Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erica Putis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Erica thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
Ever since I was a little kid I have always been creating. Whether it was making clothes for my Barbies or making jewelry to sell to my fellow 3rd graders, I was always looking for ways to make something creative. My mother started and owned her own businesses, so I grew up knowing how to do it even if I didn’t know it at the time. I have spend the majority of my life learning different skills and putting them to use. If I can sell some things along the way, even better. In my pursuit of trying almost any creative task, I have gravitated towards a few different areas, finding it hard to pick just one.
In high school I was making lots of jewelry, painting and learning how to sing. After college I was determined to be a rock star and for years I learned the craft of playing and recording music. I moved to California and while being in bands, I also started my own company which makes skin care/makeup products, jewelry, clothes and home decor. It was also during this time that I decided to start writing books and painting again. So to this day, these are my favorite areas of being creative. I will often go where the energy takes me and every time I work on something I’m honing my craft along with my love of each object.
Erica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Erica Putis and I am an artist, musician, writer and business owner. I have a few website but EricaPutis.com has them all linked. I currently live in Tucson, Arizona but I have lived on both coasts of the US. The process of living in different areas and meeting different people has led me to live a very interesting life, learning lots of skill sets along the way. With the day jobs and creative endeavors I’ve had over the years, I have learned how run a business with clients, create products, marketing and have been inspired and motivated the whole time.
As an artist, I normally work in oils and focus on nature and science. My website is EricaPutisArt.com. I love seeing what humans have learned through technology and what we are doing to the Earth and what Earth will do whether we are around or not. I have a three part series entitled, “Natural Destruction,” “Man Made Destruction,” and “Finding A New Future.” It’s fascinating to see our current state and to imagine what our future will be on this little planet. I also love plants so I have a series entitled, “The Study of Plants” which is simply paintings of plants and flowers in all of their glory. I also have one other series entitled, “Science Imagined” that is loosely based on science but allows me to use my creative license while still being interesting to look at.
As a musician, I currently make indie/electropop recordings. My website is JulicaDann.com. I realized I wanted to do music when I joined my first band in college. For years I played in bands, learning the bass and always singing. We played out, got radio support, toured, recorded many albums and had tons of fun. While I enjoyed playing in bands, I started to like recording my own solo music more. That’s when I created my stage name Julica Dann and started releasing music and music videos. I have a vintage drum machine and a few instruments to record with and I try to do a music video for every song I release. I find it really satisfying to be the sole creator although I do still collaborate with other musicians here and there. I am currently working on my second album and can’t wait to show it to everyone.
As a writer, I feel I still have a lot to learn but I am enjoying the in depth process it takes to create a novel. My website is EAPutis.com. I have written two books so far. When I was living in San Diego, CA I was working a day job that allowed me to work on the computer and write my whole first book. It was a blessing in disguise because I found I loved to write stories. I had always written lyrics but stories where a whole new beast. I first wrote and self-published a young adult fairy-tale entitled, “The Girl of the Song” and a few years later when I decided to move back to Vermont, I wrote a short travel book entitled, “Trip into the Almost Unknown.” Thankfully, I had my trusty editor/brother to help me polish these two books. I am currently writing my first fiction novel and I’m loving the space for details and the intense process of this craft.
As a business owner, I am selling all natural skincare/makeup products along with jewelry, clothing, candy and home decor. My website is SecretForestSphere.com. Back in the early days of my business I was creating only clothing and would do fashion shows and photo shoots, helping with hair and makeup. It was while learning these skills that I was also helping my friend doing wedding makeup. I realized that I really wanted to take care of my skin better with products that had less harmful chemicals, so I started researching and learning how to do just that. I personally didn’t want to be spending money on products for my skin, the biggest organ humans have, that were not good for me and I fell in love with what I made and just had to try to sell them. I had also been taking a silver-smithing course to step up my jewelry game so I decided to add jewelry to the website along with some small pieces of art. I also love chocolate and candy so making that from scratch was intriguing as well. I am still learning but I’m excited to share what I have created with everyone.
I hope that, through all of my endeavors and learning I can bring joy into other people’s lives. If I can enhance someone’s life through art, music, books, skin products, candy, clothes or jewelry I will be happy. I can’t stop creating. It is the drive to my existence. But if I can make someone’s life a little better, then that’s a pretty good legacy to have!
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
If society wants to support artist, PLEASE, please, please buy what they are selling. It is so difficult to make a living with your creative endeavors, especially when you have huge conglomerates selling things at a much cheaper price, that was probably made at a factory. When you buy from an artist or small business you are literally helping them put food on the table or pay bills. I personally don’t have a lot of money, so I understand the struggle when Amazon is just a click away and so much cheaper, but I still try to buy from small business owners/artists when I can swing it. A lot of artists don’t want to focus on the money or business side of things but if they want to buy supplies and have time to create they have to have some kind of income.
It all comes full circle. When society buys from an artist/small business they are helping the artist community and local community which encourages a better economy. It also enhances individual lives when you know you are supporting something you care about. If you love the product, tell your friends and go to art shows. Every little things counts and we can all help each other out to make a better world, full of empathy and creativity.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being an artist is sharing my work with others. I create because I am driven, curious and love learning but after I complete something I really enjoy sharing it. It could be the instant gratification that social media provides but I think it goes deeper than that. When you share it with others you are sharing a piece of yourself. Art is a form of communication and when another person sees, likes or relates to what you create it forms a connection that could not be there otherwise. That kind of connection is very special and unique and should not be taken for granted. I truly love when someone is drawn towards any of my work or products. Wanting to feel understood and appreciated is an intrinsic human need and I find is so rewarding when it happens to me. So, thank you to everyone who has supported, encouraged and connected with me. Your kindness does not go unnoticed!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ericaputis.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericaputis/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erica.putis
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erica-putis-26a97b5
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/eputis
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@eputis99
Image Credits
Image Credit: Erica Putis