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

Hi Kari, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I have been earning a full-time living from my creative endeavors on and off since graduating from art college in the early ’90s. I say “on and off” because at times my art has led to other ventures. Initially, upon graduating, I worked in high-end retail in the home decor industry, the owner of the store was an interior designer and asked me to do some decorative painting in her home; it was photographed by a design magazine, which led to me beginning a career as a decorative painter. After about 15 years of that (which included a stint working in the high-end antique industry), I grew frustrated that I hadn’t been doing any fine art painting; all my creative work was for others. I felt it was time to make a change, so I picked up a new medium – encaustic – and set up a studio. After a couple of years of honing my craft, I began showing at local outdoor art fairs and haven’t looked back since. Now my business is split between decorative painting – faux finishes, murals, and furniture painting and my first love, my fine art practice.

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

As a decorative artist, I work closely with interior designers and homeowners to create environments that reflect their personalities, I’d say this is my “day job”. As a fine artist, I paint in encaustic and oil, working through my own practice and on a commission base for collectors. Whether I am commissioned to paint a pet portrait for a collector or a mural for a home I do not stop until the client is 100% thrilled with the result.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I have a hard time with the term “God-given talent” I wish people would just stop using it – this is WORK, yes, there may a genetic predisposition to being creative, but the bottom line is we WORK at honing our craft. This doesn’t just “happen”. My work evolves because I am in my studio constantly painting; it is better than it was a year ago and will be better a year from now because I put the time in not because I was granted some creative superpower at birth. Sorry if this sounds harsh but folks really need to understand this…..

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

There are stages through the creative process where one may get stuck; I look at what I’m working on and think it’s utter garbage, nothing is working, I doubt my abilities, I doubt myself. Then I just stop “thinking” and start doing, hours pass in what seems like no time at all, and I look again, and I’m quite literally stunned – how did that happen? It’s done, it’s worked out, it’s that stage of flow where intuition and everything I have ever done, very brush stroke I have laid down in the past all come together. Creating something where nothing was before, being able to bring to fruition an idea or a feeling and have others see it, desire it, and ultimately own it is so gratifying. And to be honest, being able to house and feed myself from a vocation I love is amazing!

Contact Info: 

• Website: https://www.kariserrao.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kariserrao/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kari.serrao

Image Credits
Lori Ryerson for the image of me