We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lori Mills. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lori below.

Lori, appreciate you joining us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?

After a successful career in medicine, I went to art school at age 50 to pursue what I knew was my calling for decades but that I hadn’t fulfilled. At a younger age I’d gotten a science degree from UCLA and an MBA – I’d been too fearful to put all my eggs in a creative basket – doing what I really wanted to do and making art, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to support myself.

In my final thesis class in Art school one of my professor’s said, “You know, some of you, after you graduate, will never pick up a paintbrush again.” I was horrified. But I was 30 years older than most of the students and I saw them with jobs at Trader Joe’s and Starbucks so what he said kinda made sense to me. Food on the table comes first. I myself had taken a thirty year break supporting myself in another way before I finally got back here!

I graduated from art school in San Francisco and moved to Malibu. I told everyone I knew there that I wanted to make a living painting and owning an art gallery. A year later one of my friends came to my gallery (I had opened two!) and said, “Lori do you remember when you moved here a year ago how you said you wanted to make your living painting and owning an art gallery?” I did!

An advantage I had was a background in business. I made art, and also spent time every day thinking about my business. I also really made (and make) a lot of art. I discipline myself to paint everyday. A blank canvas is an intimidating object to me. I listened to advice from a therapist friend – just play a game with yourself that you’ll paint for five minutes, even set a timer. After the five minutes are up give yourself permission to stop. Well it’s worked out well, because I’ve never stopped after five minutes. There’s a weird brain thing that creatives have where their brain has to shift from this world into a creative world and sometimes that’s not easy. When we get there its heavenly, we get into that “flow”. The hardest part for me is the transition.

I joined my local art association and took it upon myself to start their social media. Soon they voted me Vice President. I did local art shows. I painted at the Malibu Farmer’s Market plein air on Sundays to meet people. I got myself out there. I put up my own website and social media. Through the grapevine a shopping center owner in Malibu heard about me and offered for me to open and run a gallery there. I said yes. I was way out of my comfort zone I had no experience running an art gallery but I threw myself into it. A few months later the Four Seasons in Westlake village called and offered me a second gallery. I was selling my art and the art of 15 other artists!

From the 15 artists I represent I’ve learned a lot about the business of making art. The successful ones have a work ethic and produce a lot of art. I’ve represented some amazingly talented artists, but when their art sells and they haven’t made any more, or they are given a commission and don’t complete their work on time I sadly have to let them go. It is such a gift to be an artist and its also not a 9-5 job. So for me what has worked is to make it into one by giving myself my own deadlines and working hours.

It’s a different side of the brain, the creative vs. the business. Some creatives I’ve learned just do not have the business brain or any interest in developing it. These wonderful artists I’ve represented, if they didn’t have a gallery to show their work it wouldn’t get out there. I think about my fellow art students all the time, if they don’t have representation, and don’t know how to get someone to manage their business side, how are they doing? I hope they are doing great but I worry. I guess my advice would be if you aren’t interested in business find a friend or family member (or if you can afford it, hire someone to run your business for you.)

There’s a wonderful movie about the artist J.M.W. Turner called “Mr. Turner” In it you see his father mixing his paints for him, stretching his canvases, and putting his son’s paintings up in his barbershop. Vincent Van Gogh had his brother Theo as his business person. When she was alive, Alice Neel raised her children on government assistance and then as an adult her son Hartley was her champion, his persistence in getting her art out there ensured the Whitney’s plans for a Neel retrospective were realized 10 years before she died. Her commercial success can 100% be attributed to her two sons marketing her.

Lori, 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 think I answered this in the previous question. I think there are a lot of amazingly great artists our there. I think what sets me apart is that I run being an artist like a business.

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

Everyday is rewarding because I’m doing what I love and it doesn’t feel like a job. I pinch myself that I am able to support. myself making art without having a side hustle.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I’m 60 years old and social media doesn’t come naturally to me. That being said, what I’ve learned is my clients are more on Facebook than on IG, tiktok X, etc. They just are. With two brick and mortar galleries, I actually sell more art on Facebook. Trial and error has worked for me and I’m still learning! What I do know is that just an image of a painting gets some likes, an image of a painting with me in it gets more likes, and a video of me actually painting sells paintings, often before they’re finished! That’s just what my type of client likes to see, they feel like they are building a relationship with me. I’ve learned my market and my customer by trying a lot of things, and when something works repeat!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lorimalibuart.com/
• Instagram: @lorimalibuart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lorimillsart
• Linkedin: https://www.malibucontemporaryart.com/lori-mills

Image Credits

The first photo is photo credit to Emily Scher. All the rest are mine