We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Courtney Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Courtney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Being an artist and following the creative path in life is the first thing I ever remember wanting as a kid. Proof can be found in the piles of yellowed 90s grade school worksheets my mom kept. If you dig deep enough, you’ll find my answer, “Artist”, scrawled in uneven disjointed letters under “What do you want to be when you grow up?” The answer switched to “Teacher” a few years later when I learned Artist was seemingly impractical and borderline impossible.

Fast forward 20 years of me toeing the line of responsible job by day and artist by night, I finally realized I’ll never feel fulfilled in life if I don’t pursue art full time – and soon. This moment happened a couple months into my “big break” desk job that would “solve” all my problems. After weeks of staring at my computer screen unable to focus on my tasks because I was daydreaming about creative personal projects, I finally broke. I finally accepted that I can’t make myself live the life I was taught to want.

I need to dedicate myself to my art. That’s the only thing that makes sense to me now.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I’ve been a printmaker for eight years now. I had never heard of or tried printmaking until I took the Intro to Printmaking class at my university as an art elective for my BFA program and was immediately hooked. I enjoyed the brain-melting seemingly reverse thought process of planning a print. All the inks, chemicals, materials, and presses intrigued my short attention span and satisfied my desire for constant change. It was mentally engaging (and emotionally exhausting at some points) to learn the various methods of printmaking, but I loved every moment in the studio.

Now, I primarily focus on creating black and white relief prints of landscapes I feel connected to. These are usually places I have visited from road trips, backpacking adventures, and rock climbing escapades. Creating prints of landscapes and nature scenes helps me hold onto the feeling of wholeness I get when I’m out in the wilderness and disconnected from the hustle and bustle of city life. My art is intended to share this sense of peace and calm with viewers. I hope a significant memory or feeling resurfaces for them as it did for me when I first gazed upon these landscapes.

As an artist, I think I am still in the emerging phase, so I haven’t yet achieved any of my major goals. I am really proud of myself for getting this far with art, specifically participating in local shows and selling my work online. I am immensely grateful that people seem to enjoy my art as much as I enjoy making it, and I try to appreciate the many privileges I have experienced that helped me get to where I am.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Connecting with people. I’ve met so many incredible people through either going to art events or chatting about my art with someone. It’s really moving to hear what my work means to others. Everyone feels drawing to it in a different way. Some people love the technical skill of printmaking and others feel deeply emotional about certain landscapes I’ve made prints of. To know a piece of art I created holds this space in someone’s mind keeps me motivated to make and share more work.

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

I started building my social media presence from scratch by creating a brand new Instagram instead of converting my personal one. Then I branched out to YouTube and TikTok to reach more people. I initially watched a TON of YouTube videos about growing on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Then started making content daily to see what worked and what didn’t. The platforms are always changing, so you have to be adaptable and jump on the newest features/trends fast.

My advice to someone getting started would be to look at the major accounts you follow that are related to your business. Analyze them for the content you like and see is doing well, then tailor that type of social post to your business. Most importantly, be yourself, have fun, and make content YOU like. If you’re not connected to what you’re posting, then others wont connect either. Social media is an awesome business tool and a great way to meet other creative or industry professionals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.smishstudio.com/
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/smishstudio
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD4odgLA6mItZXGRENhpSRA?view_as=subscriber