We were lucky to catch up with Sierra Jeter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sierra, appreciate you joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

1. Don’t do what other people do. As an artist, you are likely creating something new that the world has never seen before. We are all unique, and I think it is very important to honor your uniqueness through your creativity and to celebrate it. For me, my creative ideas come from within. And when you look at the most successful artists in the world you can see how many of them have carved out their own lane creatively. When you see their work you automatically know who the artist is. And that wouldn’t be possible without the artist expressing and honoring their unique expression through their creativity.

2. Have a clear vision and mission for your creative business. If you don’t have an idea of where you’re going or if you haven’t set any intentions for your business, how do you expect to have success? For me, I have struggled with taking direction in the past in my business because I am someone with A LOT of ideas, a lot of different interests, there’s a lot that I want to do and create, which has made me feel scattered and overwhelmed at times. But I’ve learned that by having a clear vision that guides and grounds your work is a solid foundation from which to build your goals, dreams, action steps and defining what success looks like to you. Success looks different for every artist. Having a clear vision will help you determine what success looks like for you.

3. Go all the way. Stick with it. No matter how many challenges, trials and tribulations come your way. Every challenge is a test. A test to see how badly you want your dreams and desires to become reality. In this case, how badly do you want your creative business to be successful? Challenges in business also reveal areas of your business and life that may need some more attention and fine tuning or a skill that you need to develop. When you view challenges in this way, as a test or as a learning experience, you become more equipped for the road ahead. Especially when you commit yourself to learning those valuable lessons or unlearning habits and mindsets that no longer serve you or your creative business. I think that social media often makes building and having a successful business look like it’s something easy and that you can have overnight success. I have learned that this is not true. I myself have had to learn that your business is not going to miraculously take off overnight. It’s going to take time, money, planning, saving, energy, trial and error, experiments, patience and seed watering. You don’t harvest your seeds the same day that they were planted. You have to water them, nurture them, love them, and watch them grow. The same thing goes for your business dreams.

4. You need to be able to say no to things, people, spaces and sometimes even opportunities that aren’t right for you. It’s important to always be in your integrity as an artist. Always listen and trust your gut, it is literally always right and steering you in the right direction. I think it’s important to remain grounded in your own unique creative flow and to not let outside opinions, judgements or ideas cloud your mind to the point where you are no longer in touch with your own inner voice. I have experienced this many times on my creative journey. For artists, most of the time we are the only ones who know what we are creating, especially in the beginning. Therefore, only you know what’s best for you. That doesn’t mean that it’s not also ok to ask questions and seek support when needed, but make sure those outside supports are getting a “hell yes” from inside before moving forward.

5. Self-mastery. Not just being the master of your craft, but also being the master of yourself. That means reflecting often and understanding who you are on a soul level, how you operate, the shape of your unique expression, your unique creative flow, what your skills are, what lights you up, what doesn’t light you up, etc. I think it’s important to be brave enough to put your art out into the world, and if being in the spotlight scares you, do it scared. That’s better than not getting your expression out into the world at all. You are the master not the student. Own your mastery.

Sierra, 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?

I am a fluid artist living on Ute, Cheyenne and Arapahoe lands, also known as Denver, Colorado. My creativity is influenced by my dreams, my spiritual journey, Mother Earth, mysticism, the divine feminine and my Afro-indigenous lineage.

For most of my 20’s, I’ve worked within the nonprofit industrial complex in social movements as a community organizer and marketing professional. At that time, I mostly expressed my creativity through my photography business that I had on the side, where I did live music photography and marketing for political campaigns for two years. But in 2021, I was 25, and I found myself in a cycle of burnout. Which resulted in a mental and physical health collapse. This was one of the many wake-up calls that I had during the pandemic. That year I began to put more of my energy and intention into my wellness.

As my well-being became my top priority, I started to clear out and release many unhealthy habits, which made space for me to start exploring the many different areas of my life that nourish my soul. Fluid acrylics nourish my soul, and I was and continue to be so inspired by what I create, what other talented artists create, community, Mother Earth and the limitless possibilities that life has to offer.

I have spent years learning and expanding alongside my mentors, guides, healers and highest self and have been engaging in intuitive, psychic and somatic healing work for the past 3 years. This experience has opened up so much creative energy in my life and has led to my arrival in the visual arts sphere.

I started my art business, Sierra Jeter Art, in July of last year. My business supports and celebrates the healing, creativity, transformation and highest visions of all beings through unique handmade fluid artwork. I create original acrylic paintings, commissioned artwork and art prints that are birthed through an intuitive meditative process. The colors, movements and messages that emerge in my work create a visual story which awakens and heals people and spaces by creating energetic pathways of visual imprint both within and without.

I recently started offering original commissioned artwork this year, where clients will receive a deeply empowering piece of sacred fluid art that aids in awakening and healing yourself and your space. If you’d like to inquire about my commissions, send me an email at [email protected]. You can find more information about my commissions process at sierrajeterart.com/commissions. I also have original artwork and art prints for sale on my website sierrajeterart.com

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

During my first year of selling my artwork, the first art show that I was a part of was with an arts and culture organization in Denver that hosted first friday art shows. After doing a few shows with them I was very successful and natural at connecting with other artists, curating my artwork and selling art prints. But the third show was different. The night before the show, me and other artists dropped off our artwork to be hung by the curator. Unfortunately, during the set up one of my favorite pieces that I did on paper with marker and that I had been working on little by little over the past year, fell from the wall and into a puddle of water which destroyed the piece. I also had 4 other frames break during setup. Rightfully so, the organizers paid for the artwork and frames that they had destroyed and broken. But, at this point, my gut and eyes were telling me that this wasn’t the right space for me and my art anymore.

Although I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to share my art anywhere, my gut was now rejecting this space, especially after seeing the lack of intention and respect that they had for my art. After this had happened, I made the decision to drop out of the show. This decision was not personal, but a pivot in business. I understood deeply that I didn’t have to compromise who I am or what I am creating in order to have a platform. I also didn’t feel the need to force a situation that was clearly not aligned with my business anymore. And standing in my integrity and being able to say no to this show and other things that aren’t right for me and what I’m creating, has now opened up space for the right opportunities to flow to me.

All in all, if something doesn’t feel or look right to you, then it’s not right. There was a period of time in my life where I never listened or trusted my gut. I was raised in a way that taught me that there was always someone outside of me who knew more than me or knew what was best for me. But the truth is, only you know what’s best for you. You know yourself better than anyone and staying true to yourself and your business like I did, will protect you and take you far on your creative journey.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I’ve had to unlearn the fantasy of being an overnight success. Especially in the beginning when I first started growing my business. At that time, I really thought I could quickly, within a few months, start my business, build a solid following, sell all of my originals, do all of the managing work that comes with being an entrepreneur on top of creating beautiful artwork from my heart. I ended up burning myself out. I was trying to do a million things within such a short period of time without giving myself the grace and the space to take my time. Rushing also took a lot of the fun out of creating. I was so focused on creating financial stability for myself through my art business that I lost sight of why I do what I do in the first place.

For a long time I was constantly in action mode, which had a very negative impact on my health and forced me to learn how to work at a pace that honors my well-being. I personally do a lot of intuitive work, so I need to take breaks often, get good rest and most importantly not push my energetic limits to the point of exhaustion. I am still learning how to flow and it’s been a beautiful lesson to learn because as I do, I am deepening my level of self-mastery and abundance, which I am so grateful for.

Through these experiences, I have learned how to be in flow with life and business. Just like the phases of the moon, I have found that it is important to honor the energetic cycles of life. There’s a time for rest, there’s a time for reflection and there’s a time for action. Your flow is unique to you. For me, my flow does not align with the hyper-productive capitalist patriarchal colonial reality that I’ve been indoctrinated into. I am unlearning these harmful ways of being and I am actively decolonizing my time, by intentionally honoring my unique flow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sierrajeterart.com
• Instagram: @artbysierrajeter
• Facebook: facebook.com/artbysierrajeter