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

Marjorie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had started sooner?

I’ve worked as a full-time professional artist for 2 years now. I look at my fellow artists who are around the same age as me and have been living the creative dream for over 10 years now. Although I appreciate all the helpful advice I receive from them, I can be envious of how much farther they are into their own careers. I graduated from college 16 years ago and occasionally think of the time I could have invested into an art career, rather than the random assortment of jobs on my current resume. I always end up reflecting on the time spent over those 16 years and a clear picture comes into focus. I just was not ready to work as an artist during that time. I attempted the full-time artist gig approximately 4 years after graduating with my BFA. It simply did not work. The amount of self-control, self-discipline and emotional maturity required to work successfully was just not a part of me yet. So, although part of me wishes I started earlier, I accept that now is the right time. Looking back over those 16 years, I learned a lot of important life lessons and grew as a person, which I am grateful for. These life lessons and mental maturity have played a very important role in my art career today.

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?

Removing the feeling of isolation, even for a brief moment, for someone who can relate to my work is my main goal. The body of work I am currently working on; Intrusive Thoughts, is a series of oil paintings telling my mental health story. These paintings are done in realism with a lot of traditional and non-traditional symbolism used. There is a heavy influence from 16th/17th century memento mori still life work as well as some portraiture and figurative work.

To give myself a break from the heavy topics I am confronting in the Intrusive Thoughts series, I have an experimental project I regularly work on as well. I call this my Drip series. These paintings began as landscapes made completely out of drips of paint but are slowly transforming into a balance of drips with linear elements as well. I have had a fascination with artists who add an element of chance into their own work. The dripping of the paint was my response to this curiosity. This series touches on the chaos and beauty of life.

I developed a love for art history while I earned my BFA at Iowa State University. My concentration was in painting and drawing with my focus mainly on the human figure. The love for art history has made me appreciate not only the artists who came before me, but the multitude of media to work with. In my free time and as sort of a therapy I do collage work with vintage magazines, books and recipe cards.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is witnessing a viewer enjoy my work. Whether it is some meaningful deep connection or a smile, it just feels great. I do a street chalk festival every year for a charity, and I enjoy this event more than any other work-related event. I enjoy it even more than shows I’ve attended where I’ve won an award. The first year I participated, I drew a giant silly turtle flying with a heap of balloons attached to his back. The amount of smiles I saw and giggles I heard from children and adults alike was fantastic. The ability to provide a positive happy experience for a large audience is priceless.

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

I think the best resource that has impacted my management and entrepreneurial thinking is a group of supportive artist friends. When we look at each other as friends and allies, rather than “the competition” we all benefit. There are enough patrons to go around, and when we work together, we can all reach a larger audience. I have found that just sitting down and talking about our triumphs and failures with each other creates a wealth of knowledge and support system that cannot be replicated.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.marjoriebraverman.com
• Instagram: @marjorie.braverman.art