We recently connected with Christina Kwan and have shared our conversation below.

Christina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

It was becoming a mother in 2020 during the pandemic that made me truly commit to artwork full-time as the ONLY way to make a living. Leading up to that, I always had either a full-time job or a handful of freelance jobs that kept me afloat. It was a gradual transition for me to build enough demand for my work that I could actually charge enough to let go of everything else. Some years I was vending at local craft markets, other years I was focused on building particular types of clients. Through it all, I was also always painting and making new artwork to keep finding new ways of amplifying my creative voice. The biggest step I took in my career was starting to paint murals as part of my portfolio. Now it’s one of the biggest parts of my overall business.

It never felt safe to me to take a huge risk all at once. I was always very practical about the growth of my art career and I made the full-time commitment when I felt like the time was right AND it made sense financially. I don’t think I could have sped up the process because I did learn and grow so much in the time it took me to get here. The managerial and service skills I learned from those other endeavors are still important to sustaining my business.

Christina, 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?

I am an abstract artist painting on walls, paper, and whatever else someone wants me to. My work is often described as bold, organic, and fluid because the movement and the composition of my marks can resemble so many things in nature – everything from storms to flowers to rock formations. I use my paintings as a way to explore my inner world, to parse through making sense of my identity as it relates to my heritage and family history. But essentially everything that I paint can mean different things to different audiences and my hope is simply that I can make people FEEL something.

I’ve been making art and wanting to make art from a young age, ever since I can remember. I just kept going; I kept drawing and painting and I never let my dream of becoming an artist die. So everything I’ve done in my life has led me to doing what I do. I think my mark carries this energy and passion and whether or not they know it, that is what my clients are responding to and that’s why they fall in love with my work.

I’m extremely proud that I am a working mother to a toddler and also the sole income earner for my family. I never could have imagined that this reality was possible, especially working as an artist.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is also one of the most scary parts – revealing your authentic self and expressing it to the world for everyone to see and consume. Having your most personal creations out in the world for sale is both thrilling and terrifying, truly like riding an emotional roller coaster. There are times when you feel completely validated and proud and other times when you feel like a ridiculous imposter. It’s always a balancing act, but after a while it’s hard to imagine existing any other way.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Listening and taking note of who responds well to my work and who actually purchases my work. A bigger social media following does not equate to more buyers. You have to really find the clients who will support you and then learn them inside and out. Who are they and what speaks to them? How to they spend their time? Where do they shop? How can I foster and build lasting relationships so they speak highly of me and act as my local advocate? I don’t necessarily believe that a single avenue or strategy has given me the biggest growth of clientele – I simply ensure that I fully understand the clientele I do have which gives me answers on where to go or how to market my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.christinakwanart.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/christina.kwan.art
• Other: Tiktok: @christina.kwan.art

Image Credits
Sawyer Baird