We recently connected with Samantha Mccurdy and have shared our conversation below.

Samantha, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?

I have been able to earn a full-time living from my creative work through a few intentional goals and many many experiences I could have never predicted would come in handy towards giving me additional pushes towards financial stability. The journey has been long and when asked how I made it happen I immediately thought it’s still happening and happening all the time. ‘Happen’ seems like a solid term whereas I look at it as being able to change at any moment. I currently feel confident but being a full time artist is similar to a freelance gig. I have many successful financial months and I have some months where I am in the red. It’s been my constant work ethic that has helped me keep going and finding success in always being prepared for opportunities. Being prepared for opportunities is key. At times you make sacrifices and at times you treat yourself.

You asked what was it like that from day one. Day one for me I suppose could be the day I graduated art school and what that transition from student to working professional looked like to me. Many times things are happening and unfolding in ways that aren’t clear at the time but only become clear after they happen upon reflections of moves I made in the past.

At the time of my beginnings of being a professional in the art world it was a completely different media landscape with limited access and visibility to other working artists and galleries. Things were very in person, being seen, being on the scene, attending every art show I could and making my face recognizable within a crowd of patrons and practicing artists.

Visibility in numbers, hosting my own art shows with other artists in a collective sense could provide more eyes and attendees, creating a community and opportunities for others helped create opportunities for myself and my own art.

I moved to Dallas TX after art school because I saw an opportunity to be seen in a smaller arena then some of my peers who immediately moved to New York or Los angeles. My move to a lesser saturated city, that still had the capital to support the arts was key. Instagram and etsy allow artists to make work from anywhere and reach people on a sellable marketplace, this did not exist at the time so you almost had to live in a place where you could be discovered or seen. A place where they are looking for talent seemed sexier than going somewhere not seen as a place where working artists could be seen and make a living.

I moved to Dallas TX and was able to get a much larger space for the same price point as my peers living and working out of a shoebox sized space in a saturated highly competitive city.

Dallas had the capital to bring in and show major artists but because it was less saturated with ‘it’ restaurants and endless bars or parties to go to. I could go right up to artists at their openings and introduce myself to them and create a dialog and often times friendship with artist much bigger and more successful than me.

I was able to get a huge, and I mean massive raw space for next to nothing in Dallas at the time (2012) The space was raw and needed a ton of work. Im not sure this was legal but all I needed was the space to make art. I went to school for sculpture and knew how to build walls, drywall, paint and finish a space to mimic what a gallery space would look like.

The first summer and winter in that space was without heat and air conditioning and was some of the hardest times in my life. I moved to a city where I knew no one and did not want to tell my parents or friends the sacrifice I was making for fear of them pulling me out of there and making me aware of how crazy my situation was. I needed to keep going. I convinced my landlord to install hvac in exchange for me making cosmetic changes to the space which I was financially responsible for. I got a job in retail as a stylist and used my own money, the money I was saving from cheap rent to modify and beautify the space.
Once I was able to renovate the space I started working and making art out of it.

My friends who had moved to New York were having an impossible time showing work and getting shows. My first thought was all you need it space to show work so send it to me and we will show it in my space.

I had my friends start sending me things they were making and eventually started putting shows together and curating shows in my space. This created a community. I was able to create opportunities for other artists and in turn myself.

The shows started becoming more and more successful with many attendees. Then people started inquiring about purchasing.

Then I became a gallerist. I had to figure out price points for new work, what to charge, how to collect the money, what percentage I would take, if any, and it forced me into this role to advocate for other artists work …. which helped me later advocate for myself and sell my own work. I had to figure out shipping, installing, pricing, commissions, percentage splits, insuring work and a myriad of other things I didn’t know at the time.

It was truly a crash corse on how to sell and show art.

All the while working a 9-5 job as a wardrobe stylist.

After doing this for a few years I was able to get my own art representation with Galleri Urbane. Once I got representation in Dallas I was ready to leave and create more visibility for myself in a new city.

My own self run gallery helped me create a community of artists and connections that would later assist in my move to LA where I would embark on creating my own art career.

I moved to LA and reached out to the artists living and working here to help me insert myself in a new art community. I did it all over again. Found a large space to work and show art that also needed a ton of cosmetic upgrades, but this one had heating, ac, a working shower and a kitchen which was already a step up.

I began having and curating shows in my new LA space which was a great way to insert myself in the creative community. I was able to offer people something which gave me an in.

Once the shows here gained some traction my own art career took off as well. My art friends began to curate and placing my art in their projects and sharing my art with their gallerists and clients. Instagram then really took off and became a selling platform to which I was able to start selling work on my own.
Had it not been for me starting a gallery and learning how to make art sales I would not be where I am today.

I was able to quit my day job and work on art full time once my client list became hearty enough.

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? 
Strangely, I had some of my busiest months during covid. I think people being stuck in their houses and realizing their lack of art made them want to purchase art. They were now working from home and wanted to beautify their space with more art.

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?
For me I think the trajectory I went on to learn how to sell and talk about art took the exact amount of time it should have but one way to speed up the rest is educating yourself on the art market, how to price work, how to sell it and of course how to pack and ship it. Shipping is one of the hardest aspects for me still as my work is so unique and difficult to pack properly.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I got into this industry for the love of art and wanting to create meaningful work that elicits an emotional response. The type of products/services/creative works I provide that sets me apart from other artists is working with the client directly. I make original artworks that are most often times custom. I make minimal work and repeat shapes and compositions which allows me to custom fit them into a desired space. I can make any of my work in a larger or smaller scale to best fit the clients space. Additionally I can color match the environment the piece will exist in and come up with custom colors for each piece to work well within the space. I work with a ton of interior designers who will order a piece from me and give me the size and color they want. This way I can have the work be visually successful in any space.

I am most proud of my ability to make art that can exist anywhere. I have placed work in very minimal settings and I have made work for very maximal settings. Whatever your flavor and overall treatment I can make work for you that looks like it is exactly where it needs to be. I love working with clients directly to create something absolutely perfect for their space. My minimal work adds to the architecture and existing language in the space it gets placed into. And my minimal work adds a visual breath and helps break up a maximal space without taking away from the overall design.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Something I think non-creatives will struggle to understand about the journey as an artist is the compartmentalization between the creative process and the business process. The making aspect and the selling aspect. It takes two different types of strengths to do both successfully.

I have many days where I need to do clerical work, client outreach, taxes, pricing shipping, general studio planning, and organization, and all I want to do is create or make. But I have to force myself into these managerial roles.

You have to wear many hats when you start your own business and sometimes it takes an emotional toll on you. I always joke that it would be so much easier to sell a product that I myself didn’t create. When you are selling your own labor of love you have an emotional attachment to it and have trouble dealing with people wanting discounts or pressing you on the price. I have to tell myself Sam, it’s not up to you to explain to people why it cost what it cost and fight the urge to give discounts frequently because of my own self doubts. No other services are people so bold ask for a discount. When you are a plumber in a service based industry the prices are firm. It cost what it cost, art should be looked at the same but frequently is not. My emotional attachment to the work and fear on loosing a sale, places me in situations where I bend over backwards or give discounts because I feel lucky enough that people are interested in my work in the first place. It takes a lot of self respect and confidence to sell your own work.

So yea, managing my own time and business and also having the creative spirit to make original works takes two types of personalities that I must possess both of. Sometimes all I want to do is paint but I have to tend to other aspects to further my career.

Non-creatives may not understand the emotional toll it takes to make and to sell something that comes from within, being an artist is one of the most vulnerable careers.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.samanthamccurdy.com
• Instagram: iamsammccurdy
• Other: samanthamccurdystudio@gmail.com for available works and custom pieces.