We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Stacey Lucas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Stacey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories 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?

I absolutely feel I could have sped up the process if I knew then what I know now, but I do not have any regrets.

In 2008 I started to look at my life, my finances, my job and was constantly hearing from others that I “had arrived” since I had a house, the car, the job, a 401k. I looked great on paper. But something in my soul felt a yearning to create a more intentional life, to learn more and grow more, so I left my last corporate job in 2009, bought a purple van and traveled around the east coast, landing in Asheville, NC. I have a thousand trials and tales between then and now, but the common denominator in all situations is that I have learned to trust my intuition and myself.

Stacey, 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?

When I first went out on my own, I took every single paying creative freelance job. I was holding down an etsy shop (and this was before cellphones, so I was pulling up to a coffee shop every week in my travels to work on my digital designs and shop), freelance illustrating for companies and taking ANY painting gigs I could. From hand painted signs to hand painted windows of used car lots, I could always take out my paintbrush as a way to make money. I traveled as a body painter, henna artist, photographer, hula hoop maker and wore any creative hat I could. At one point, I was selling vintage ties at a flea market to make rent. I was grateful for any and all creative opportunities.

But as my craft has grown, my company has evolved and I have as well, pulling away from companies that I didn’t share values with. I began to set boundaries and go inward to discover what I truly LOVE to create, not just what pays the bills. Over the course of 15+ years, I have opened several brick and mortars and am currently working on a wholesale line of my product (paintings turned into cards, stickers, prints, etc.) that inspire in big ways and feel good. I have learned to embrace my pace, my messy process and identity as a vehicle to story tell, write, and explore new forms of self expression.

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

My work these days is mostly inspired by bring community together for creative work. That’s in my products, events, shops and the energy I bring to the table. I strive to create safe spaces for people to learn and grow, so we can share stories. I truly believe we rise by lifting others and feel especially called in this chapter of my life to assist others on their creative journey.

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

I had to unlearn a value passed down many generations in my family that unpaid work has no value in the world. I was born into a lot of fear around money, so I often had shame and hid parts of my journey from my family. I knew I was following my heart, my dreams. But that also came with a lot of inner turbulence around what I *should* be doing or how I *should* be. I am thankful for the years of working on myself and unpacking these belief systems (and dismantling them) as I learn to value myself more, which has only enriched my creation process.

To learn more, find me at figdreams.com.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.figdreams.com
• Instagram: fig_dreams
• Facebook: Fig Dreams
• Youtube: Fig Dreams
• Other: Brick and mortar: @figtreenorth
  Historical barn gallery: @figtreegallery (figtreenh.com)
  Events: @biglovemarket

Image Credits

E. Lamprey (eslamprey.com)