We were lucky to catch up with Loppy Rae recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Loppy, thanks for joining us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

I always knew that I wanted a career in art, but the problem was how to get there. Growing up, I knew that careers in art existed, but I was unaware of just how many options I had. I took a few painting classes, designed some terrible logos for friends, and even dabbled in photography for a while. Straight out of high school, I got accepted into an art school and chose graphic design as my major. I only made it through one quarter before I was hospitalized due to mental health issues. The consequences of said hospitalization ended with me dropping out of art school. I was lucky enough to have the support of my family on my road to recovery, and eventually I picked myself back up. At that point, with no college education, I was sure that my art career was dead in the water. I was hesitant to re-enroll and put myself into further debt, so I formally closed that chapter of my life.

I spent the majority of the 2010s drifting from job to job. I collected medical samples in a lab, landed a receptionist job at a wellness spa.. I even worked as a zipline tour guide at one point. During these years, I was making decent money, and decided that it was as good a time as ever to try and make something of myself. I researched into possible career options, and decided to enroll at Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta. From here, what started as an interest in food, turned into a full-on passion in the culinary arts. I worked in the mornings and attended school every weeknight from 5-10pm. I volunteered every weekend to assist my chef instructor in teaching classes to the public. I was exhausted, but I finally felt like I was on the right path… until I got pink-slipped my job at the salon. I could no longer afford my monthly tuition and I was forced to once again start from the ground up.

Looking back, I felt very misfortunate. It was almost laughable. I picked up a job as a cashier at a popular bakery chain and tried to make the most of my life for the moment. Even though it felt like the universe was knocking me down at any given chance, I tried to keep a positive attitude. After working as a cashier, I became friendly with the baker, and then the baker’s manager. When the baker put in his notice, I was offered his job and I pounced on it. I learned how to make various breads and pastries and my love of the culinary arts was rekindled. Eventually, I used this position to negotiate a position at as a cake decorator. Eventually, my then-boyfriend (now husband) was offered a job in Utah. I decided to follow him, and while I was applying for bakery jobs, I decided to pick up art again to supplement our income.

I never expected my art to be well-received. Social media was a big game changer. I watched as other artists built up entire careers from the ground up, and it inspired me to do the same. While I did land another job as a cake decorator, eventually the demand for my art enabled me to cut back my hours until I was able to leave the bakery altogether. It felt like a fairy tale at the time. I’d spent the past few years sort of drifting through life, fully believing that my career in art was a lost cause. Now, seven years later, I’m making a full-time income from the passions I thought would never amount to anything. I now sell food-themed illustrations in the form of stickers, stationary, and even kitchenware.

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

My name is “Loppy Rae!” I’m a digital illustrator and run a small business where I sell products I’ve designed. I have a culinary background, and love working it into my art in the form of mouthwateringly detailed food illustrations. Growing up, I was surrounded my amazing women with even more amazing cooking skills. My grandma, my great aunts, and my mom were always whipping up warm breads, cookies, and meals that I’ll never forget. I’ve always joked that baking is my love language, and no friends of mine will go hungry when I’m around. I was blessed enough to have a family that taught me how to cook, but I know that not everyone has someone in their life to teach them the values of a homemade meal. My passion for working food into my art goes deeper than aesthetics: I want to create something that inspires people to give cooking a chance! I make cute and colorful kitchen decor to make people feel more at home in their kitchens. I’ve also been working on curating a trusty collection of basic recipes that I can then turn into illustrated recipe cards for people to try out on their own!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

My art career was almost entirely put on hold when I was hospitalized after my first quarter in art school due to mental health issues. I’ve struggled with mental health my entire life, but this time, it almost derailed me for life. I never stopped drawing, but the hope that I could ever have a career in art after flunking art school was shattered. It took a few years for me to pick myself back up, but I eventually found my footing. Though it was an unfortunate event, I believe that the few years I spent working odd-jobs and exploring myself were essential in becoming the person I am today!

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I realized how powerful social media could be earlier on in life! I was always a big Tumblr user, but I didn’t have the skills at the time to properly monetize my work there. Social media is a big game changer for creatives, but it has its downsides as well. When I first started utilizing social media in my art career, I was a HUGE people pleaser… and on the internet, that’s a double-edged sword. Truth is, you cannot please everyone, especially on a place as vast as the world wide web. If you think you can please everyone with your work, you will be sorely mistaken. Learning how to curate my own audience and attract like-minded people was essential to building my career.

Contact Info:

• Website: shop.loppyrae.com
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/loppyrae/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@loppyrae/ https://loppyrae.carrd.co/