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

Shari, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I have always been a creative. Growing up, I was always drawing, creating, experimenting with different mediums and having fun. I worked as an airbrush artist from ages 16-22 at a major amusement park and it was excellent “training” for learning the discipline of being consistent. Then I went to college and decided to major in Fine Art and marketing.

After college, at a time when jobs were less than plentiful for new graduates, I decided to try something different and became a flight attendant. It was the first big “risk” I had allowed myself to take, something that would provide me with experiences, travels and introductions that have peppered my life since.

I flew for several years and dated my future husband during those years. When we got married, he was in the military and we moved to Alaska where he was stationed. As life sometimes does, my path shifted and I found myself working in advertising and marketing for the Anchorage Daily News. While advertising wasn’t my favorite, it did give me insight into the creative process of building ads for clients from start to finish.

After some time there, I had the opportunity to move into a position in another realm and this would set my path for the next decade or more. I took a position in the marketing/PR department at the Alaska State Fair. This opened a door that I fell in love with. Creativity, events, music, creative arts and more and I learned quite a bit on that job. I was able to use my creative mind and business knowledge towards a bigger idea and I loved it. Every now and then I could put my creativity to use at work, and in my private time, I was continuing to paint, create and study my art.

In the late 90’s, we moved to Nashville, TN and I followed the path started at the State Fair and found a PR/marketing position that put me as Dir. of Publicity with a record label. I loved being in yet another creative setting, surrounded by music, artistic endeavors and creative people. Even while working in this world, I continued with my own art on the side. I created one sheets for artists, put together creative press kits and sat in on musical recording sessions.

Years later I would branch out on my own with my own PR company and it was in this role that I not only worked PR for musical clients but helped create their marketing and PR materials, design logos, produce creative one sheets and more. I was grateful to do this for so many wonderful clients but at a certain point, I wondered if my own art would ever get to shine.

After years of owning my own company and years before that working with record companies, I made the decision to leave the music industry and see if there might be something out there for my own path to creativity. I started small. I painted what I wanted. I had so many supportive people come along side me and support my art. Little by little, year after year, I painted, I sold, I learned, I experimented, I displayed, I took workshops, attended classes and more. Slowly the doors opened and I was serving commission clients, being accepted to art shows and finding open doors to talk with licensing companies that worked with home retailers. This lead to my relationships with Kirklands and Hobby Lobby,

I don’t think I should ever be done learning, experimenting and trying to grow as an artist but I am very grateful for the risks that I have taken, bc they’ve opened up doors to new journeys and pathways that have allowed me to have an art career that I hope and pray will continue to grow, experiencing new opportunities along the way to hopefully continue to bring joy through art.

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 background and context?

I was born and raised in Southern Ohio/Cincinnati area. Deep ties to family and friends and have always loved being surrounded by people who think outside of the box, are creative, positive people who try to spread joy and hope vs. cynicism and frustration. Faith, music and art have always been my respite, my enjoyment and my peace.

My father is a Vietnam veteran and it was a challenging transition for parents for much of my life. I grew up with deep love but also witnessing the affects of some of those challenges and memories. They definitely infiltrated our family’s life and my parents. Faith, art and creativity were my friends and confidants and helped me view things differently. I’m a deep person of faith and it has always been my hope and desire that no matter what art piece I create for someone, that they feel beauty and joy when they have it.

After transitioning out of the music industry and into an art career, creating artwork for people that touches some emotional element for them has been my greatest honor. Art touches a special place in people that other things can’t. Whether it is a painting of a special place, a pet, or something of deep meaning to them, I am honored to be the physical creator of something that is held so dear. I often pray before I paint and believe it connects me to painting in a different and deeper way. My love of texture, loose brush strokes, pallet knife and mixed media are a way of expressing myself and bringing my emotion to my work.

I am fortunate to have a large home studio above my garage. The space and size has allowed me to create large scale pieces as well as a larger volume of pieces on a regular, consistent basis. .I can paint, walk away and let things dry, walk back in and frame pieces, etc. My husband builds my frames when I need them and does a beautiful job on them. The space allows all of this to be housed in one spot. I go up to the studio daily and have tried to discipline myself to treat it as my work and profession so that I am consistent. I don’t believe practice makes perfect but rather practice makes for consistent improvement and I always try to aim for that.

I’m proud of my resilience and heart for pursuing my dream. It isn’t always easy. There can be rejection and there can be successes. They come together and it’s a part of being in business for yourself but you can’t quit. I hope clients and followers see how much I love art, love creating art and especially love the human connection that is created when you make an art piece that touches someone’s heart in some way. Whether it is through original paintings, my licensing work, or teaching workshops, my prayer and hope is that God is elevated in everything I create, through my approach to painting, my process and my mindset.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I spent much of my life watching some of the adults in my sphere of influence, work in jobs that were expected, necessary and just a part of the path they thought they were supposed to follow. They honorably raised and supported their families but didn’t necessarily ever find what fed their souls. That part always made me a little bit sad. After losing people close to me over the years, it just became painfully real to me that we get one shot at this life and if I can find a way to pursue things that feed my heart and soul and still make a living at it, in some capacity, then I should do that to honor my path and to honor theirs.

I’ve worked in corporate settings. I’ve traveled the world. I’ve been beyond blessed to do some incredible things in life and as long as I can, I want to follow that muse. I’m a hard worker with a strong work ethic and I’m not afraid to get my “hands dirty” so I believe finding your passion and being able to hustle and pivot and always find work at every turn is something that serves me well and would serve anyone well who is wanting to pursue their heart’s desire.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I think one of the most rewarding aspects of being an artist or creative, for me, is taking a blank slate and turning it into something complete. Start to finish. I get a great deal of satisfaction when a piece or project finally hits that final stage, where all the messy work, layers of paint, thoughts and ideas have jelled together and look like I imagined they would in my mind. There is always a stage in every project I work on where I wonder if I’m going to be able to get it where I want it. At times I’ll question the stage I’m at in a painting and then I make myself push through. Seeing it finally done is very satisfying.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sharilacy.com
• Instagram: @sharilacyart
• Facebook: Shari Lacy Fine Art / Moonstring Arts Studio
• Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/sharilacy

Image Credits
Solo Artist Shot – McVay Creative / Rebecca McVay photog. Art photos – Shari Lacy