We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful EILEEN CORSE. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with EILEEN below.

EILEEN, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I am a full-time professional artist. What does that mean? To me, it means several things.
First, that I have a studio that is separate from my home.
Second, I go to “work” at my studio every day.
Third, I make my living from selling my art.

A studio can be in a building in your backyard. It can also be a part of your home that is solely used for your art. My studio is in a shop in a retail area, and I have a separate storefront room where I receive visitors.

I spend a lot of time in my studio. It is not just where I create paintings. It is also where I research subject matter and map out my next projects. My studio is where I research and design my ads that appear in many well-know art magazines and home magazines. It is also where I spend time building my social media platforms and where I am interviewed for articles, just at this one.

I never imagined, when I set out to be an artist, that I could actually make a living solely working as an artist. But, it happened! It happened through tough, hard work and dedication to promoting myself and getting “on the map”. Hours and hours are spent researching galleries, researching the best avenues for advertising and just plain getting out there.

So many artists think about selling their work locally. But I like to think bigger: Regionally? Nationally? Globally? Why Not? It takes real hard work to get there and an artist must be committed to achieving the goals they set for themselves.

One must learn to ignore the “nay-sayers” and keep the vision strong. I like to explore new and different techniques or applications or even subject matter. It keeps me free to try new things. It keeps my work fresh.

I am very blessed, I KNOW, to say I am a professional artist, and I try to “give back” to other artists who haven’t quite made it yet by hosting informational sessions on self promotion. I like to think that I have helped some artists achieve all they are destined to.

I look forward to new and different ways to apply my talent for the visual arts. Who knows what’s around the corner!

EILEEN, 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?

When I was young, I was discouraged on becoming an artist. The reason? “Artist starve” and “Artists don’t make any money”. So, I went to school and became a court reporter — working completely on the opposite side of the creative brain. I struggled through 15 years of that job. It wasn’t until I gave birth to my third child at the age of 41 that I was free to follow my art dream.

It all started with a drawing class that I sat in for nine months. My instructor suggested that I enter a “Black & White” local show. So I did a charcoal drawing of cypress trees in a swamp (something I am familiar with) and entered it in the show. At the reception I was flabbergasted when they called my name for an award….nearly brought to tears!

That lead me to paint. First, I tried watercolor, and that didn’t spark my interest much. Then, I tried acrylics. I liked the application method, but hated the fast-drying paint. I also most disliked the fact that the blues always seemed to dry darker than when I applied them, making me repaint and repaint. Then, I found my beloved oils. After finding oils, I could finally concentrate on building my skills.

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

To me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is two-fold.

First, it really touches my heart when a client loves what I’ve created. Once, there was a very nice woman who contacted me to create a painting that would resemble her son playing in the pool. Turns out that she’d lost her son at age 17 to meningitis. I tell you, it was a difficult job, and all I could think of was how sad was it that he was gone. The model for the painting was my own son, which made it even more difficult. When she received the painting, she said she and her friend unpacked it and many tears flowed.

So many clients have contacted me after receiving their “work of art” with touching stories. It’s what makes my job unique and gratifying.

Secondly, I am in contact with many aspiring artists who seek advise. I am happy to give what advice I can. I have gone through many of the conflicts that face them now, and can give advice on how I personally made it through those difficult times.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

A few years after I started painting, I had a small studio and was teaching other artists. Soon, I outgrew the space and needed more space to teach. I came upon a storefront that was, I thought, too big…but I bit the bullet and rented it.

That’s when I opened my fine art gallery. I represented and promoted 40 other artists. I also hosted nationally known artists to come to the gallery and teach painting workshops.

Then the real estate market crashed and the next eight years were a struggle. During those years, however, I began to develop my painting technique.

After those eight years, I finally decided to promote myself instead of being a gallery owner promoting others. I moved two doors down to a slightly smaller space and opened my own art studio. Since then, being able to devote all my time to my own art, my business has increased exponentially.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.eileencorse.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eileen.corse/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eileen.corse/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNu3IX-OsEEPQy2tIdRb34A