is all about consistency. I built my following when I began high school, making sure to post on a weekly basis at minimum. This way, the algorithm recognized me as a consistent poster and pushed my work more. I made sure to also let people in on my process- social media is about transparency and there’s nothing better than a behind-the-scenes for someone that loves art. Just posting the finished process does not give the image of authenticity and transparency, which will turn people off. There is nothing wrong with taking breaks, but while trying to build you must keep people updated and show up. Also, make sure to give the audience something to take away from your work- whether it’s something to learn, something pretty to look at, or some good interaction!

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

One thing I would be told a lot was to copy other popular artists’ work in order to gain more recognition online. It was something I refused to do because it was inauthentic to me, and I preferred going through an entire creative process to do my artwork. The people that suggested this to me would think I was not a “hustler” when I refused, but doing my own authentic work that was true to myself is what made me stand out and gain clientele that want my work specifically. No matter how much time it takes, it is better to be yourself and grow that way because what comes fast can leave just as fast, and what takes time to grow lasts. There is no issue in copying work to practice, but I just can’t do that as a come-up.

Contact Info:

• Website: CerenaRobertson.com
• Instagram: Ohsocerena
• Linkedin: Cerena Robertson
• Twitter: Ohsocerena