We recently connected with Loralin Engel and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Loralin, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

Seven years ago, I sold my first art piece that was not intended to sell. I was shocked. That someone actually wanted to buy my art piece.

I was posting on FB just to share my artwork. I was still learning how to dot the Mandala’s. I started with vinyl records. A 45 vinyl to be exact. Eventually people were asking if I was selling them. I was shocked and of course I said yes.

It was only probably a month of practicing making these mandalas. I didn’t even know how to price them. so my first piece was sold for $35. it was one of my old clients. I use to do hair for 28 years and retired in 2015. I was nervous and excited. I knew I still had a long way to go in practicing making them. but that first sale gave me confidence and fuel to keep on going.

Loralin, 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?

My name is Loralin Engel. I am a retired hair dresser/ make up artist of 28 years. I retired in 2015 due to health reasons. I thought I was going to be a life/ health coach and got 2 certifications. but that first year of retirement wasn’t what I expected. Realizing that doing hair had so much creativity that I needed in my life, doing coaching for me had zero artistic creativity.

As far as I can remember always was drawing. so most of my life I always was in a creative industry. I automatically went to draw when I felt out of alignment or a bit depressed at times. my friends of SM told me I should make a coloring book of the doodles I was posting. I made a small group to share my pages so others can color for free. then I saw a mandala. I had no clue what it even was. It was dotted on a 12″ vinyl record. I loved that is was on a record because it was so nostalgic for me but also so drawn to the mandala.

I started to scower the internet to see if I can find more to copy and practice. eventually I found out what it was. I didn’t realized that this was the beginning of my spiritual journey as well. That first year from my first sale I made 10k and the coaching was history. this was a dream come true ever since I could remember.

When I was 10, I showed my mom a picture I drew that I was so proud of and told her when I grow up I was going to be an artist. She crushed my dreams and told me these exact words ” you will starve!” Tears started pouring out while Tried so hard to hold them back. My throat started to close up and I felt I couldn’t even breath or talk. she gave no apologies, nor did she even say good job. So I thought as a child I would never become this artist I was dreaming of.

Fast forward to when I sold my first piece at the age of 49 I ran with the thought I CAN DO THIS! I was so proud of myself that the first year I made 10K. There’s defiantly a lot of learning curves to doing art as a business and I am still learning and growing.

The last 4 years right around the pandemic it started to be more spiritual for me. I now create and Chanel these mandalas. each one is created now with a vibrational intention. Meaning it can have the intention of abundance, love or prosperity.

I paint with back ground music on vibrational Hz to help elevate each peace. before I start I make sure to sit and meditate so that I am guided to create a piece that will resonate for that person who is ordering it or who will eventually buy it. My artwork will pull out feeling for the person who is looking at it and feeling the vibrational energy it is permiating. each person will have a different experience of when they are gazing into it.

These mandalas are great for different things. You may use them as a meditation focal point. They can be a crystal grid (using crystals to create intentions) or just having it up in any room will ally the energy to flow.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I started my sales and actually most of them on FB. because I already had a relationship with these people there was that trust that was already built. They say all parts of me there. I feel just post and have fun at the same time. The first few years It was more of a hobby. So there was not much pressure to making sales. it was the last 4 years I decided to see how far I can go with doing this as a small business.

It’s so important to create that relationship as people are talking to you on the threads of the posts. also depending on what you are selling show them how you can use it. My mandalas can be just an art piece, or it can be used as a crystal grid and a meditation focal point.

Show them the process you go through on creating your artwork. people find it facinating.

I have now started on Tiktok just the last 4 months and was able to catch a wave and have now been making sales. I go live when I’m painting but I don’t talk to them because I feel it breaks the flow of energy of what I am bringing in my art work. so I have trained them to know I don’t talk. They get excited with seeing it come to life. I even dedicate some pieces to my new friends on there. I even ask before my next live what colors do they want to see. I really get them involved.

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

I never thought I would call myself an artist. I felt when I was young my mother took that away from me when she said ” I would starve”. even though I am now 55 I am at my happiest being able to express through art. knowing it also will affect other people in their own way when they look at it.

I feel there is a mission in a spiritual sense for my art to reach out to others that will be planting some seed to help them in their life journey to spirituality. It’s like a message sent to them in a vibrational way that they can resonate with. I have noticed as well they art shifts and changes every few months. my friends and followers see a difference in the art work. it’s pretty fun. I just go with the flow on what needs to be expressed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://LoralinEngel.com
• Instagram: @loralin_engel
• Other: pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/LoralinEngel/
  Tiktok: @mandalapainter

Image Credits

These are my photo’s.