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

Hi Olena, thanks for joining us today. 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?

Earning a full time living from your creative work

“Don’t be an artist!” they say, “You will starve!” Of course anything is possible, but in many ways, it could not be farther from the truth.

Art does require work discipline, passion and tenacity. Passion will allow you to have the tenacity to keep on going, learning and experimenting. Failing and finding success are not as far from each other as sometimes we might think. People need beauty and creativity – It is essential for our well-being. In every part of the world we humans through the ages, as soon as our survival demands are satisfied for food and shelter, we are looking to make our surroundings more appealing and we have done this in multiple ways from sculptures to paintings, from pottery to architecture. History and culture are full of examples from pre-history through modern times, and we are only mentioning a very few examples from the visual world.

So YES, there is a demand for beauty that is built into human nature. There is a constant internal need for improvement of our life and surroundings. So why is it so often in our childhood we are being told not to follow an artistic path? The struggle is real. Yes, you might find it very difficult to get up one day and start making a living as an artist without groundwork, but in what profession or trade can you do this? There are steps that all creatives need to take to get to the point where people around you will start noticing your art in the “I would like to own it” way and outside of the notion that it is a “neat way to spend your free time.” So what makes the difference?

“Art” has been through so many transformations and only now does it seem that we are at a point where we can be expressive in any way we would like. There are countless media to choose from and are likely freer as a civilization to express whatever ideas we may like. But this doesn’t mean that you don’t need to put in countless hours of studying and learning to be able to present your chosen art style in a professional and polished way.

When people offer you money for your craft, they are acquiring an experience. If you ask any artist whose career has shined through the years, it’s more than likely that they will attribute their success to a passion for their chosen path, coupled with a strong work ethic and understanding of their art. And this is a long answer, but in short – Yes you can be an artist and can be successful.

Sometimes you have to allow your life to take you places to find the right path. We all have different personalities and ways of expressing ourselves and I always aspired to work in a representational style. The beauty of the natural world fascinates me and very rarely you will find me painting urban scenes. The unaltered beauty of the natural world captivates me. The play of light on objects compels me to pick up my brush, losing track of time.

As part of my path to working as a full-time artist, I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to conduct art appraisals. Studying not just art auction outcomes, but also artists’ biographies and their paths as full-time creators, a common thread emerged- mentorship and study, years of practice and the ability to take each failure as a stepping stone towards future success.

This gave me the courage to try against the conventional belief that art can’t be a full-time occupation. I left my job, spending nearly three years in an art atelier, acquiring a solid foundation in drawing and painting skills. Returning to Maine, surrounded by nature, I was drawn to the ocean, lakes and woods and with this, I purchased my first Plein Air setup. My art was now a quest for happiness and joy in nature and that was when I knew it was my path. The Hudson River Fellowship, with the exposure to successful full-time artists thriving in their passion and my first Plein Air Competition in Castine, ME marked a turning point for me. Seeing these other artists being successful and happy helped bolster my confidence. The following year I applied for 15 Plein Air competitions, hoping to maybe get accepted into one or two, I was accepted into 12! It was a transformative experience akin to being forged by fire. I knew very little other than I would now be competing alongside nationally known artists and my background had up until that point, been in the studio. It was both thrilling and terrifying…

My first show didn’t go that well and I will forever remember and be grateful for the artist who came over and spoke with me about my frames. My frames were very cheap (it’s all I could afford) and didn’t present my work well. I was devastated and a little embarrassed, but had another show to go to and no time to back out of it… I followed the artist’s advice, went to Home Depot, bought some paint and adjusted some gold frames to pair better with my works. Without this first giant fail, I would not have had success at my next show where I won multiple awards and had strong sales. It was a start of a crazy year of travelling, painting and learning that the Plein Air world would be my world for years to come.

Olena, 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?

Painting has always been a reflection of my inner world.

I feel there are two types of artists: One that can create and by creating they get to their place of beauty and the other one that has to already be in a place of beauty within them before they can put it on canvas.

Though sometimes these artist types may interchange, one will always be dominant. I tend to be an artist that needs to be in a good place in my heart to create beauty. I could work myself out of a bad mood but my best work as a rule comes when I can be in a place of peace and beauty within me.

I enjoy painting almost everything. Although most of the time I find myself gravitating to the natural world. I find myself painting anything from portraits to flowers, landscapes to close ups of found objects. It is the light and constant movement that pulls me in.

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

I like to think that by bringing more beauty into the world I can somehow offset the balance and fight the darkness of negativity.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think there is a lot that can be done. One of the most important aspects is education. It is rare for someone to know instinctively, and the majority of good decisions come from experience. I think if kids are exposed more to creativity and beauty from an early age they will gravitate towards progress versus destruction. Creating more opportunities for kids to see creative processes and participate in it, going to schools that are state of the art and having the ability to access places where they can express themselves alongside artists will hopefully lead to making our future a better place.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.olenababak.com
• Instagram: @olenababak
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArtistOlenaBabak/
• Other: https://www.facebook.com/olena.babak.5

Image Credits
please credit Ted Mueller Photography for the photo with me receiving an award. Rest of the images can be credited to Olena Babak. Thank you.