We recently connected with Lauren Phelps and have shared our conversation below.

LAUREN, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

In so many ways, this career, as a whole, has been all about finding meaning and working with intention. I lost my mother to brain cancer when she was just 47. After spending 15 fun and exhausting years in fashion, I became pregnant with my first son, and suddenly, I knew it was time to reevaluate my career. I wanted to reconnect with my mother and chat about what it was like to be a young mother. How long did she nurse me? When did I sleep? What does it mean to be a mother? How had she done it all so beautifully? Since I couldn’t ask any of these questions, I began painting, which we did together. As I scoured my mind for any memories of her, I learned that it wasn’t the big milestone moments that I could recall with any clarity, it was the seemingly insignificant everyday acts, which I held so close. As I explored a new career as a visual artist, I longed to tell those stories with my work. I wanted to bottle up those moments and keep them for all. So, now I paint portraits that capture a moment in time or render my “big little moments” drawings, which attempt to convey the essence of those everyday moments of connection between parent and child.

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

From a very young age, I knew I wanted to create things, and I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur. This manifested as a career in fashion when I launched my label at the age of 22. I had a decade of success but eventually found I no longer felt fulfilled or creative. I had lost touch with the customer and the girl I was when I created the brand.

Art became my focus while seeking to connect with my late mother and find a career that felt creatively fulfilling. With each artwork, I can reconnect with my intention of service, and it is more fulfilling than anything I could have imagined.

I think because I am self-taught and far outside the world of art or portraiture, I have been able to play by my own rules. I believe my client can sense and feel this, which is one reason why I have a waitlist that is currently three years long.

First and foremost, I see myself as providing an act of service for the families that commission my work. I also see it as my purpose to spread further this message of tiny moments of connection adding up to the most meaningful moments we share with our children as parents. It is also the lesson I most need to practice and learn daily.

I wanted to further connect with my intentions of service and last year; I collaborated to form Moms Heart Moms, a community of mom-founded brands giving back to moms in need via our flagship cause of Welcome Baby USA. It has been amazing to witness our community’s genuine wholeheartedness in giving back to such a worthy cause.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I continue to unlearn any preconceived notions about what my career as an artist should look like. I create differently, play by my own rules, and I don’t see my work as simply portraiture by any stretch of the imagination. I see my career as a storyteller and look forward to sharing stories in new and different ways in the coming years.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it is all about connection. Through my art, I can connect not only with my higher self but also with my clients and community. I have the unique opportunity to get to know hundreds of families and hear their highs and lows as they seek to build and grow their families. And quite honestly, there has never been anything more enjoyable than putting a brush on canvas or pencil to paper. I know undoubtedly, this is what I was meant to do with my life.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://laurenphelps.com
• Instagram: @laurenphelpsstudio