We recently connected with Cristall Harper and have shared our conversation below.
Cristall, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?
Burnout is a devastating situation for a creative person. I recently came out of the longest burnout period I’ve ever had as a painter. It was both unexpected and stressful.
I resolved it by leaning into rest. Even if I wasn’t actively painting, I was storing feelings and experiences away that come out later as art. I also talked to a trusted friend and my husband. I slept. I cleaned my studio. I went through references. And I started with a small, play project. Then I did a big painting, another big painting, and I feel like I’m back in the groove.
Good music in the studio also helped me feel like being there. I also hung some fun and meaningful things on the walls to reclaim the space as “mine” again.
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 am an oil painter living in Utah, USA. I am represented by fine art galleries in WY, AZ and TX. My website is cristallharper.com. I paint animals, flowers and seascapes. My dog paintings are probably the most popular.
I started out by painting my own yellow lab for fun. That grew into a career. I never thought people would buy my dog paintings! I just loved painting them because they made me happy.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I joined a gallery and had such low sales that I was asked to pick my work up 6 months later. Four years went by, I called the gallery and asked for another chance believing my work had improved, and went on to be their top commission artist.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I have had to unlearn that other artists are my competition. Other artists are my tribe! When one of us succeeds, we all succeed. There are plenty of collectors for all of us to have success. Be graceful during your slow times, and grateful during your high-selling times.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cristallharper.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristallharper/
Image Credits
cristall harper