We were lucky to catch up with Riverbank Art Studio recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Riverbank Art Studio thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you been 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? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

After earning my undergraduate degree in Painting, I quickly shifted gears into my other interest and earned my graduate degree in Business Management. I didn’t paint much during the decade following my painting degree. I focused all of my energy and time into my corporate career path which evolved as I grew. I developed experience and skills in sales strategy, business development, management and data analytics. I loved it all very much and thought it was my future.

I started to paint consistently again and found my passion to be stronger than ever. The only difference was that now I had a decade of skills to help me grow a successful business. Within 10 months of painting my first mural, I knew I was ready to take the leap into full-time muraling and leave behind my old dreams of climbing the corporate ladder.

Now I can build my own ladder and climb as high and far as I want. It’s incredibly exciting and I am loving the journey.

Riverbank Art Studio, 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 business woman who understands how to build a successful brand and increase engagement with customers and employees. Art is a powerful tool in creating so many tangible and intangible benefits both internally and externally. My deepest passion for painting murals comes alive when I get to utilize my art skills to help a company accomplish their business objectives.

When clients work with me, they receive so much more than art. They are working with a business partner who cares about maximizing their investment and exceeding their expectations. I come alongside my clients to learn about their true needs and to uncover the goals that aren’t even articulated initially.

I absolutely love working with people. As a highly extroverted individual, meeting people on my mural sites is just as much fun for me as painting. My promise to all my clients is that I will care about their needs and goals just as much as they do and will do my part to create beautiful art which also serves a purpose.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Absolutely and it goes much deeper than painting as many murals as possible. I strive to encourage the other aspiring creatives that come into my life.

I had a terrible experience when I was 18 and a freshman in college receiving my Art Degree. The director of the art department and professor of my very first drawing class told the entire class that I should change my career or marry someone with money so I don’t starve. This moment impacted me on a deeper level than I realized at the time. It was absolutely mortifying and from that moment on, I was changed. For the next 4 years of earning my degree, I didn’t take risks. I decided that Art wasn’t for me but I was going to see the degree through and then shift gears into business once I graduated. I completed assignments to get A’s but I never discovered who I was as an artist. I was never vulnerable which is the most powerful component of art.

It is my mission to speak life into young and aspiring artists so that they don’t have to question their skills and abilities the way I did. I want to help people realize that it is absolutely possible to be a thriving, full-time artist. The greatest thing I could accomplish is helping other artists step into their gifts and pursue a full-time career as a creative.

Words have the power to build up or tear down and I am on a mission to help build artists up, even if others have attempted to tear them down.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I LOVE cold calling businesses. So many of my clients have come from me reaching out to introduce myself and communicate the value a mural can bring. While I have had many exciting success stories from outreach, there are even more rejections. Sometimes it takes consistency and persistence to earn their business and half a dozen follow up calls/emails. However, the exhilarating feeling of getting a contract signed with a client I pursued is so amazing that I don’t care about all the “no’s” I heard along the way.

The answer to a question you never ask will always be “no”. I am not afraid to be bold when introducing myself to companies and that is definitely something which has worked out very well for me as I build my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: RiverbankArtstudio.com
• Instagram: @Riverbankartstudio

Image Credits
House of Loren Anna Leigh Photography