We were lucky to catch up with Julie Waterkotte recently and have shared our conversation below.

Julie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?

So happy! Really I could not imagine doing anything else and I LOVE being my own boss! In the past (my early years 20/30s) I did have a regular job working for Electronic Arts. It was super fun, loved the industry and loved the people I worked with and of course I loved the paycheck LOL. But what it was missing was that spark. I had all these great ideas I wanted to contribute and was excited about, only to be delved down and mustered out. Over the course of the project there was SO much input and all the higher ups only saw their vision that individual creativity was flushed out. I was working long hours to get a job done that I was being directed to do every step of the way. Now as a creative this is something that is soul killing! My spark was dimming and i was getting to where I wasnt excited to contribute. Taking a step away and venturing out into the world for myself as my own boss who was in charge of her own creativity and paycheck may have seemed daunting, but it was thrilling at the same time. I had all these ideas in my head that needed to come out! And people wanted ME to help them create these ideas!
So my paint party business was born. It was a way to connect with others more on a soul level, where your cares fade away and you sit and create, talk with others and have fun, laugh, and meet new friends. My classes build confidence and get you out of your box trying something new! You gain new skills and understanding of an art form that you can carry home and do yourself :) I enjoy seeing women and men of all ages come to my studio a little apprehensive and leave stating they had the best night of their life and are amazed at themselves.
And I get to do this all on my time schedule! Being a single mom of 2 teens, life has me zipping and zagging every which way the wind blows :) So having a flexible schedule I can work around my family is key. This Friday we are taking an impromptu vacation day to just go spend time with each other in St Louis, and I didn’t even have to request time off with the boss!

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

I always knew I wanted to be an artist from a very early age. I’d look up at the stars armed with graphite pencils and a notepad and just start drawing. Anything I put to paper just came to life. I loved recreating houses, people, animals you name it and loved testing new mediums. Known through school as the artist in the group I was often asked to join art competitions, help build school floats and murals around town. Life was good, fulfilling and fun. On a deeper note it was a way for me to escape and create my own fantasy world within my art, you see my parents got divorced and my father checked out of the picture. My art helped to ground me, its who I was and you know with art NOTHING you do is wrong. So you are safe to explore. I needed that. I went on to college earning a bachelors in Graphic Design from The Illinois Institute of Chicago where I went on to work for EA Sports creating video games. It was so exciting and fast paced and I made lifetime friends at that Studio over the 13 years I was there. I became a more well rounded designer in the corporate world, meeting deadlines and making the higher ups happy. This job launched my freelance graphic design business with all the contacts and clients I made in the industry. I was able to lock down multiple 2 year contracts designing for these clients which allowed me to leave the 9-5 workforce and stay home with my child while working. At this time I also started to draw again just for me, anything that made me happy and my online design store was born: Odd Lot Paperie. I have an affinity for anything offbeat and unusual and I LOVE layering textures and graphics to create something unique…thus my offbeat wedding stationery brand was born and is still going to this day. A fan favorite is my pirate wedding invitations as well as my Rockabilly Wedding Suite.

But how does ALL that get us to my paint party business? Well here we go! 2 kids and 1 blindsided divorce later I needed another outlet that didnt involve a computer. I needed to be out of the house, meeting people and socializing. you see us creatives tend to hole up sometimes! LOl im totally guilty of it! Even to this day.

I was invited to a paint class by a friend, so I went and decided I didnt want to do what they were teaching but I wanted to paint. The teacher just smiled, and oh how I appreciate her tenacity to just let me be and do my own thing. That night while everyone else was creating flowers in a can, I was creating the largest octopus tentacle I could fit on my canvas. It was beautiful, it was crazy and it was just what I needed to feel free that night, free of the divorce, free of distractions, free of life. I was able to zone in and just create! What was my soul telling em? What were my hands wanting to create, what colors moved me. Its almost like the tentacle created itself. but the sense of calm joy I felt after I was done had me hooked. I created this with my bare hands. And then I looked around and at that moment I felt it…the calm of every person in that room and all their crap from life had left them for this evening. People were smiling, confidence was in the air as they were creating, commodory was had and there was so much JOY.

From that evening in Denton TX, The Enchanted Canvas Paint Parties was born. It has been my absolutely joyful mission to spread positivity through my art to everyone that comes and experiences a class with me. It started in Texas while I was rebuilding my soul and moved back to my hometown of Quincy Illinois with me where I grew up and am now living. I often tell people what I do materially, which is offer creative canvas painting classes and wood door hanger and wood project classes where you come paint and I walk you through it. But it is so much more…so much more!

When you come to one of my classes you really are entering into a whole new realm. Myself and others have made lifelong friendships at my paint classes, I have celebrated milestones in life with these individuals and have been embraced into their fold as a friend, we rally around each other. Ladies that come alone or are new to the city often find friends here and a sense of belonging. I have lifted others up when their spouse doubts their abilities and I make sure they leave with not only the best project EVER, but the confidence to know they can rock this project and they are amazing! I have been apart of families creating whole room decor for a new baby int he family, sharing their memories with me, laughing and laying it all out beside one another in these classes. My paint party classes will become the Village you have been searching for if you let them. In here we create more than just a pretty project..we create a lifetime of memories with unbelievable friendships.
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In my studio you can create whatever you please. I do offer structured painting classes where I pick 1 project and then the group makes just that project, such as a Bunny Door Hanger to display on your front door. Then we have Rogue Nights (Named after my very 1st paint class where i went rogue) where you can reserve a spot and do any project you wish. I have a website www.theenchantedcanvas.com where you can browse and I offer painting kits/classes to go and do provide a whole kit with instructions and some have a vide4o tutorial so you can do my classes at home even if you are not local. Adult and Kids.

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

I think supporting artists comes down to the very intricate level. We can start with right where we live. Instead of going to a large box store to grab something for you kid to paint, a coloring book etc. Look around and see how you can support your local artists. Perhaps a local artists is having an event you can show up at, offer encouraging words, ask them about their journey, get to know them a little bit. And if you can support them by honoring them with a purchase of their creative art in any way then do it :) You really are getting a personal piece of someone when you do that, rather than just purchasing something off a box box shelf store. And share, share our posts, give us a thumbs up on social media or leave a nice comment.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My goal with my art is healing. Art has the ability to take anyone to that place where they can just be. Just be free. Be themselves. Be Silent. Be whatever they want to be in that moment with any medium they choose. And when you are free enough to hear yourself, to feel yourself…you will be at peace. I want my art to heal.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theenchantedcanvas.com
• Instagram: theenchantedcanvasquincy
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEnchantedCanvasQuincy

Image Credits
Frericks Garden – Quincy Il Lori Miller The Venue – Quincy Angie Havens