We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lara Mann a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

While one day it would be amazing to fully be able to live off of my art, a very small amount of people are able to do this. My mantra has been “success is not linear” – some times I feel like a complete failure, but then other days I’m showing work, I’m selling work, and I’m regularly involved in my local art community. My success doesn’t look like one from a movie, but nonetheless I persist.

Making a living off of being a creator can manifest in many ways, especially with the way the internet has been these past 10 or so years. Some artists sell prints or jewelry on etsy. Some artists are influencers and are able to craft their social media to be easily digestible for the masses. Some artists are able to license their work to companies and are sold en masse in major stores. The type that I would prefer to be, if I ever get my lucky break, would be selling my original art regularly and having representation at several galleries across the globe.

In order to pay my bills, I have worked in the art industry for a various slew of organizations. From high end galleries to custom picture frame shops, I’ve always made sure my job made use of my skills inside and outside of the studio. I currently work for a public art program and I love it. I get to interact with art daily and the program benefits a diverse community. It’s been one of the best professional experiences I’ve had because it benefits all the people, not just the few elite that can afford private art.

I’ve always been a realist. I work hard but I know that chasing a dream requires a lot of patience. I try my best to make sure my needs are met and I think I’m doing a great job at it. I keep getting better, I keep making more connections and I keep shooting my shot even when rejection looms around every corner. Having a regularly paying job in addition to my studio practice has kept me humble. I think many young artists don’t understand that you don’t have to be a starving artist in order to make a living. Balance is key and I’m grateful that I’ve been able to see the forest through the trees.

Lara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have a pretty typical beginnings as an artist. My first memory was holding a pencil and drawing. My peers dubbed me an outcast and labeled me as the weird art kid. I took adult art classes as a preteen because I was so precocious. While many kids looking at college couldn’t decide on a major, I knew when I was 9 I would go to art school. Never a doubt in my mind that I would pursue a career in art.

How to do that, was a different story. I knew that it could be hard to make a living making art, so I decided that I would get a job in the art industry to learn what it took to be a real artist. My senior year of high school, I had an internship at a small gallery in a rich suburb of Chicago. While there, I learned a little bit about the ins and outs of a high end gallery. I enjoyed the sophistication and caliber of the artworks, and found it natural to talk about art all day long.

After high school, I went to Pittsburgh, PA to attend Carnegie Mellon University. While there, I worked diligently on my studio classes, sat at the front desk for the Miller Institute for Contemporary Art in between classes, and spent a couple summer internships as a Gallery Assistant at Chautauqua Institution. While in undergrad, I struggled to define my artistic voice. I was always good at art, but in art school we were pushed to develop a unique style and define an artist statement. I began to realize that I loved using color and patterns in my artwork. Repetitive shapes and alluring gradients quickly turned into my focus, and since then my work has maintained those themes loosely.

When I returned to Chicago after graduating, I got a job working as a gallery assistant in the premiere downtown art scene of River North. After that, I worked for an international art fair briefly and then landed as a gallery manager at a well known sculpture gallery. My last and longest job was working for a custom framing company designing high end picture framing for some of Chicago’s wealthiest elites. All the while, I maintained my art practice while I held down jobs, usually working in cramped spaces in my apartment.

Slowly but surely, my art practice evolved and I started showing at galleries and coffee shops. I applied for many opportunities but didn’t get much attention until I began using resin in my paintings. Once I figured out that resin was my secret sauce, things began to change. I was shipping artworks all over the country to be shown at galleries I had never been to. I was selling a little, but mostly still making a living at my 9-5 jobs.

After COVID displaced many people’s lives and livelihoods, my partner and I decided we wanted a fresh beginning. We were looking for a place that was not only beautiful but also rich with creative opportunities. We landed on Longmont Colorado as it was equally located between Denver, Fort Collins and Boulder.

I currently have a studio space in North Boulder that I regularly open up to the public for First Fridays. My job working with the City of Longmont as their Art in Public Places program assistant has been a wonderful experience. I feel as though my journey has only just begun, and yet I still have a lot of experience under my belt.

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

I would urge society to re-think their consumerism mentality and spend money with real purpose in order to support the creative ecosystem. I find it funny that most people won’t bat an eye at buying $100 jeans, a $400 bag, or a $1000 computer, but when it comes to supporting artists they scoff at most prices of original artwork. Mostly, it’s a lack of education for the consumer. The artwork you buy from an original artist supports not only their well being but also confirms with them that they are valued. That artwork will then, if taken care of, be in your possession and bring joy for many years to come. Many times I walk into someone’s place and the difference between a home and a house is the artwork on the walls. Real artwork brings such personality and warmth to otherwise banal spaces. While art is absolutely a luxury, since it can’t feed/cloth/house you, we as a collective spend so much unnecessary money on crap that is mass produced and will be discarded in 2 years.

How did you build your audience on social media?

While social media is a necessary monster, I don’t think it should define anyone’s worth. I’ve been on Instagram for over 10 years and it has changed so much since it began. I would recommend to anyone who wants to build their account to actively make content, keep up with the popular trends, and invest in some tools to help you create content. I personally make posts only as much as I want to (very little) because I enjoy spending time making art rather than creating content. I think it all depends on what you define as success in your art journey, and if social media is part of your equation, then go at it!

Contact Info:

• Website: lara-mann.com
• Instagram: @l.a.r.a.m.a.n.n

Image Credits
Lara Mann and Erika Diamond