Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mallory Cash. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Mallory, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Have you been 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? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I have been able to make a full-time living from my custom pet portraits and vibrant landscape paintings. I went to an art middle school, an art high school and then to an art college, so being a creative was ingrained from day one. The path to making a living off of my art took some time. After college I started a toy company that did not last long, and left me discouraged for some time. I worked a variety of creative jobs for other companies, but in May 2015 I could no longer stand working for another and pulled the plug. My jobs leading up to that point were creative, but getting paid minimally took the joy out of the craft. I started working as a freelance artist and during that journey I found my niche.

The first year was a struggle to keep afloat. I had $2,000 dollars left in my account with no work coming in. A dream to live and travel out of a converted van while creating art was not going to happen if money wasn’t going to start coming in steadily. In an attempt to do all I could to stay self employed and reach my dream I reached out to a variety of companies asking if they would hire my dog to be their dog model. One company got back to me and said that the modeling program was full, but saw I was an artist and asked if I would be in their freelance artist program. For six years I painted their customers pets. During that time I reached the goal to live, travel and work out of my self-converted van. However, I started to feel like I was being paid minimally for the work I was producing for them, so the contract ended.

Since 2015 I have done custom commissions, but not believing in myself has been my biggest hindrance in making my company excel. Last year it was an all or nothing fight to keep my company afloat. I made appointments with business coaches, listened regularly to business and art podcasts, reached out to local artists and made an abundance of notes on how to pivot and grow my business. Since that fire was lit my creative work has been doing far better than any of my eight years being self employed. I push my work to be seen in all avenues and create possibilities that will help my work be seen. Each day has been a new possibility for growth and a creative avenue to do what I most enjoy.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am proud that I have been a solopreneur for eight years. In these eight years I have painted over 8,000 pet portraits, and have started doing vibrant landscape paintings since the pandemic. I have been an artist since birth, and have tried my hand at all mediums of fine art in my 34 years of life. My first joys were drawing and painting as that was the most attainable as a child. In early grade school I enjoyed photography and developing my own film and prints in a darkroom. Later my interest moved to printmaking so I went to college to pursue that interest. My courses were mixed up upon arriving at my college, so I did not take a printmaking course in the first semester as intended. That mistake shifted my interest to fiber/textile art. I graduated with a BFA in fiber art with a minor in printmaking and book arts. The tedious handwork of textiles forced me to walk away from the craft that I loved dearly shortly after graduating. In time the accessibility of paint drew me back to the medium. I have always loved pets so it was only natural that they became my subject of choice. I spent some years traveling in a converted van taking photos of inspirational landscapes that I knew one day would become paintings. When the pandemic hit and the need for something bright and cheerful was needed I turned to those photos and started painting vibrant landscapes.

My love for the thick rich colors of oil paint has been my medium of choice since being introduced to it in college. I was told that painting is like sculpting, and I take that approach to the custom pet portraits I paint. Working with oil paint has a learning curve that most don’t have the patience for, so not too many artists work with oil. I believe my medium choice, loving nature towards animals and kind nature to my clients sets me apart from others. In the past few months I have started doing live paint events where the customers get to watch their pet come to life in a masterful painting. This gives the customer a unique opportunity for their custom painting.

In all my years of creating my proudest project was when I helped create a life-size tree for the National Aquarium of Baltimore, Maryland. The tree is used in their rainforest exhibit for the animals (like birds, reptiles and sloths) to call home. That project was more than art. It created accessibility for all to enjoy. I am getting back into that practice of accessible art. This year I have proposed a handful of public projects so that all can enjoy.

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

Sure I am an artist and enjoy the work I create, but the constant change of tides makes what I do rewarding. One would envision an artist glued to the confinements of studio walls only creating in their desired medium. However, my work takes me beyond the canvas both physically and metaphorically. Beyond being an artist I am a solopreneur taking on all tasks that run a successful business. My work has been shipped to many (if not all) US states, Virgin Island, Africa, and Canada. I have done a number of live events for a variety of businesses where the models who showed up vary from a chicken, a goat to a singing dog. Above all the reactions of the recipients receiving the paintings are always a joy.

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.

Many non-creatives struggle to believe that one can make a living from being an artist. It is ingrained by society that artists are “starving and struggling.” It was even ingrained in me that I would not “make it” as an artist. It is a toxic belief that can and should be rewritten. The benefits of changing this narrative is that when artists are supported a society thrives. This has been proven throughout history that when the economy is strong it is because artists are supported. Instead of immediately thinking an artist is struggling and starving shift your mindset. For example the city nearest me pays artists to paint on transformers. This is an attempt to reduce graffiti and ultimately save the city money by not having to clean up unwanted graffiti. An artist cannot make a living based on painting transformers, but it is that the city shifted its mindset on how to resolve a problem. It is a little ripple that helps change the narrative of an artist and of the economy. Next time an artist presents themselves to you think (or ask) of all the good/beauty they have brought into this world and into yours personally. Support the artists work that moves you, because that artist (odds are) will support locally and continue to help the economy grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mallorycashart.com/
• Instagram: @mallorycashart & @mallory.cash.art
• Facebook: @mallorycashart