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

Emily , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

My path as an artist has often been a sharply winding road, but ultimately I think everything happened with divinely perfect timing. Although I had an unfulfilled dream of being a painter for as long as I can remember, all seemingly unrelated life experiences led in one direction for me, guaranteeing that when I finally had the guts to try painting at age 40, I was ready to use my life experiences to be able to make smart decisions in my path towards becoming a professional artist.

Like for many young creatives, society had me believing that (except for a few magnificent outliers) all artists are “starving artists,” and there is no living to be made from art. So even though I got my undergraduate degree in art, I chose the ‘safe path’ and went for a degree in art education instead of in studio art, which in retrospect, is my only regret on this winding path of mine. What I would give now to have endless hours in a studio with no cares in the world except for my work!

In my late 20s, when it became abundantly clear that teaching was not going to be a good fit for me, I took it as a sign from the universe that I should actually follow my heart and open up a small gift shop/gallery featuring the products of local artisans- from which began what I tend to consider how I got my “PhD” in How to Be an Artist.

Although I wasn’t ready to begin painting yet, over the next six years I was able to work closely with all types of artisans. Jewelers, Printmakers, Painters, Ceramicists, and more would sell their work with me. It was a dream! I loved being surrounded by artists and their beautiful creations. From these relationships, I got to see such a wild variety of styles in how artists work. I had a front row seat to watching and learning how some artists could make a career from their artwork while others couldn’t seem to make it work, and I started to see a pattern. I took lots of mental notes during this phase of life.

While running the store, I always had an idea of the exact type of artwork that I wanted in my store, but couldn’t find anyone making that style. I remember one day thinking, I have a vision of EXACTLY what I want, maybe I should try making it! I had just turned 40 and it felt like a ‘now or never’ moment, either I was going to paint in this lifetime or I wasn’t, and it was time to decide and take action.

It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t quick, but I found the time, and I finally started painting. I bought books, I studied, I watched tutorials, I experimented and made a LOT of horrible paintings. After about a year of this I finally had a handful of paintings that I liked and I asked a local cafe if I could try showing my work there. Oh boy it was a scary step to take, but almost every single one of those paintings sold in that show.

I was in heaven! I finally began painting, and slowly it became just as important to me as my shop, and I realized that I could either be super stressed trying to do two things well, splitting my energy, or I could choose one and do it really well. I chose art. In 2020, during the pandemic, I closed my store for good and began focusing on my career as a painter. I could not be happier, and I think the timing was JUST RIGHT.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Emily Anderson is a painter of bright, joyful expressionist landscapes; she strives to portray the lightness and beauty of nature in her paintings, steering away from the more somber, serious landscape paintings one often tends to see.

Emily’s love for the outdoors deeply inspires her artwork; the urge to capture the beauty of endangered areas and the decreasing sacred spaces within nature is a driving force that keeps her creating.

Forests and bodies of water are ever-present companions in Emily’s life, whether during her time spent on the coastal shores of Central California, on her daily walks along the St. Croix River in Marine on St. Croix, MN, or on seasonal trips to the family cabin on Lake Superior. Emily hopes to explore the oceans and forests of the world, painting their beauty, with hopes that the paintings can continue to tell a story that is bigger than us.

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

I will never forget the moment I saw a sticker that said “YOU ARE NOT TOO OLD AND IT IS NOT TOO LATE.”

I know, I know, forty is when life really starts, but man, it messes with you when you’re turning a new decade! I had so many stories that I told myself 40 should be, and it certainly didn’t include trying out a new career that most try out in their 20s – especially when my current career choice was going swimmingly. But I saw that sticker right at the perfect moment and I thought to myself “YES. I am NOT too old, and it is NOT too late.”

It’s easy to tell yourself stories of ‘should’ and ‘supposed to’ but truly, as long as you are making responsible choices, I firmly believe that life is short, we get one chance at this thing, and changing things up when you are passionate about them can only bring good things to this time we have.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The absolute most wonderfully rewarding aspect of being an artist is when someone connects with my artwork.

I have had countless people tell me stories from their youth, or stories about time they spent with their grandparents, or meaningful moments in a particular place that my artwork brings them right back to. I have had people cry because of the way my artwork makes them go right back to a moment or a place in their lives. That feeling cannot be surpassed. It’s my absolute favorite.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.emilyandersonartwork.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/emily_anderson_art
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/emilyandersonartwork