We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lakika Scott. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lakika below.
Lakika, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?
If I could go back in time, I would have obtained a degree in art/art history while in college. After a semester of graphic design and then art history, I changed my major (to Family and Consumer Sciences) in order to be more “employable”. After graduating college and entering the workforce, I still had a desire to be a creative in some capacity. For years, while working a traditional 9-5, I decided to be a fashion designer. I was able to showcase my designs in fashion shows, a professional stylists bootcamps and designer showcases. Meanwhile, I was doing some painting in my spare time. I would soon venture more into working with acrylic paint and chalk mediums. I hosted my very first paint party for a good friend in 2017. The rest is history. Looking back, I wish I had not listened to naysayers as I think I could possibly be further along as I would have been equipped with more art history and a better understanding of the market. All of which I am learning through trial and error.
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 am a mobile paint party instructor, artist, and coach. I have been a visual artist for as long as I can remember. It wasn’t until I graduated high college that I realized how valuable and unique my talents were. Just as I am an artist, I’m also a character coach with FCA. The two seem non-related, but they are extremely critical in the success of my business. I started hosting paint parties as a mobile paint party instructor in 2017. Paint parties were really popular and trendy during this time, so it was an extremely competitive industry. Luckily, I wasn’t limited in my skill set. While I was hosting paint parties, I was also creating chalk art/chalkboards for individuals. I was building a local clientele without knowing. My approach to hosting parties started to be more about motivating individuals during the process of giving paint instructions. I prided myself in making correlations between painting and life. I started to focus more on my skill as a coach to provide a more interactive experience for participants/clients. I received a great deal of positive feed-back and I knew that my approach was something that sets me a part. I was limited to traveling around the mid-state until I received my first invitation to travel to Huntsville, AL in 2018. I was not only using canvas and paint, but I extended my services to include painting wine bottles, vinyl records, and wine glasses. All the while, I was incorporating my creative works into my coaching sessions and was able to host sessions with college students, churches, and local community centers. I was on the roll. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I was forced to pivot and provide instruction virtually. This was absolutely terrifying, but an opportunity of a lifetime. I was contacted and referred by a residence experience-tenant retention agency that wanted me to host paint parties virtually (for wellness) to their residential community clients. I was hosting up to 5 parties a month to residential communities all around the country. The tenants absolutely loved the experience and had only great reviews. After that, I realized I had something special. That was 6 years ago. Since then, I ‘ve hosted private parties at homes and business venues. I’ve hosted team building activities for corporations, colleges, and churches. I’ve also partnered with local businesses, community centers, and vendor events. I was even able to partner with a local winery for several events. Hosting paint party events has opened the door for me as a painter/artist as I was able to be a featured artist and showcase my work at a local art studio. The one thing I love most about what I do is the therapeutic element that painting brings. Participants are able to relax and even discover a skill they didn’t even know they have. In an instant, I’ve become their escape from the world and given them confidence to try something totally different. That is rewarding in every way possible. I love what I do and how it makes people feel. How each individual starts uncertain with a blank canvas and leaves with a smile and finished masterpiece that they can be proud of.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
There were always moments where I felt like this wouldn’t work. I’ve maintained a 9-5 throughout this, but I understand that it is necessary that I provide my service as paint party instruction whether that leads to full-time or not. It was during the pandemic when I was discouraged and second guessed whether I should still be a paint instructor. In late 2020, I had just accepted that I would only be able to host outside events due to the regulations set forth by the state. There were mandates restrictions on how many people that could gather. It was simply too much to work around. I didn’t feel like it was worth it, so I no longer marketed my services on social media. It was then, I got a direct message from an old high school friend who worked for the residential engagement services I’d later be contracted with. He expressed interest in hiring me for virtual paint parties. At that point, I had never given virtual instruction and wasn’t confident in my ability to do this. I was used to being hands-on and walking people step-by-step. I didn’t tell him that I’d never done that, but I agreed to a meeting with the owner of the business. Before that, I went on YouTube and watched various instruction techniques. My first virtual party was for residents that lived in Atlanta. I had to go “LIVE” on FB on their FB page. It was terrifying, because I didn’t have the privilege of seeing their work as I walked them through. I relied solely on their comments and my ability to effectively communicate. It paid off and it was a total success. After which, I was called on and contracted to do more and more jobs. Even after the pandemic, I was able to do provide this service in-person to residents in various gated communities in the Nashville area. This was the best uncomfortable chance I’d ever taken. It solidified what I knew, that what I was doing was helping a lot of people in a very dark time.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I have nieces and they are my “why”. I don’t have an expected outcome other than to strive to show up and show out for every event that I’m hired to be a part of. I don’t take it for granted that I have this gift and so I won’t marry the outcome. The journey is why I do this. The people I meet, who discover that they can and love to paint. The people who are tickled that this is an actual job! I want my nieces to know that they can do anything and that their gifts will make room for them. This doesn’t necessarily mean I will be some big time, world known paint instructor or artist. It simply means I’m leaving my mark on individuals encouraging them to practice self-care. I sometimes think about where I want this thing to go and then that would require some form of boundaries. I’ve pivoted and experienced so many lanes with being an artist. I’ve gone from being a calligrapher to a paint instructor in a matter of years. I won’t place in limitations on me now. I’ll keep going and we’ll see where this thing leads me. I love the mystery of the unknown.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.justbrushitoff.com
- Instagram: brushitoffwithlakika
- Facebook: Just Brush It Off
