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

Monica, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I was classically trained as an artist as a child but never really saw it as more than a hobby. When people asked me “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I truthfully don’t remember what I said but I do remember that I never felt happier than when I was in the art studio painting. I looked forward to my lessons more than anything yet somehow I abandoned it all and after college I found myself working as a paralegal in a large NYC law firm and then in law school until finally starting my career as a lawyer at the same firm where I first worked as an assistant.

When I first started making art again and trying to get my work out there, I did wonder what might have been if I had just started sooner. I often thought about where I would be if I had focused all my energy on the right path rather than pushing and forcing myself into something else that truly never felt totally right. But honestly, the more serious I became about my career as an Artist and the more I started to say it out loud and speak it into existence, the more I realized that I needed to have that experience of becoming and being an attorney and to go on that journey, in order to get to where I am now.

I think I started my creative career at the time that I was meant to start and I really believe that had I not gone down that road, I might not be where I am today. As much as it was the wrong choice professionally, being a lawyer and having that training helps me in my career as an Artist every day.

Monica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a self-taught painter and photographer and after more than 20 years of not painting, about eight years ago when I left NYC and moved to the lower Hudson Valley of New York with my husband and my family, I found myself inside a Michael’s store and on a whim bought some art supplies. I had been desperate for a creative outlet and while I had been working as a family, portraits, street and travel photographer for a few years (after leaving my job as a corporate lawyer) I yearned to paint again. I was there to buy supplies for my kids’ arts and crafts projects but I ended up leaving with a sketchbook, some canvases and a bag full of paint. At the time I was commuting in to the city a couple of times a week since I took a job as a lawyer consulting for a public company and working with my mentor and former colleague from my “big law” days.

Looking back, in a way it felt like I was doing anything and everything I could to boycott my own joy and growth but really I just felt a bit lost and at a crossroads. I had gone through a terrible experience with infertility, IVF, PPD and then moving and leaving New York where we had lived for over a decade but it turns out the timing was ripe for a big change, I just didn’t know it yet.

I started to network as much as I could and I thought about how I could rebrand myself as a contemporary abstract artist. I started to think about the roots of my vision as a photography and creative entrepreneur and after working with a brand and identity designer, I began to think about my WHY as a guiding light and north star of my path.

I started my business by painting in my basement and on my kitchen table until I could afford to rent a space in a local building. Having my dedicated space has opened both my heart and my mind personally and professionally. In the 7 years since I’ve opened my studio, I have had the pleasure of working with private collectors, art dealers, television producers, interior designers, bloggers, influencers, real estate developers, galleries, curators, shop owners and more. I sell my work directly and through multiple platforms and I’m currently exploring ways to scale and expand.

My work has been featured in various publications including The Washington Post, Popular Photography, Create Magazine, Art Seen and Westchester Magazine. In 2019, on the heels of being named the “Best Artist in Westchester” by Westchester Magazine, the Director of PULSE Art Fair in Miami invited me to participate in the “Next Generation” exhibit to celebrate the fair’s 15th anniversary. A major career milestone occurred in 2022 when I was inducted into the National Association of Women Artists. My work has been shown at the American Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City, the National Association of Women Artists, Frieze Los Angeles, Art Market Hamptons, PULSE Art Fair, The National Arts Club, and the New York Mercantile Exchange, among others.

Even with all the accolades, I’m most proud of the fact that I have built something from nothing. I get to make art and tell stories through color, texture, light and contrast. I describe my world as colorful and rhythmic and I make beautiful things in an inspiring space for my living. I’m inspired to reach out and make connections and create meaningful work every single day. The art world can often feel like an elitist mystery and being an artist can sometimes feel lonely because I create on my own, but I feel proud that I’m carving this path and meeting and working with so many dynamic, brilliant, creative people who I can learn from and being inspired by every day.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

There are a few lessons I’ve had to unlearn over the years and they all have to do with letting go of my need to control things.

My personality type and ambition never really allowed for “going with the flow” and letting myself learn through intuition. I have always been a planner who likes to know what is coming next. Being a creative business owner with a profession that necessarily requires you to have downtime to simply exist without plans, has been a challenge but also a lesson in letting things go and planning with the need to be flexible. Having training as an attorney but letting the creative side of my brain govern my choices as well, has been so helpful for me. By letting go of my need to control everything, I was able to be more creative and be a better problem solver.

The other lesson I learned is to not let myself be governed by my own limiting beliefs. Letting go of limiting beliefs and focusing on what I can do instead of what I can’t do has been so freeing.

Another lesson I had to unlearn is that my lack of formal training in my field is not a barrier to my success. The more people I’ve met, the more I’ve seen that we are all constantly learning and there are an endless amount of paths to success and we all define what that means for us.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative entrepreneur is that I get to carve my own path, meet some truly fascinating people, and share my work with the world. I love the solitude of my art practice but I also love that I have the opportunity to collaborate with people. I love meeting my clients and marrying my creative vision with their needs. I love meeting like minded people and exploring new ways to do things. I love that being an artist gives me the chance to grow and learn something new on a daily basis.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.monicashulman.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monicashulman/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/monicashulmanstudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicalshulman/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/monicalshulman
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@monicashulman

Image Credits
Living Notes Photography Federico Photography