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

Alright, Lori thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

Yes, I’m happy as an artist. It’s fulfilling to live a creative life, to express ideas and emotions, and start conversations through my artwork. I’m also an art teacher, and I’ve had the privilege of teaching in a wide range of spaces from colleges and school districts, to art galleries, corporate events, parks and recreation programs, and more. Each setting brings its own challenges and rewards, and I love that my work reaches people in so many different ways.

But honestly, I won’t pretend it’s easy. Being a creative, especially one trying to make a living from both art and teaching, is hard. It’s not just about making the art or showing up to teach. It’s about constantly reinventing myself, staying inspired, adapting to new environments, and somehow turning all of that into something meaningful to others, and sustainable for myself. That tension between creative expression and financial survival is very real.

As a working artist and freelance educator, I’m always on the move and always asking: Where is the next opportunity coming from? Will this piece connect with anyone? Will this class fill up? How do I keep going when my work is so personal, but the income is so unpredictable?

There have been many times, especially when I’m just completely burned out, when I’ve seriously wondered if I should walk away from it all. Just get a “normal” 9-to-5 job. One where I know exactly when and where my next paycheck is coming from.

There were so many times in recent years that I would be exhausted from the constant hustle and grind, and physical labor of moving art supplies from one venue to the next that I would think: How nice would it be to clock out at 5 p.m. and not carry work around in my head until 2 a.m.? What would it be like to have health insurance, weekends off, and a job description that didn’t constantly shift? The idea of structure and routine felt so comforting.

But I also had to remind myself—I didn’t choose this because it was easy. I chose it because it’s meaningful. Because even in the chaos, it’s mine. It lets me explore, grow, and connect with others in deeply human ways. That connection is what keeps me going.

So yes, I think about the trade-offs. But I always come back to this: I’d rather be tired from doing what I love than bored and unfulfilled in some job I took just because it seemed safe or simple.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I’ve always loved art, but my true passion has always been teaching. I started my career as a middle school art teacher in public schools, and when I left the classroom to raise my family, I still wanted to share the joy of creativity with others. I started my business, The Art Experience, in 2000, teaching home schoolers, community classes, and creating murals. As my children grew, I expanded into teaching after-school art programs in Plano ISD, along with classes at Collin College, local galleries, Parks and Recreation centers, and corporate workshops and team-building events.

Last year, I decided to follow my dream to have my own art studio. This was all new territory for me, the search for a space, the lease, the contracts and the contractors. It was certainly an adventure, but I found the perfect spot and I opened The Art Experience Art Studio in June 2025. The studio is designed to be more than just a place for art lessons; it’s a creative home for students of all ages, from 5 to 95. I believe that creatives thrive in community, so my vision is to build a welcoming, inspiring space where people can go from making their very first mark to developing their own fine art practice, all while connecting with others on the same journey.

What sets The Art Experience Art Studio apart is not only the classes, but our open studio philosophy. We offer memberships that allow people to come in, use the space, and work alongside other artists during open studio times. We also have an Open Clay Studio membership where artists can create with studio tools and materials at their own pace. It’s not just about classes—it’s about belonging, collaboration, and having a space to grow as an artist.

What I’m most proud of is the energy in the studio—the artists being born, the friendships being formed, the collaborations happening, and the way artists encourage one another. To me, that’s the heart of creativity. I want people to know that whether they are brand new to art or experienced artists, there’s a place for them here. The studio is about learning, creating, and finding your creative community.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

One of the things I think non-creatives sometimes struggle to understand about the creative journey is the way ideas work for us. Creatives live in a constant state of “what if?” Our ideas are always bouncing around in our heads, each one sparking another and another. It’s exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. Where a non-creative person might be able to set a task, focus, and complete it, a creative mind often sees five different ways to solve the problem and halfway through, we might suddenly see an even better solution!

That constant flood of ideas can make it difficult to stick with the more mundane but necessary parts of running a business. The day-to-day administrative tasks can feel especially daunting when your brain is already chasing the next big vision. We want to do all the ideas, and sometimes that creates a kind of decision paralysis where having too many options makes it hard to move forward at all.

Through teaching creativity workshops, I’ve learned and shared that sometimes it’s actually easier to be creative inside a box. When you have limits, whether it’s fewer materials, less time, or a defined framework, you’re forced to focus, and your creativity sharpens. But when there are endless possibilities, it can create stress, it can overwhelm, and even instill fear of making the “wrong” choice.

So the challenge for many creatives, myself included, is learning how to balance that flood of inspiration with structure. It’s not that we lack discipline. It’s that our brains are wired to see infinite possibilities. That’s what makes us visionary, but it’s also what makes the business side of creativity such a unique challenge.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yes, there absolutely is a mission driving my journey. About eight years ago, I decided I wanted to be around other artists and to be part of an artist community. I joined my local art league, started volunteering, and now serve on the board. It is fulfilling to surround myself with other creatives, to build those relationships, and to connect through our shared passion for art.

As an art teacher, I’ve always loved teaching and creating those meaningful connections with my students. Those relationships really do nurture my soul, and they’ve been a constant reminder of how powerful community is for artists.

When I opened my studio, I wanted to build the kind of creative space I always wanted for myself. A place where artists and creatives of all levels could come together, learn, create, and belong. They say you should write the book you want to read. For me, the mission driving my creative journey is to create that very space I’ve always longed to be a part of: a home for creatives to grow and connect. A place where they belong because creatives need community.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://the-art-experience.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dfw.art.experience/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theartexperiencepage
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lori-ruml-art-experience/