We were lucky to catch up with Courtney Schoeberlein recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Courtney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

I hope my art leaves a lasting imprint. I have always wanted to produce art that makes people feel something. I love to tug at emotions and heart strings, look back in nostalgia, and create dreamy environments that feel inviting and invigorating. I hope that the impressions I create will long-outlast my physical form. I hope that people will say that I was tenacious and passionate and refused to quit. I hope I inspired others.

Courtney, 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?

I am an illustrator and poster artist from Baltimore, MD. I’ve been drawing since the moment I picked up my first crayon. Art has been a huge part of my life and story from as long as I have memories, as has music. I was raised in a very creative and musically-focused environment and self-expression has always been an important part of who I am. These two themes led me down a path early on of wanting to create art for the music industry.

I pride myself on expressive and emotive artwork that invites the viewer to immerse themselves in the composition. I love flowing and swirling lines and organic, whimiscal shapes that move the eye throughout a piece. I think one thing that sets me apart is my devotion to lettering, especially custom and hand-drawn type. I love to play with how letters interact with each other and the surrounding elements of a piece. My work often centers on the divine feminine and the female form. It’s always been an outlet to visualize myself in other bodies and roles and create a world of imagination.

My work honors the natural world with lots of flowing florals, water, vines and botanical elements. Nature is my greatest inspiration and favorite place to be.

My creative process varies, but in general I begin inquiries with learning as much as I can about a client, band, business and immersing myself in their brand and aesthetics for inspiration. I hand-draw all of my work and always begin with pencil and paper before moving onto my tablet and laptop for the graphic side of things. I strive to be a lightning rod for creative energy and to be able to channel the customer’s experience and requests into a visual representation.

I also love working with branding and identity systems like logos and wordmarks and especially love working with new or growing businesses to convey their brand. My work can be seen on posters, clothing, murals and even hanging in galleries. Being an artist is everything to me, and a huge part of my motivation is to share my creativity and expression with others.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I’ve had many pivoting experiences. I worked for a few years in healthcare after graduating college. I was struggling to find clients and establish my style and footing in the art world. I also spent decades in the food and beverage service industry before finally taking the plunge into launching my business. I was working long weeks and late nights and I had never felt so uninspired and lost. All I wanted to do was create and draw and I felt my wings had been clipped. It was a major risk, but I reached a point where I couldn’t keep my dreams on the sideline any longer and the rest is history.

How did you build your audience on social media?

This was a years upon years-long battle, and the world of social media is constantly changing and seemingly stacking up against visual creators with the algorithm and strange functionality. My social media growth has always been slow and organic, similar to my career trajectory. It’s important to engage with others and find accounts that are producing content in a similar arena to follow and create acquaintances. The support and wise words of my artistic peers have been invaluable on this journey. Social media gives us such an important opportunity to connect with and support other creatives and I can’t stress the value of this enough. Support other people who are on a similar path to you! Share stories, stress and tips as much as you can and make sure to keep your perspective wide and eyes open. Trends change constantly, technology shifts, but art and camaraderie is forever. My advice would be to maintain consistency, keep making art for yourself and keep social media secondary, but utilize its tools and connectivity to grow and help others to do the same. Like and share other people’s work. Amplify each other. Show support and be excited for your friends!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theplantedpen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theplantedpen
• Facebook: The Planted Pen – Illustration and Posters