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

Lyn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Ever since I could hold a crayon to doodle on the napkins at restaurants, I knew I wanted to pursue art as a career. This choice was met with endless comments such as “you should have a backup plan” or “why not a real job”. But as a determined Capricorn does…. I did what I wanted anyways. It took me a while to make the leap, but I eventually did. My initial jobs were a teacher, a nanny, a delivery driver and in marketing for a phone company. Most those jobs were fine but I never really enjoyed working for others.
In 2018, I made the decision to put all my eggs in one basket and I was going to pursue my career as an independent artist. May 5, 2018 I walked up to my boss and said it was my last day. My comment was met with a “it’s about time.” The support and belief in my dreams were so refreshing! That next day I moved out of the tiny overpriced room I was renting from this unbearable family, I felt so free!

With the help of some of my best friends, I moved in with super sweet artist friends in Austin and began my art career.

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

How did I get into the con artist life? Haha by con artist I mean conventions like anime, comic and gaming!

It was something I had always wanted to try out. My best friend at the time was the one who really introduced me to cons and I’ll forever be grateful for that. Learning how to make products shoppers wanted, to booth set ups and everything in between was the biggest learning curve I’ve ever endured. But I never gave up. I started showcasing my 20 designs unknowing how my career would really unfold. Today we have about 400 designs!

This path wasn’t easy, I thought the previous comments of “you need a real job” were bad but it was the sharp words of fellow artists that really dug painfully deep. I’ll never forget the moment when a snooty artist from an artist alley group said having a sticker business was not a good idea and it’ll never work. She was so dismissive and negative about my dreams. Don’t listen to the haters and negativity, your dreams are valid!

I’d like to think I’m most proud of my willpower and determination, even when I was constantly told to quit or my ideas were dumb.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist is the freedom. Now, it’s also the most difficult thing as you have to create your own discipline, your own schedule and your own limitations. But those things are yours, made by you for yourself.

What keeps me going though, is seeing how happy my creations make others. Seeing people genuinely excited about my art makes me ugly cry in the most blissful way.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Oh goodness yes. There are several books that helped to activate the entrepreneurial side of me. “The Subtle Art of Not giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson, “Company of One” by Paul Jarvis, and “How to Win Friends & Influence People” by Dale Carnegie are some of them.

Highly recommend that first one though. During my art journey I lost friends almost as quickly as I gained some of them. Looking back I realize now they were just taking advantage of me, but living through the betrayal was one of the hardest and most painful things I’ve had to endure. Now, I simply don’t give a f*ck.

In this industry, learning to confide and truly trust in yourself is the absolute most important thing. There are of course genuine friendships to be made, some of which evolve into family level relationships, treat these bonds as national treasures.

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