Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Erica True. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Erica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I knew I was going to have an art career pretty early in life. I can’t remember when exactly I made that decision, but I can tell you that I drew my first picture when I was two or three years old. The picture was of some fish on a napkin that was lying on the kitchen table. I had asked my mom for some tape because I wanted to use it to simulate the glass of a fish bowl.

When I started applying to art schools, my mother told me that story and that she knew there and then that I would be going into the arts in some capacity.

I guess when you draw or build something almost every minute or everyday, you don’t really have to think about what you want to do for the rest of your life, it’s so innate. It was scary, though, because you start applying to art schools, and you don’t know if you’re going to be one of the lucky people that gets to actually make a living doing something you love. In fact, the career services center at the school I later attended would suggest art as a side hustle, rather than a full-time job!

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

My background is pretty unique. Downright bizarre!

So I majored in metalsmithing, but almost as soon as I graduated CAD design became de rigueur, everyone and their mom started selling jewelry on Etsy for pennies on the dollar, and I just didn’t want to work in a jewelry warehouse. So, six years after graduating art school, I found a job engraving firearms… on Craigslist. I didn’t have any experience with firearms, nor am I a gun nut in any way, shape, or form (sometimes I’d even get to engrave a sword), and I had no idea this job existed until I interviewed for it. I got paid more than minimum wage to basically draw on metal for 8-10 hours a day. I did this for eight years. The sexism, as you can imagine, was exquisite. I hated this job, and I really can’t believe I did it for as long as I did, but it really did sharpen my skills. I’m not one for saying nice things about myself, but I started as a decent enough artist, and left able to recreate photos.

Oh, and I engraved a rifle to fundraise for the US Shooting Team. I helped send them to London.

I found my next job on Instagram. I had been considering tattooing as an easy way out of engraving miserable guns, and I started following as many local tattoo artists as possible. My next boss was a gun nut, following me on Insta for my time-lapse videos of engraving. Tattooing sounds like fun, but then you realize that you’re at the whim of whoever you’re tattooing. I’m also not one for making small talk, I have severe social anxiety. It had not occurred to me that this was going to be an issue. I just hadn’t thought of it. On top of this, I was only booking very simple tattoos and I like a challenge. Otherwise, what’s the point? I try to grow a little bit every day.

I was depressed. When the pandemic started, it only got worse. The tattoo shop’s culture kept changing. I saved every tip I made, and promised myself I could quit in a year. I got a letter from my old engraving job about my 401k, and I talked to my husband about my plans to just quit and freelance whenever possible. “I can’t tell you what to do, but life is too short to be that miserable,” he answered. So I cashed out part of my savings and started a business. No one else was going to do this for me, and it wasn’t going to just happen out of nowhere. I finally realized that it was up to me.

That Christmas season, I started taking commissions for portraits. I can paint anything, but I really prefer pets. There’s just something about seeing a smiling dog that fills my heart with joy. The human customers are great, too! I had never felt appreciated in any other work environment before, and I never really thought I ever would.

Honestly, it’s still a little slow, but I can not remember the last time I was this consistently happy. I’d much rather have my mental health than sadness mixed with money.

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

At the end of the day, I make all my own decisions. I don’t have to explain myself to anyone. There’s certain behaviors that a lot of creatives exhibit that non-creatives don’t necessarily understand. There’s a lot of neurodivergence in our community. Since I work alone, I don’t have to stop what I’m doing mid-task to explain how my brain processes a project. I can just do it. It’s a deep breath of fresh air.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Something that has bothered me since I was a teen is the tendency for most schools to first cut arts programs when there are budgetary issues. The sports team gets new uniforms every year, but we can’t buy the art room some acrylic paint and the band has to wear ratty hand-me-downs. Why can’t the football team do their own damn fundraising? Why do they have to take it out of the arts? The arts programs enhance creativity and, subsequently, problem-solving. This can easily be applied to whatever future career a child chooses. Football just leads to CTE.

That’s just me being angry, and I’ll understand if you cut that out.

It boils down to nurturing creativity in children. It’s beneficial to get young minds working creatively, not just from an artistic standpoint. The nurturing of creativity would enhance problem-solving in the long run. A young mind stuck in a proverbial box may suffer later in life simply because they can’t look at a problem from another point of view.

I had a friend when I was a kid who was very artistic, but her mother wouldn’t allow her to pursue her interests, and my friend ended up turning to drugs. I don’t think that non-creatives understand that there’s this unseen energy in us that needs to come out, or it can be destructive. I know it can be difficult to understand but we just need more supportive, empathetic people to support us.

Contact Info:

• Website: ericalikespainting.com
• Instagram: @erica.true