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

Natalya, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. 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?

I went to The School of. the Art Institute of Chicago for my undergrad and later my masters degree. I knew it was imperative while in school to figure out a way to make a living from my art using my skills. I wanted to be a full time contemporary artist, but realized that would take time to develop. So while in art school I took a semester off and went to business school. I then began doing every internship I could. I ended up working for an interior designer doing murals and faux finishes. This was not what I thought I would end up doing, but shortly after graduation I ended up moving to Austin, Texas and worked for a company. I realized if I started my own decorative painting company I could be able to create a duel career that I could paint every day, sometimes commercially and sometimes on my own art. Because of this decision I have been able to do artist residencies twice in China, Beijing and in Guangzhou, Wyoming, Georgia, Berlin, Germany, Greece, and others. I’ve also been able to go back to graduate school while still working and began teaching one college class a semester. I’ve been able to develop my art career and I even sell my work often to my decorative painting clients, as they usually are also art collectors.

Natalya, 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 am a contemporary artist and I own Natalya Kochak Design Studio, a full service decorative painting company. My company provides high end paint and plaster design for Commercial and Residential. Some notable restaurants and clubs I have done the paint design for are Eva in Coconut Grove, the event space for Ariete, and Los Altos Cantina in Little Havana. I have numerous relationships with artists who help create these spaces.

My contemporary art practice is what I am most proud of. I have gotten to travel the world to do my art and I believe in what my art practice is about. I just had my first solo exhibition of 30 artworks this past summer and I am continuing with many group shows throughout this upcoming year. It’s very exciting to be working in so many creative aspects. I love every aspect of what I do.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I don’t have a particularly specific story to talk about resilience, but more a series of events over the course of 15 years. When I first graduated from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I moved and I started my business but did not have many resources in the arts, so I made my own. I raised money on Kickstarter to go to Uganda and teach children for a short time art. I went to Berlin for three months to do an artist residency, and I went to Beijing. After this traveling I decided I wanted to live in an area that had more opportunities for artists than Austin, Texas did at the time. I chose Miami, because I saw the potential here. This was nine years ago now. In the beginning I went to UM and I was not very popular to say the least, so I left. I could have quit here. I could have quite many times, but I didn’t. I decided to re-build my decorative painting company and I applied to other masters programs. I actually ended up going back to The School of the Art Institute of Chicago for their low residency masters program. At the time, I was still getting most of my bigger jobs in Austin, Texas. For a period of five years, I traveled between Miami, Chicago, and Austin, Texas just working and building. In 2018, I got my first very big decorative painting project in Miami, Los Altos Cantina. I also finished a home that looked like a chateau in Austin, Texas. I graduated with my masters and started the residency Project Art, in which I taught students age 4-18 through the library district. That led to me getting my first college teaching position.

This was a completely crazy time in my life. I worked, worked, worked. I had to work through all my insecurities about my art, myself, and my business. I needed to believe in myself. Sometimes I definitely did not, but there was something in me that would not give up. After the pandemic, my business took off and so has my art. I can really honestly say, I am so glad I never gave up. It has been a long journey and there is still a long road ahead, but I love every moment.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had more business resources when I began. Art School at that time didn’t even touch upon the subject. Luckily things are changing quite a bit, but it took me a long time to figure out things like accounting, LLC’s, having a business advisor, business insurance, etc, etc! The list goes on. I didn’t even realize how much you really needed to build your networks to be successful. None of this was really broached in school. The very real need for both a commercial and fine arts practice was never really discussed. I figured it all out though with resources like The Idea Center at the Miami Dade College and the small business administration (SBA) at FIU. All artists need to think of themselves as a business entity. After learning as much as I have, I love being able to pass it on to my students or those I work with.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.natalyakochak.com www.natalyakochakdesignstudio.com
• Instagram: @natalyakochak @natalyakochak_design