We were lucky to catch up with Claire Thompson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Claire, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Back in 2015, I was working a job and was ready for a career change. I was young, had little responsibility, and had the healthy naiveté that comes with being a 22 year old. As I looked for the next career shift, I started spending more time enjoying my hobby — painting. Art and painting specifically had been an outlet my whole life, yet something that I had ruled out as a future job. I had heard from many close and distant sources about the dangers of tainting your hobby by monetizing it, and did not want to muddle my joy for art. For about 6 months, I spent more and more free time — before work, after work, on the weekends, even on my lunch breaks — painting. I started posting my work and created a little store on Etsy, but did not have any long term hopes. Then coinciding with getting married and the encouragement of my new husband, I decided to give it a shot and tried to replace a few days of income with my art. My former boss graciously allowed me to go part time, and over those next 6 months, I watched as my business slowly grew and replaced the income that my former job held. It was at that time that I decided to take the full risk and go full time, knowing that it was necessary to hit the ground running and do everything I could to grow the business to be financially stable. In the early years of business, I gave myself check in markers every 3-6 months, to keep from analyzing my success daily and take a bit of the pressure off from week to week. Each check in goal, I would assess and proceed forward, often times setting new goals or creating a list of necessary benchmarks. Today, I’m 7.5 years in business as a watercolor artist and so thankful for the risk that I got to take to start this business, and the small stepping stones into that decision!
Claire, 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?
My name is Claire Thompson, and I’m a watercolor artist hoping to spread joy through art. When I first got started, I focused on commissions — architecture paintings, pet portraits, wedding invasions. Anything someone wanted to pay me to paint, I said yes. Today, I focus most of my time putting my watercolor artwork on scalable products — notecards, ready to go invitations, needlepoint canvases, calendars, and collaborations with other industries that are interested in using my designs on their products. I’m proud of the handprinted quality of each of my designs, and the bright, whimsical aesthetic that I hope spreads joy to the recipient of my products! I’ve been in business for 7.5 years, and while there have been a ton of celebratory moments, I also acknowledge that it has taken a lot a lot A LOT of hard work. Thankfully, I’ve loved every part of it, and the reward of that hard work has been consistently realized. From the beginning, I spent so much time painting — commissions, new designs, trials designs, just playing around. Then, once I had enough traction to take the plunge full time, I put myself out there by following the mantra “just ask”. I would walk into stationery boutiques and gift stores with my small box of samples, and ask to speak with the buyer. Often times, the workers were taken aback that I was personally out trying to sell my own work, and I honestly think that I was received into many stores initially because the owners / buyers respected my hustle. For the last 5 years, I’ve pounded the pavement going around to pop-up shows, and have loved getting to sell my goods in person. I’ve sent “shot in the dark” emails more times that I’d like to admit, and right now, I’m leaning into the “just ask” mentality more than ever. My dreams have increased over the years, and my naive hopes fuel me to just try! I’m currently excited about new patterns, an upcoming clothing collaboration, and lots of new designs that will debut in the summer!
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Shopping small. I love that recently this phrase has gained traction on social media and in general advertising, but it really does make such a difference. I have a lot of spending power that I need to continue to harness and shop small, and I completely understand and relate to the ease that big chain retailers offer! But the small businesses of our communities really give so much character, uniqueness, and energy to the cities we live in. Not to mention, the jobs that creatives like myself are able to have completely thanks to the purchases of folks shopping small.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is getting to see a design that I’ve created brighten someone’s day. Whether that’s a floral note card that someone is intrigued by, or a custom icon map that resonates with the purchaser, it is so rewarding to see a customer come to life. I’ve done a few projects recently that have also been extra special, including a set of ABC flash cards that my 2 year old son has learned his animals from, and a children’s book that I’ve gotten to see many small friends and family members enjoy. I’m so thankful to get to spread joy through my paintings, and am blessed to get to create something that incites joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.flowerandvine.com
- Instagram: @flowerandvine
- Other: shop.flowerandvine.com
Image Credits
Leeann Funk Photography