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

Lauren, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I’ve always considered myself a creative. My love for art started to bloom in elementary school where I learned about the works of famous artists from around the world and varying techniques. Through many art classes, camps, and workshops my interest continued to grow. In High School I had the opportunity to build a portfolio and create a cohesive body of work completely of my choosing. This was a season of creative empowerment and exploration of finding my own creative style through painting, collage, and abstract design. It was at this time that I knew I wanted to pursue art professionally. I knew I had something I wanted to share with others. I had my first solo show in 2012 at the University City Library, in St. Louis, Missouri featuring the work of my senior portfolio. This was my first experience preparing for a show and selling my work. From this moment on I knew I wanted to continue creating professionally and sharing my work with others.

Lauren, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a St. Louis based artist who creates with the intention of spreading joy. My main medium of choice is acrylic painting. I also enjoy collage, digital art, and doodling (random line design play). I am most drawn to abstract styles because of the freedom it allows me to have within my work. My main goal with my art is to spread joy and invite the viewer to focus on the positive. Life can be unpredictable, often unfolding in ways we don’t always expect. Yet even in those moments of uncertainty, joy can be found. When you look at an LY Art original, I hope that it creates an invitation to find your joy.

Lauren Younge Art launched in 2021. I currently sell and showcase my work as opportunities present themselves. I also create custom commission work for homes and commercial spaces. Lauren Younge Art currently includes canvas paintings, prints, and hand-painted crewnecks. My work is for sale on Etsy (LaurenYoungeArt.etsy.com).

I am most proud of continuing to grow and pivot within my art career. The life of an artist is wonderful and also challenging. I am committed to always learning, because I believe there will always be more to learn in your craft. I continue to learn the balance of providing what my audience wants and what I’m interested in creating. I recharge mentally and emotionally when I make art and with that comes the importance of having passion for your creations. I have seasons of wanting to find a different surface to paint or print my work on. My most recent area of growth are my hand-painted fleece crewnecks. The idea for this launch came from some of my amazing art supporters. This took trial, error, experimentation and so much play! I am so happy with how they turned out. Each crewneck is a unique piece of wearable LY art. (I still have some available on my Etsy shop). This taught me once again that it’s okay to try. I keep learning this lesson and I’m so grateful for the result.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is people noticing my work. It feels incredibly validating to see others connect with something that once existed only in my imagination. When someone pauses to truly look, listen, or reflect on what I’ve created, it reminds me that my voice matters. That recognition not only builds confidence but also inspires me to keep creating and sharing my perspective. As a creative it is so easy to get caught up in what you think you should be doing based on the perception you have of others creative path. But I’ve learned over the years (and still have moments where I have to re-learn), that my path is not meant to look like anyone else’s. Having my work recognized by my style and color palette lets me know that I must keep going!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Shortly after graduating undergrad from Southeast Missouri State and starting to teach elementary art in the St. Louis area, I took a hiatus from painting that lasted two years. I stopped painting because I was struggling with finding time to create and losing confidence in my own abilities. At this time I struggled with how I could make what I had dreamed of as a reality. Simply put, I felt stuck! It’s so crazy how your mindset can literally make or break you. When COVID hit I found myself at home with more downtime than I could have ever imagined. It was during this time that I decided it was time to start creating again. It took a whole pandemic for me to truly come to terms with the fact that this was my time (now or never if you will!) to make changes so I could feel confident in my work. I registered in a virtual art business program where I was able to brush up on skills, techniques, and also learn about marketing my work. This was just the boost of support I needed. After the end of this class I felt inspired to make an entirely new body of work. These were honestly the first pieces I had felt confident about in many years. I created a website (laurenyounge.com) and launched this collection in 2021. Lauren Younge Art has been running in full force ever since.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://laurenyoungeart.etsy.com
• Instagram: @laurenyoungeart
• Facebook: Lauren Younge Art
• Other: Portfolio: https://www.laurenyounge.com