We were lucky to catch up with Lauren Elizabeth recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lauren, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

As a professional artist, I have learned that you must be willing to take risks to be successful. You must be willing to put yourself out there – put your art out there – for the world to see, and be willing to take in feedback positively, take more risks to evolve and grow as as artist. And that can be an intimidating and scary thought. I say to push those negative thoughts aside…listen to your inner voice, and let your heart and paintbrush guide you.

Before I was a full-time artist, I worked a 9 to 5 job in the marketing world. In my free time, when I wasn’t painting, I used my marketing skills to build my own website dedicated to painting pet portraits (www.offthewallpaintings.com) and learn as much as I could about SEO. I would paint on the weekends to build content for my website. I was still unsure of what kind of artist I was going to be…I knew I loved painting pet portraits, but wasn’t sure if everyone else would love my work. But I knew I wanted to share my work with the world.. So I took a risk.. I put it all out there.

I slowly gained traction, getting more and more commissions for pet portraits. But not quite enough yet to quit my day job. And then one day, my dreams came true. The largest online pet retailer, Chewy, came across my website. They wanted to commission me to paint 100’s of pet portraits per month as a customer appreciation initiative they were starting. And BOOM – just like that, my risk had paid off. Putting myself out there for the world to see.. it wasn’t scary at all.. in fact, it had led me exactly where I had dreamed it would.. as a professional full-time artist, sharing my love of animals and art with the world. So take a risk.. Put yourself out there.. Believe that you CAN.. and you truly can accomplish anything.

Lauren, 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?

My name is Lauren Elizabeth and I am a professional artist. I have a custom painting business called Off The Wall Paintings where I specialize in custom pet portraits, acrylics on canvas.

When I first started painting pet portraits, it was inspired by my own love of animals. Growing up, I was such an animal lover and loved painting/drawing/doodling my favorite things – animals! I had a few pets that were very special to me and I wanted to capture their personalities in a way that could be shared with others. Painting pet portraits seemed like the perfect way to do this, as it allowed me to express my creativity while also honoring the animals that I loved so much. I had found my calling. As time went on, I realized how much joy my paintings brought to others and decided to make it into a business. Now, I get the opportunity to share my love for animals with people all over the world through my art.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the reaction from my customers when they see the finished painting that I created for them. I know it means so much to them and it fills my heart with so much joy. I feel so lucky to be able to bring others happiness with my art. With custom pet portraits, I am able to take a photo of the customers very best friend or a childhood pet, and turn it into a hand-painted work of art that brings the pet to life on canvas. I put a lot of detail work and focus on the eyes of the pet, the window to the soul, and once those eyes have come to life, I know I am bringing that pet and all those happy memories back to life with my art.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

The ultimate goal of any creative journey is to create something that will not only make an impact on the world, but also bring joy and satisfaction to the creator. Whether it is a painting, a book, a sculpture, or even a website – creativity should be used to express yourself and your vision in an innovative way.

My personal mission is to continue to paint, create and to grow, as an artist and as a person. And most importantly to stay true to myself and enjoy the process along the way.       

Contact Info:

• Website: www.offthewallpaintings.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/offthewallpaintings
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/offthewallpetpaintings