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

Alright, Shaina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

More than anything, I wish I’d known sooner that I wanted to pursue a creative career like the one I find myself in now! However, I also recognize that this is a double-edged sword. I’ve always loved to create but kept it as a hobby to maintain the joy in it—and maybe out of a bit of fear. I wish it had dawned on me to try earlier. There’s a lot of coulda, woulda, shoulda’s down this rabbit hole.

Every day, I acknowledge that every experience along the way has contributed to where I am now. Teaching, for example, has profoundly shaped who I am. It has connected me with people who’ve had an immense impact on me, opened me up to thinking about the creative process, and taught me more about myself than I’ve ever taught my students. Ultimately, while I wish I had started my creative career sooner, I deeply value the diverse experiences that have brought me to this point.

Shaina, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Yes, and I wanted to say a quick thank you for having me back! For those who do not know me, I’m Shaina Manuel. I live in South Carolina, pay my bills as a teacher (ha ha), and have been drawing for as long as I can remember. I unknowingly tiptoed into business territory by creating commissioned portraits. My first-year teaching, a mentor reached out and asked if I could draw her beloved dogs who had passed away. I leapt at the opportunity and from there, it took off at a near-vertical trajectory. I have since ventured into murals, logos, children’s book illustrations, and now the market side with prints and live portraits.

I don’t have a great answer for what sets me apart but if I had to land on anything, it’d be my artistic style and approach. I create realistic art but with bold colors and compositions and I’m always willing to try anything and treat each one as if it were my own. Although I’m known for pet portraits, window paintings, and murals, I also love it when a client asks, “Have you done this?” or “Can you do this?” I always answer with a smiling, “Happy to try!” My reason for this is because you never know what you might discover about yourself, and a challenge always makes you better. I have failed and had to go back and say, “No, sorry. Out of my league,” but most of the time we’re both pleasantly surprised!

What I’m most proud of is my work ethic and my relentless pursuit of ‘what happens if I do this?’ In other areas of my life, I am more risk-averse, but I become a bolder version of myself when it comes to art. Maybe there’s something to learn there.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

First, I don’t necessarily think there is a binary between non-creatives and creatives. We are all creators by nature and it’s all expressed and felt differently, from choosing how we feel, what we make for dinner, to selecting a card for your friend. It’s not just in artistic ways. So, perhaps, this message is for everyone.
Personally, I know I feel an intense urgency to create, that at times can be hard to understand. I trust we’ve all seen the musical, Hamilton by this point? Remember the fervor with which Eliza laments ” [Alexander] writes like he’s running out of time.” That urgency, that impulse, is the closest thing to illustrate what I experience. Now, I don’t think my life will be snuffed out in a duel at the age of 47, nor am I arrogant enough to think the legacy I leave will be sung about over 200 years later. But rather this impulse comes from feeling that time is always slipping away, and there’s never enough of it to prioritize creating.
When I express the need to create, it’s not just about a hobby or a fleeting interest. It’s about channeling a passion and a drive that demands attention and dedication. It’s about translating thoughts, emotions, and visions into tangible expressions.

So, the next time your child, parent, sibling, partner or friend expresses the desire for creative time—for themselves, their art, their passion—please respect it. Understand that it’s not a whim. It’s the pursuit of something meaningful, something that adds richness and depth to their life.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

To be honest, I’m still working on accepting that not knowing something is okay. And I know this is one of those ‘Duh!’ things, but somehow, I’ve internalized the belief that not knowing something is a mark of personal inadequacy. I can frame failure in a positive light and read stories of Oprah and Abe Lincoln to make me feel better. But when it comes to not knowing something, it feels different. I see it as being unprepared or, worse, an indication that I haven’t worked hard enough.

I have a lot of specific examples of this, but they all seem silly. Instead, it can be summed up in little ways. In my own schooling, I often wouldn’t ask questions and relied on Google as my study companion. Additionally, I would miss out on opportunities—both personal and professional. In my professional life, as I started teaching, I felt like my first three years were ‘first years’ because I wouldn’t ask questions! I’m tired of having this play out again and again. In business, there’s so much I don’t know! I see myself retreating and am actively working to counteract it.

Accepting that not knowing something is okay is a crucial lesson for me. It’s an ongoing process, but I’m working to realize that asking questions and seeking help is not a sign of weakness but a path to growth. It’s in these moments of vulnerability that real learning and progress happen. By embracing this mindset, I’m slowly breaking free from this detrimental habit.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://shainasart.com
• Instagram: @shainasart https://www.instagram.com/shainasart/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaina-manuel-3a1786234

Image Credits

Daniel Schwenker