We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Courtney Pasterchick. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Courtney below.
Courtney, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with 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 idea of perusing a career in art is a risk in itself. There are so many obstacles that come with a creative job opposed to a “normal” 9 to 5, with one of the biggest obstacles being security. When I decided to major in Fine Art in college, I knew that my path would not be easy. There were many times throughout those four years when I wanted to take the safe route and switch over to more conventional creative majors such as marketing, interior design, or graphic design. But I knew that I wanted to paint. With that gut feeling, I pushed myself to do whatever it took to make my dream a reality. I am still only 23 years old and freshly graduated from college, I am not nearly where I want to be in my career right now. But I am proud of myself for taking the risk because I know that it will pay off in a long-run. I want to inspire others to take that scary first step and follow their dreams, because it is possible.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I grew up on the Jersey Shore and from a young age would bring my paints to the beach and paint the waves or the sunset for fun. Art became more than a hobby for me when I went to high school and was inspired by my teacher at the time who was illustrating children’s books. She entered me into many art competitions through the Tristate area and she believed in my talents. From there I made the decision to study Fine Art with a concentration in Painting at The University if Tampa. My professors helped me grow my knowledge of painting throughout those four years and set me up for success in the real world. When I graduated in 2021, I was working under a professional mural artist, learning the craft of large-scale paintings. Throughout this past year, I dove into my art career full-time. I was able to rent my own studio space in the arts district of st.Pete, started my own LLC, and have been traveling all over painting murals. Within this past year, I have created murals in Tampa, St.Pete, Sarasota, Orlando, Asbury Park NJ, Venice Beach CA, and Guanacaste Costa Rica and I’m just getting started! Because I have such a wide variety of knowledge in the arts through my schooling, I am a very versatile artist. I think that sets me a part from a lot of artists because I’m not restricted by one specific medium or style. I am learning and growing everyday and I am so grateful for everyone that has supported me so far in my journey.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding part of being an artist is seeing how people connect with my artwork. A specific mural comes to mind that I painted last year in Asbury Park, NJ. The mural was titled “The Power of Women” and was a pop-art representation of an empowered women with Ruth Bater Ginsburg in the reflection of her sunglasses. While painting this mural, I had little girls come up to me with huge smiles on their faces asking to take pictures and some flexing their muscles to show me how strong they are. I talked to many women who thanked me for representing them and others even tearing up when seeing my work. For the past year I have had over 200 people take pictures with the mural and tell me how much it meant to them. It is really heart-warming to know that my work can make so many people happy and it is the drive that makes being an artist worthwhile.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Artist make cities a more beautiful place to live in, however they are oftentimes undervalued. I have always believed that an amazing mural will draw in a huge crowd for a business wherever it is. Community comes together with art and I wish that more businesses were open to trusting artists with their vision. Even if it isn’t a mural, hanging local artists’ work is free and helps both the business and the artist gain exposure. There are so many ways you can support the arts in your community and I think that valuing the arts in beneficial to everyone.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.courtneymakesart.com
- Instagram: @courtney_makes_art
- Facebook: @CourtneyMakesArtOfficial
Image Credits
@redflaremedia photography