We recently connected with Chloe Frydenlund and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Chloe thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. 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 am at a spot in my creative journey that I am now able to create a full time living for myself. About 5 years ago I started painting after a hiatus of not creating any art for several years because I had two small children and was mostly a stay at home mom. I started painting again to try and find parts of myself that I felt I had lost. I couldn’t get enough, it was all I thought about. After several pieces, I decided to start an Instagram in hopes of show casing my work. I got a commission here and there which I was thrilled about. The money was not consistent, but I focused on building a body of work and honing in my skills. I painted almost every day and felt so deeply that this was my calling, that everything after that would fall into place. I ended up hanging art in a local restaurant for several months and sold 15 paintings, increasing prices as my confidence and skills increased. I got contacted for more commissions and more murals from local businesses. It felt like everything was finally falling into place. I have recently in the last year become a tattoo artist and it has felt like the final roll of the red carpet. Tattooing has opened up having a consistent income and having many streams of income as an artist has been, I believe, so necessary. I don’t think I could have sped up this process any faster, but I think it happened so effortlessly because I trusted that this was my life path and I put in the daily work to get there.

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

I have always been an “artist” at my core, but 5 years ago when I was a stay at home mom with my small kids I started painting. I watched how to videos and I painted every single day. I didn’t have a plan yet, but with each painting session I felt more alive and more myself and I knew I had to follow the pull to create.
I started oil painting and after I had developed techniques, a style and a voice, I started working on a cohesive body of work.

I started hanging my original artworks in local restaurants and shops and have sold over 20 paintings locally. I now focus on large scale oil paintings often with a woman and an animal portraying an emotional charge. I love to paint but art is also how I express my feelings not just that I feel within myself, but what I feel from the world.

In addition to oil painting, I also do murals and have been a licensed tattoo artist in Salem, Oregon for close to a year. I am so thankful to be living a life as an artist that feels so abundant and creative and diverse. I once set foot on this path not knowing if all of the hours and energy would ever pay off, but I am now so happy that I trusted the process relentlessly, even when I didn’t know what the future held.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The reasons behind my creative journey have changed and evolved as I have changed and evolved. It used to be just to feel more alive and be able to express myself in a way that felt rewarding and productive. Once I realized I could profit sustainably from my art, it became a personal goal of mine to be able to support my family in this way.

It has now evolved into really wanting every creative to be able to live a life that feels fulfilling spiritually and financially. It’s a path that is not easy and the milestones cannot be predicted, but I have experienced hearing the call of creativity, relentlessly and maybe delusionally pursuing it, and reaping the benefits.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is that I get to be expressive. I can turn not just my pain and joy into something that feels beautiful and speaks, but I can also feel the pain of the world and squeeze something out of it. I believe art is a language and I feel honored to be able to speak it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Cloverartwork.com
• Instagram: @cloverartwork_