We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Natasha Colon Ortiz. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Natasha below.

Natasha, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

I started my business with a program full of other entrepreneurs in 2016. I was running my business, Paper City Art Kids a Fun & Paint art services business. Business was growing and expanding with community events, art education in after school programs, paint parties, vendor events, and the fun and paints all through 2017 and parts of 2018. I had partnered with another small business that went through the program to be a contracted art educator for an elementary school in Holyoke while helping them with their business of movement education. I worked along side them from 2016 to 2018 when I applied for a job in the Holyoke School Department that fit me very well in 2019. The separation from running my own business and partnering with other small local businesses to going to a full time job with required hours was a huge risk but financially would be moving me up. I learned so much about myself as a business owner and overall person. I also acquired great skills to help me in my business while working for an alternative high school/ adult education center. The skills gained and learned during my time boosted my business for when schools closed because of COVID. In 2020 I used all the skills to upscale my business with the offered services and again left the working world to continue to run my own business in 2021. Now that we are in 2024 I can say that the risks were worth taking and as an entrepreneur I wouldn’t be where I am if I had not taken the risks. The risks taken set me up for success and continued success.

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

I am Natasha Colon Ortiz AKA Coach Tash an art instructor, educator and the business owner of Paper City Art Kids a Fun and Paint; multi art service business. I offer painting classes, basic and advanced art classes as an art educator, I also provide community events / community paint parties, cultural art education / cultural art events, Paint Parties, Murals/street art, and I also sell my own art. My expertise is in painting and more specifically painting with acrylic paints. I got into the industry of being an entrepreneur after several jobs as a teenager and young adult. Found myself not entirely happy especially after being an athlete all my life and having set routines; the work industry seemed to be a good fit. Also being an artist all my life I have been restricted and limited in time. I took an entrepreneur program that allowed me to put into action my dream of being a small local business owner. In 2017 my business was official it served kids in the school system and outside of the school system with the arts. Enriching their time with creativity which isn’t a large part in the schools and can be unavailable for many in their homes. What set me apart is that I am a pop up and come to you or your establishments with all materials necessary and go through how to paint something or create something step by step. Also very unique as I’m a one woman show and create all of my curriculums and lessons with background experience and include culture as well. I am most proud of the various murals I have in the city of Holyoke & Springfield, also proud of all the organizations I have connected with throughout the years and continue to work with, and last but not least the continued growth of the business. Paper City Art Kids is all about enriching the lives of those in their communities through vibrant arts and empowering the youth to be uniquely creative.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

Yes my side hustle of selling my art and creating became my now full time business. I have been an artist since very young. Being a visual learner, art and creating has been my way of understanding. I used to create pieces in art class that my parents displayed in our home when young. Family, family friends, and friends would see my art and ask me to make them something. I’d get paid for it sometimes. This happened from elementary all the way through college. I also was an athlete at that time so my time was very limited as an artist as basketball came first. After college I no longer played basketball and returned full force painting and creating art. I would sell it online on my social medias then was booking vendor events and craft fairs. Noticed that not too many or any visual artists present and was very popular. My art was selling a lot and I kept posting pictures of my journey online. Eventually got into the school systems and became a bigger presence as an artist in the surrounding communities. I came across an entrepreneur program and created my business which has grown and provides multi art services.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I think what helped me build my business reputation within my market is my unique experience and skills. My main target is the youth and the presence of arts in the community. I grew up having a lot of different specials in the schools, but as I got older the arts, music, and other specials became obsolete. My focus is to bring the arts back into school in all its different visual ways and have the youth participate and understand its importance in life. Bringing arts into the community is so important not only to brighten up the community but also impact the people in the community in a positive way as well as getting others to start a conversation about art. Paper City Art Kids focus in the arts in the community and involving the youth has helped build the businesses reputation in the market along with my personal views, values, experiences, and skills.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/papercityartkids?igsh=MTVrNGlxeWhmN2t5cQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/papercityartkids?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Other: Personal Facebook:
  https://www.facebook.com/Tashcolonortiz?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Image Credits

Kevin Florio
Jorge Colon
Maribel Ortiz
Natasha Colon Ortiz