We recently connected with Delisha and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Delisha, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

Thank you for having me here. Yes, I pursue Art full-time. The process has been a steady incline over the years, especially after I took my gifts more seriously. I didn’t know anyone who pursued Art as a Career. I didn’t know what that business model looked like, and I had to go and do the research myself. I worked at the Art Institute of Chicago, as a barista, that was a gift from God. Lol! Working there really helped me envision where I wanted to see my work one day, and it helped me step out of my comfort zone as a creative person. My journey has been a special one, and those experiences have manifested in my work. Life’s experiences. I wouldn’t change anything to speed up the process.

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 background and context?

My Name is Delisha, and I’m a creator/storyteller/artist from the West Side of Chicago. I grew up an ARMY brat, which means we moved a lot, which means… I didn’t have consistent friends. But, I had consistent books. My work grabs inspiration from children’s books, comics and media; examples like Bill Watterson, Jim Henson, and Dr. Suess. I’ve been drawing stories since I was a child, and strongly believe I spent most of adolescence exploring different styles of painting, sketching, and photography… without even knowing why. I’m blessed to be able to get those stories out now.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think non-creatives will struggle to understand why I didn’t take certain job opportunities when I had the chance too. And why I haven’t followed a more traditional career path. “Artist” usually has the word “starving” in front of it, when most think of it as a career. And I have a daughter. It takes a certain kind person to WANT to sit or stand in front of a canvas for hours, everyday. So, I understand why non-creatives may not understand. The beautiful thing about art is that it exists in soooo many different ways. Through architecture, fashion, science… landscaping; it’s all an art. We definitely have to change the narrative of what an artist can be.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I feel I had to unlearn is to not care too much about what people may think of me. At one point I wanted to fit in and be like everyone else on my block in Chicago. Peer pressure can be tough to break out of when you see what’s considered “normal”, and there’s no other options. No examples to help you escape the things you don’t agree with. So I had to go for what I believe in, and what I felt was best for me.
Moments like that you just have to take a step back from everything and rediscover yourself, without the influence of anyone.
Ary Rand’s “TheVirtue Of Selfishness” really helped me get through that moment.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: delisha____

Image Credits
Portrait fo Delisha: Taken by Kimberly Atwood (owner of Elephant Room Gallery)