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

Lydia, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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 my daughter was born during the early covid-19 lockdown days, I struggled with postpartum depression and anxiety. The weight of protecting my family was a lot, but the added concern for a brand new baby while sitting cooped up in our home with two under two was quite the combination. My husband encouraged me to explore a new hobby as an outlet in such a stressful season. I purchased a children’s watercolor set online and unlocked a new world of wonder, beauty, and growth! I quickly fell in love with painting family portraits for customers worldwide and decided to step away from my job as an Events Coordinator at a local church and step into my business full-time.

The timing was ideal for beginning a new creative business. With the height of the pandemic and maternity leave from my previous job, I was able to smoothly transition into running LydMothersYoung. However, I was not prepared for the “what next?” feeling. After taking the plunge, “imposter syndrome” consumed me in those first weeks. I had put so much on the line relying on my brand-new hobby for enough income to justify working for myself full-time.

Because I had no background in painting or artistic training, most of my time was spent watching tutorials on the internet and offering discount prices to people in our community for the opportunity to practice what I’d learned. Soon, those local orders became nationwide and then worldwide. I found customers incredibly kind and easy to work with as I navigated the obstacles and hiccups.

When I decided to put most of my energy into passive income, my business took off. Relying on custom orders requires a lot of time and energy. The introduction of digital clipart allowed my business the room to breathe, financially speaking, so I could slow down and give each piece I paint the time and attention they deserve.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Lydia. I am a wife, mom, business owner, artist, and maximalist, (minimalism is great but I love color and patterns too much to live that life).

LydMothersYoung, as a brand, was birthed from a satirical take on my tendency to do everything at a young age, (marry, have babies, become an entrepreneur). What began as a social media handle, (and an underlying joke), became an endearing name for my watercolor brand and custom art.

LydMothersYoung has allowed me to paint watercolor art for portrait commissions, architecture commissions, branding design, stationery illustrations, and textile printing.

As an artist, it’s exciting to watch my work evolve as my skills and style are refined. There are always more techniques to learn, more inspiration to find, and more customers to reach. The growth potential is motivating and every day is unique.
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I’m most proud of how my business has connected me with others. My joy is to serve people. It’s an honor to offer an enjoyable experience and a finished product that they may treasure for many years when I do, the result

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

I believe the key to brand loyalty is the power of excellence. The nature of a lot of my portrait commissions is personal. They often carry a story, whether one of joy or one of sorrow and my job is to encapsulate that story and the subjects in it with the most authenticity my skillset can achieve. I want each customer to feel that their story is honored by the painting and the commissioning experience. This establishes a sense of relational equity, resulting in brand loyalty. I connect with the customer on numerous occasions following the completion of their order. Often, customers become friends. They actively engage with my brand on social media and recommend LydMothersYoung to others. Excellent customer service coupled with excellent products cannot be beaten.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Being an artist full-time is rewarding in itself. A career focused on a creative passion is something many only dream about. I don’t take this for granted.

Additonally, seeing the joy my passion brings to others is a mind-blowing experience. Sometimes, I can’t help but feel inadequate in my work. When my clientele seems pleased with the product, it creates such a sense of “I was made for this.” It’s humbling to watch how my art goes on to hang in homes, appear on wedding stationery, be used to commemorate important moments, and has even made its way into children’s textile.

Contact Info:

• Website: LydMothersYoung.com
• Instagram: @LydMothersYoung
• Facebook: LydMothersYoung Watercolorist
• Other: Etsy: LydMothersYoung

Image Credits
Flat lay photos: Ellen Renee Photographer Stationery Design: Magnolia Boone Paperie