Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christian Belton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Christian, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been 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? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
Life has a way of giving us exactly what we ask for even when it happens in the most unexpected ways. It had always been my desire to work full-time in my art and creativity. I wasn’t sure exactly when that was going to happen. But I figured perhaps later in life after I finished working for a company for about 20-25 years I would be established and stable enough to venture out on my own and immerse myself into my art.
After college I worked a few different jobs to earn a living. While some were in the graphic design department, I also worked in education and for non-profit organizations. While working for a non-profit I began to offer graphic design services part-time to help supplement my income. After a few years I began to build a pretty good clientele. I continued working both my graphic design business part-time while working the non-profit full-time. Four or five years later, I was laid off from the non-profit. At that moment, I began applying for another full-time job but nothing was coming through. I continued offering graphic design services for the part-time clients which helped temporarily.
Eventually, I made a decision to take the energy that I was using to look for another job and put that energy into trying to grow my graphic design business and increase my clientele. Throughout that year I made significant sacrifices but slowly began to build my creative work into something substantial. I learned how to do new creative projects to help build my business. I learned how to do websites and videos, and I was able to add those items to my creative services.
After about four years as a full-time creative I began to introduce my art into my business. I had started painting again for about 3 years at that point but was keeping it to myself. As I began to share my art and offer art products, I saw new opportunities to share my passion for art and creativity. And now today I am grateful that through design work, paint parties, art shows, original paintings, and selling my products with my art on them I am now able to earn a full-time living as a creative. It is absolutely amazing to me and I am so grateful.
Christian, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Absolutely. I am a person who believes that she was created to create. For as long as I can remember I have been drawn to art, design, crafts, and all things creative. Growing up almost every toy that I asked for had something to do with creativity. I love expressing myself through art. Today I am a visual artist and a graphic designer. I enjoy the freedom of painting abstracts and I love the process of painting portraits. My artwork ranges from mixed media to abstracts but at the core of it all I paint to create a sacred space for healing, liberation, and joy.
I started in the graphic design industry when I was in High School and I began thinking about college and a future career. Around my junior year it was time to select a major for my college applications and my older sister, Dannielle, mentioned the graphic design field. I looked in to it and thought this would be a perfect fit for me to do something creative as an occupation. In my senior year of High School I won First Place for a T-Shirt Design contest. That recognition confirmed for me that I would follow my passion and pursue a career in art and design. In 2006, I graduated from Philadelphia University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Graphic Design Communications. Then a few years later I became an entrepreneur and started my own graphic design business, CB Creates.
As a graphic designer I design logos, flyers, T-Shirts, book covers, business cards, banners, and publications. I have continued to learn, evolve, and grow in my creativity. I like to say that my business, CB Creates, is your one stop shop for all things creative. Along with the services mentioned I also design websites and create and edit videos. I enjoy bringing a client’s idea to life. One of my favorite parts of my creative process is listening to or reading a client’s briefing on what they are looking for. It is the beginning of allowing my imagination and skills to come together and produce an outcome that best communicates the vision and mission of that company or event. I love when my clients say things like “This is excellent! That is exactly what I was looking for!” I enjoy giving my clients creative designs while also paying attention to the small details that help elevate the image and amplify the message. I think that is part of what sets me a part. I give my clients creativity while also giving each project the attention that it requires.
I think that I am most proud of painting again and sharing my art with the world. Art and painting has always been my first love. And while I bring that artistic eye and flair to my designs there’s nothing like holding a brush in my hand and painting directly on a canvas. My artwork has been featured in different art shows and exhibits. But I really love how I am able to share my love for art with others through paint parties locally and even internationally. I have facilitated various paint sessions to help promote healing. A few years ago I partnered with A Present Help Movement, Inc. & United Communities Against Poverty and did a paint session to help residents of a shelter envision their future in a positive way. In November 2018, I traveled to Nigeria with the S.T.A.R.S. (Sexual Trauma and Restorative Services) Women’s Project and facilitated an art session with young women and girls who were sexually abused and traumatized. Using art to help others through difficult moments and help them envision a better future is so important to me. Art is therapeutic in many ways and I love providing activities and experiences that encourages people to work through their emotions in a healthy, creative way.
I enjoy creating, it is both fun and fulfilling. I am intentional, sincere, and passionate about the work that I create. And I look forward to continuing to spread the gift of art and creativity one project or assignment at a time.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Other than the time that I had to pivot from part-time to full-time after being laid off, I would say that a time in my business when I had to quickly pivot was about 3 years ago. It was during the COVID pandemic. At this point in my business I was just beginning to settle into some normalcy with budget, marketing, schedule, finances, etc. I had a few retainers that enabled me to take care of my immediate bills and I just started being able to gain some stability.
In March 2020, all of that began to change. I lost a couple retainers as my clients also adjusted to the pandemic and had to make some financial changes in their company’s spending. I completely understood but it did leave me with a gap and having to decide how to fill that gap. At the same time we were no longer able to meet and be around people but paint parties were becoming a steady flow of income for me at the time. I soon realized that I needed to quickly shift how I was doing things in order to save my business and my livelihood.
I began offering virtual paint parties. I would put paint party kits together, do a contactless delivery or pick-up, and then via Zoom I would teach the class to the painters for that session. This slowly began to get attention as people were looking for something to do while they were at home. It warmed my heart to see that I was still able to bring the joy of art to others during that time. I continued to find other virtual ways to bring art and creativity to others through my business. I virtually offered craft time sessions for different organizations, schools, and even a summer camp. I went live on Facebook and did a virtual art show right from my living room (and I ended up selling an original painting to a new collector). I made a conscious decision to find ways to bring my art and creativity into as many homes as possible even though we could not see each other in person.
Currently, I continue to offer virtual options for paint parties while adding back the in-person option. I now also have painting instructional videos and masterclass videos available for purchase to allow people to paint and grow in their creative knowledge from the comfort of their own homes and on their own time. What that time of pivoting has taught me is to be open to changing the method while maintaining the mission. And the mission remains the same, which is to share the gift of art and creativity with as many people as possible.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
There are so many rewarding aspects of being an artist and a creative. But I will say that one of the most rewarding aspects is seeing something that you created with your hands touch someone’s heart. I will never get tired of seeing eyes widen, smiles brighten, and looks of sincere contemplation as they genuinely appreciate the final outcome. I have witnessed tears flow because of how emotionally connected my art spoke to someone. I will never forget it. Creating is sometimes a stressful and also isolated experience, and it can be kind of scary to reveal something that you fell in love with to the world. So many thoughts run through your mind and you wonder if people will even understand it or like it. But when that reveal is met with such joy and authentic appreciation, it truly is exciting. Even when the viewer might not agree with the art but they appreciate my artistry and perspective that is inspiring as well.
The reactions often vary but it is so wonderful to hear what different people see when they look at one painting. The stories they share, the things that a painting may remind them of, and the places they go in their minds when viewing a painting is sometimes quite remarkable. Though I do have art stories and descriptions for my paintings, I love to wait and see what others see before sharing my thought process and creative process as well. It is a learning experience for me and it reminds me of the power of art. Different people seeing and feeling different things from one painting is touching.
Also, another one of my most rewarding aspects of being an artist is being able to share the process of painting with others. Art has given me so much and when I see that gift being explored and appreciated by others it is exhilarating. One of my favorite moments is at the beginning of a paint party when someone will see a sample of what we will be painting that day and they immediately begin to say that they don’t think they can do it. I assure them that we will take it step by step and that they can do it. Throughout the class or paint session, as the lesson and instructions go forth to see them try and begin to open up even though they were nervous at first is refreshing. The joy and pride that they express at the end of the session with their masterpiece in hand is so rewarding because that is what it is all about. Step by step, one paint brush stroke at a time, igniting hearts with the joy of art.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cbcreates.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/chrissybelton
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/LetCBCreates
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-belton
Image Credits
First Personal Photo: Bill Lee Last photo of Self-Portrait painting: D’von Massey