We recently connected with Collin Cessna and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Collin, thanks for joining 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?

I have been able to earn a full time living from my creative work for about 2.5 years now. My journey started when I quit my job in construction management. I quickly jumped into pet portrait commissions. My first year as a full time artist consisted primarily of commissions. I had an excel sheet that helped me schedule commissions back to back. I completed 39 pet portraits in a row which was paying my bills at the time. I started to get burnt out on pet portraits and began landscape painting when I had a few free days. I received positive feedback on my landscapes and I started to paint more of them. Eventually, I stopped taking pet portraits and started original landscape paintings and drawings in plein air. I painted as many local landscapes and businesses as I could to try to get my work in as many places as possible. I started selling my original and prints of my work through my website, social media and brick and mortar stores. Some major steps in my journey were painting for the National Park Service in Harpers Ferry, WV in spring of 2022. In hindsight, I could have absolutely sped up the process knowing what I know now. I would have avoided commissions early in my journey because I was spending a lot of time on them and it is going to one person. I would have focused more on things that I liked to create which is primarily landscapes.

Collin, 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?

My name is Collin Cessna and I have lived in Baltimore, MD my whole life. I have been creating Art since I was a child. Art has always been my passion and I am constantly trying new techniques and trying to grow as an artist. I have been a full time artist since early 2020 after quitting my job in the construction field. I taught myself how to run a business and be self employed. I currently sell original paintings and drawings as well as prints of my work. My artistic style is all over the place which I believe sets me apart from other artists. I work in a variety of mediums as well as subject matter. I am most proud of the fact that I am able to create Art everyday and share my work with people. I love that art is bigger than myself and can help connect us. I want you to come along on this journey with me.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect for me about being an artist is the freedom. I love that I am in control of my life and can travel/come and go as I please. I like being my own boss and investing in myself.

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

I started posting videos and photos on my Instagram and Facebook a few years ago. Whenever I was painting I would go live and start talking about the painting process. I found that my friends on Facebook started sharing my live videos and I decided to make an dedicated artwork page on Facebook. Instagram was perfect for an artwork portfolio before I got my website up and running. Eventually, I was posting on as many social media platforms as possible before, during and after the painting/drawing process.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.collincessnaartwork.com
• Instagram: @collin_cessna_artwork
• Facebook: collincessnaartwork
• Youtube: Collin Cessna
• Other: Tiktok: Collincessnaartwork