We were lucky to catch up with Heather Nagy recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Heather thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
All of the time. I love what I do, but it can be a lot of a waiting game as an artist. You continue to create pieces you love, you press on looking for opportunities and you wait. I left my job as a graphic designer to pursue becoming a full-time artist in 2018. I’ve always loved having creative outlets and dreamed of being an artist as a child. Yet as a young adult I was still finding my style and voice and wasn’t ready to be painting full time. So I studied graphic design and worked in that field for almost 20 years. Creating more traditional art was something I did just for me, carving out time to do something that was life-giving. However, there was a growing discontent. A desire to do more, to put my art out for the world to see, to make a go of it. After many conversations, research, and reading I took the leap.I have no regrets about taking the next step to see what life would look like as a full-time artist. It’s helped me better see the world around me and appreciate the beauty that can be found all around us if we take the time to look. It has been a steep learning curve of all the components of running a small business, finding outlets to show my work, and learning how to utilize different tools like social media for marketing purposes. Just as I was gaining momentum in early 2020 the world was turned upside down with Covid. Shows were canceled, and galleries closed. There was so much uncertainty, and some of that remains to this day. There are plenty of times I think it would be easier doing something where you put in the hours and a paycheck is guaranteed. And while I might take on side projects I still really want to make this work, so I keep painting and keep looking for new opportunities. I think it’s really important that while you are aware of what other artists are doing, and how much success they are having, don’t get bogged down in spending too much time comparing your journey to others. Everyone will be different. What I have found to be really helpful is to look back and compare where I am today to a year ago, or more. To see that although progress is often slower than I would like, it is happening. Take the time to see if you are selling more than last year, what new venues are working, what’s not, etc.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I’ve always done art on the side, from dried gourds, mixed media, and oil pastels to home decor projects, jewelry, and sewing. Several years ago I stumbled onto the work of landscape artist Erin Hanson. Her work took my breath away and renewed a desire to paint the world around me. As I made the leap to a full-time artist I knew I needed to be able to find inspiration locally. I need to find scenes that inspired me in Orlando, FL where I am based. One morning I drove downtown and spent an hour walking around the beautiful Lake Eola. It’s a wonderful park in the middle of the city. I took over a hundred photos and was excited as I looked through them to find so many scenes that I wanted to paint. After painting over a dozen scenes I submitted them for consideration to a public artwork program that gives artists solo shows in City Hall. It was my dipping my toe in the water to see how others would respond to my work. They contacted me the next day, loving what I had done and wanting to see more. So I launched as a professional artist with a solo show at City Hall in winter 2018. From there I looked for other opportunities to show in galleries and, with a friend’s encouragement, participated in a few art festivals. It grew from there, I’ve been honored to have at least one solo show a year at various galleries and venues and continue to participate in multiple art festivals around the state. A few hotels in the area licensed reproductions of the work for their hotels. It was really rewarding to be chosen as the poster artist of the Winter Park Autumn art festival in 2019 and to be given awards at several different festivals for my paintings. My work is vibrant and hopeful and helps to remind myself and others to keep pressing on, there is hope out there. We all need beauty in our lives to encourage and help one rise out of the day-to-day routines. People love seeing places they know and love in my work. The pieces invite one to enjoy, to come and rest and reflect. I’ve also enjoyed doing a number of commissions to help create that perfect piece for loved ones.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
One of the most practical ways to support artists is to buy their artwork. I purposefully create work in a variety of sizes and price points. Consider buying from an artist rather than something you find in a big chain store. If your budget is limited consider buying a fine art print from the artist. Promote artists you love on your own social media accounts and encourage your friends to check them out! I’m grateful for venues to show my work, but to keep painting having admirers and complements doesn’t pay the bills.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
We all grew up hearing/watching/reading fairy tales. I live on the doorstep of Disneyworld! As Americans, we are encouraged to dream big, that you can do anything you set your mind to, the sky’s the limit. I think creatives especially cling to those dreams. I love being a professional artist, and yet find myself often wishing things would move faster. Unless you already have made a name for yourself in some other way being an artist is all about perseverance. There is no sudden being discovered and suddenly seeing everything sell immediately. You keep creating work you love, that you also think others will respond to, and you keep looking for opportunities to get your work in front of those who will appreciate and buy art. It can take a while to see traction, I remember early on I would try every other month to look back to what I’d accomplished that month. For example, I got my website up and running, I submitted my portfolio to these places, I made my first reel on Instagram, etc. When the world turned upside down with covid a lot of artists were panicking. Galleries shut down, festivals were canceled. I kept making work and kept putting it up online. Kept looking for other opportunities. I managed to see sales stay level with the previous year despite all the setbacks, and 2022 saw a double in sales. Having a supportive family and a few key artist friends was key in not giving up, and helping me gain perspective.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://heather-nagy.pixels.com/
- Instagram: @heather.nagy
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HLNagyArt/
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HeatherNagyArt https://heatherlnagyart.wordpress.com/exhibits/
Image Credits
all photos taken by myself