We recently connected with Denise Plant and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Denise, thanks for joining us today. Are you 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?

As a child, money was never a thought when I dreamed of having an art career. I wanted to follow my passion of telling stories through fun, colorful, even entertaining artwork. Unfortunately I had to learn the hard way that, “you can’t buy the necessities of life” (Alan Arkin in Edward Scissorhands) without having and income!

While I was at home raising my three children I looked everywhere to find freelance or part-time design work. This was extremely frustrating and the work I was finding was the kind of work no one wanted. It wasn’t until I was put into a position where I had to work full-time that I could see where the money-making opportunities are for creatives. Sadly, I didn’t get to be the one making creative decisions at this job, I was stuck in a cubicle filing paperwork all day, but I learned from watching the in-house marketing team what skills were most valued/needed in the corporate world.

Many creative needs lie within product development, packaging, and advertising. These things were never on my radar as an art student. I stuck with my cubicle job for a year and a half while I looked for any creative job openings. I finally found one, though it paid nearly nothing, the actual work was a blast–creating products for food crafting. I continued to learn and enhance my design skills while always on the lookout for better opportunities.

Fast forward six years. I am now the Creative Director of a start-up company called Craft-Rite. I use the knowledge I have gained from every job, including retail, to do what I do for my current position. While in that first cubicle job I thought of Malcom Gladwell’s quote that it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. I held on to that idea and thought if I could plug away working full-time as a designer I would hit that mark in five years. I still have plenty to learn, but I appreciate how far I have come.

Denise, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I don’t expect many people to know my work. I am mostly a “behind the scenes” creative.

As I have grown as a designer (I say designer because I feel it encompasses everything I do), I discovered a passion for product development, especially in products that allow others to be creative! At the company I currently work for, Craft-Rite, my team and I design craft kits for customers to “DIY”. My goal is to make these kits easy to use and when complete have beautiful results regardless of the creator’s skill level. Currently, you can find our craft kits at HomeGoods under the Creative Outlet brand.

To fulfill my other creative passions I run a small business selling my illustrated greeting cards and retro knick knacks at art markets and craft fairs. You can find some of this work on my website at www.deniseplant.com.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I have been laid off A LOT! Unfortunately in the corporate world, big decision makers don’t always see the value in a creative team. Often the creative team is one of the first to get cuts in major lay-offs. I have learned that it’s important to not let these things convince you that you are a failure. I actually love the thick skin I have developed in the process. I am able to see things in a more logical way–which is definitely not in my nature. Most lay-offs that happen have nothing to do with the person getting laid off. The biggest reason is a mismanagement of funds, so don’t agonize over it! Sometimes it has everything to do with the person getting laid off–I say USE that as a way to propel you in a new direction. Take advantage of the time you have in unemployment to really assess what you want.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I love seeing other people enjoy my work! Whether it be a funny greeting card or a special holiday decoration, having another person appreciate, love, and spend hard earned money on your product is such a treasure to me. Many of my repeat customers value the work and creativity that goes into a handmade product. They love shopping small and having one-of-a-kind items you can’t find in the big box stores.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.deniseplant.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/denise_plant/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denise-plant/