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

Hi Quinn, thanks for joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

I came up with the name Q.L. Creations because I do not just do one thing with my art. I create and sell my original paintings and with some of the paintings I have the images printed on t-shirts, home decor ( throw pillows, shower curtains, etc.), tote bags, beach bags, stationary and phone cases. I also make homemade soy candles and personalized gift boxes for special occasions. I love being creative and I didn’t want to limit the things I do. So I created QL Creations as the umbrella for all the products I offer.

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

I was born and raised in South Carolina. After high school I joined the U.S Army. I was really only focused on being a soldier at the time and being an artist was the furthest from my mind. When my term was over I came back to South Carolina and focused on what direction I wanted to go in as a civilian. Since I did enjoy art in high school, I decided to look at different schools to see what type of art programs were offered. After doing some research I chose to go with Converse College in Spartanburg. They had an amazing art program! I started out in the art education program. I wanted to work with middle level children. However, once I started the program, I quickly realized that the education portion outweighed the art portion. I wanted to do more art classes so I changed my major from art education to studio art. I was allowed to experience several forms mediums. I particularly loved printmaking and painting. All of my instructors had an amazing impact on the artist I am today. Glen Miller was an amazing painting instructor! His love for painting is admirable. I appreciated his talents and his ability to nurture your vision. So after I graduated I chose to continue to paint. Since then I have been accepted in to a few art shows in the upstate. I’ve performed live paintings and taught paint classes at the Spartanburg Marriott during the weekly art walks pre COVID. I began making candles because I am a huge fan of them. I started during the shutdown at my job to keep busy but quickly took a liking to it. I’ve sold several of my candles to friends, family and co-workers. I started to incorporate my art and candles in my personalized gift boxes. I’ve made several for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day and for any special occasion. I enjoy finding new ways to be creative. My hope is to begin a program for young children to express their creativity in different ways in todays society. I want to find a way to help them look outside of the norm and use their artwork to create a new dynamic for the future.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

Simple…saving! Reinvesting in myself. Start with any amount for supplies. Sell a piece and use that to replenish supplies. Save the difference and so forth. Have an account ONLY for your business. Only use that account for YOUR business. It’s a cycle and it continues to build until you see a profit. Never get discouraged!

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Networking! I attend art shows. Meet other artist in my area. I collaborate with artist. Getting to know the audience that enjoy and appreciate art is very important! You have the opportunity to tell your story and elaborate on your work. Always having business cards and information about yourself is imperative. However just selling yourself to a potential buyer in person is the best way Loving what you do makes others love what you do!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.qlcreations.net
• Instagram: QL Creations
• Facebook: Artistic Queen