We were lucky to catch up with Connie Morgan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Connie, thanks for joining us today. 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.

The biggest risk came with the biggest upheaval of my life. My husband of 22 years abandoned me and our two boys six years ago and I went into fight or flight mode and I ended up doing a bit of both while I figured out my next steps. At the time I owned my own house cleaning business and I clung to those jobs as though my life depended on it…because it did and those of my children. In January of 2020 my body started sending me signals that it was time to make a change. I suffered a heart attack, a bulging disc, and gout in my foot which then turned to arthritis. All of this happened within a three month time frame and at the same time a huge opportunity fell into my lap to open my own neon sign/art shop. It was never anything I dreamed of until the seed of an idea was planted and it grew. With Cov!d I lost all of my cleaning jobs and immediately went into working on opening my store. It seems counterintuitive to open something when the world seemed to be shutting down but I forged ahead and opened my store the same day the world closed. I was scared for multiple reasons but I took the risk and slowly word started to spread and people would come into my shop and order signs. There were some hiccups along the way but I am creative and figured my way around them and through them and  never gave up. Three years later I am finally having some success and while it is still stressful owning my own business especially in an industry like neon signs because it is such a niche market. The people of Wyoming and surrounding areas have been open to it and I am more than thankful for that. It has been a huge risk with a lot of reward.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I found my way into neon when I was 17 years old. I went to a neon art show at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman Montana and instantly fell in love and decided that it was what I wanted to do. I finished high school and did a few other things and when I fell in love with my future ex husband I decided that I needed to land a career so I chose neon because it was always there lurking in my dreams. I found a mentor in Bozeman but he didn’t want to take on an apprentice, so he helped me find a school in Benecia California. The school was 14 weeks long and received enough knowledge to be dangerous! Ha! I then found a job in Detroit Michigan where the ex was from and I got a lot of well rounded experience working with customers, a horrible boss, and making all different kinds of signs. After Detroit I worked in Seattle and Tacoma Washington getting more and more experience working with all types of sign work. It takes about a solid decade to become proficient at bending glass. There are tons of hours of bending glass that will never be used because you have to practice bends over and over again to get it just right and if you take a break from it, it feels like it takes months to get back to where you left off. With where the neon industry is right now and working for myself most of my work is commissioned based. When I first started back in 1997 most of the work I did was wholesale. There just isn’t a need for that now but those were the heydays of neon.

I can make almost anything you dream up at GloW Neon Lights, LLC. One of my most standout pieces is a four foot tall Hannya mask I made for a Scrimshaw Tattoo in Fort Collins Colorado. It was a commission and the tattoo artist Ishmael gave me full creative control. He didn’t want to see the piece until it was finished and hanging in his shop. It is still to this day one of the most detailed pieces I have ever made and probably one of my favorites. I am really good at helping my customers narrow down what they are looking for. As soon as they tell me what they want my brain is already designing it for them. I work with an amazing designer Tayler Drattlo in New Braunfels Texas, she helps me bring the ideas to life with her designs and my ideas coupled with the customers desires. Tayler and I have solid communication about my projects and I consider her a part of my team. I feel pretty lucky to have her.

I am most proud of taking this dream and jumping off the cliff and going for it. That’s not to say that I haven’t bumped a few rocks on the way down. I get caught up in my head a lot and I get in my own way, when that happens everything that could go wrong does. When I am able to take a deep breath and get centered everything starts to fall into place again. It is not easy picking an unconventional life. I make my living off of my art and that isn’t easy to do but I am and some days I have to pinch myself to believe it’s really happening.

I think what I want people to know about me is that while I work alone and jobs can be slow going sometimes, I always get them done. Never once have I not followed through with a job. Most customers are extremely understanding that my timelines are long because they know I am creating a work of art, and when they receive their piece it is going to be quality. I put my heart and soul into everything I make and I want people to know that I take every job seriously.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think what I would like to see from society is to turn away from this quick turn around mindset to caring more about the quality and craftsmanship of art. I am guilty of it too, how badly I want things to happen quickly and I get impatient but bending glass and making neon signs has taught me to have patience and the more I do it the more patient I become. In my industry there is competition from companies that make something called LED Neon. Let me be clear, this isn’t neon. It is plastic tubing made in China that people bend into signs and they can make this cheap and quick. True handcrafted neon signs are falling to the wayside because people want fast and cheap. I admire the customer who doesn’t want that and they come to me because they appreciate what I do.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I guess if I had a particular goal or mission driving me it would be just to have fun doing what I do. No matter what path you choose in life, if you’re not enjoying it or having fun with it, why are you doing it? Money is not my main goal in life but being my own boss is. I don’t like working for other people who think they have a say in how I spend my time at work or my free time. I do not like feeling like I am “owned” by another person. I figure if I keep my eye on my creative goals and look for things that challenge me and make me grow, the money will follow. I have started to adopt the following philosophy: We are all just doing time here on earth so we may as well make the best of it while we are here. And for me, making the best of it is following my creative path and seeing where it takes me. I have no goal of being wealthy from what I do for a living but wealth comes in many different forms and I am excited for each moment that comes.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.glowneonlights.com
• Instagram: glow_neon_lights
• Facebook: glowneonsigns