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

Stefanie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I’ve learned mostly by putting the hours in, with lots of trial and error. Because I never went to art school, I’ve taken online courses to learn more about art principles and color theory. I also research different ways to approach things, and sometimes ask other artists about their process to learn from their experience. All of this combined has shaped my growth as an artist.

One thing I had to accept early on was the inevitability of making bad art. There’s simply no way around it. To learn the craft and improve, there are times your work turns out different from what you’d like and simply isn’t good. This can be frustrating and disappointing. The key is to let your passion propel you to devote more time to the craft. Paint over the bad works and keep going.

There is always more to learn and new ways to do things, but patience and faith are sometimes required because we can’t always control the pace of growth as an artist. Practicing your craft and responding to what you love leads to improvement, but we can’t force breakthroughs. The creative process takes time. If you have the passion for it and keep showing up, eventually the work will pay off.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

I didn’t begin painting seriously until midlife. Before turning to art, I worked as a mental health practitioner and a professional writer. But I always had a creative side, and as the years passed, my longing to paint intensified. I had a desire to mix paint, spread it on canvas, and let my emotions and thoughts emerge in a visual way. I bought an easel, but it collected dust for seven years while I raised my kids and futilely searched for painting classes that met my schedule. Finally, I asked an artist in my neighborhood for help getting started. I painted my first brushstrokes on a blank canvas in her studio and was immediately hooked.

My nature-inspired abstract paintings celebrate imperfect beauty and overcoming challenge. One carries a piece of my heart, and I hope they add warmth and an authentic, natural beauty to the walls and rooms they grace. Helping interior designers and homeowners find the right painting for their space often leads to creating a commissioned piece. Custom or not, it’s gratifying when someone loves one of my paintings and wants it to adorn their home or office.

I also coach creatives who are starting out or making a career change toward art. Being an artist can be a lonely pursuit, and many benefit from support and guidance from someone who’s been in their shoes. Coaching evolved organically after I hosted a 30-day social media challenge for artists focused on improving our practice and creative mindset. Coaching allows me to employ my clinical background (I hold a master’s degree in social work) and help others find the next steps on their creative journeys. The art world can be intimidating; connecting with someone who understands the ups and downs and can offer concrete advice makes a difference.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I first started submitting to juried art exhibits, I didn’t expect my art to be selected. Just entering felt like a win. Over time, I received both acceptances and rejections, and felt content overall. As my art improved, the level of show I strove for increased. I experienced more wins and my confidence and hopes swelled. But then came a time when hearing “no” really stung.

A local gallery put out a call for female artists in my area to submit work for an exhibit. As a native of the area with a passion for painting, this call seemed a great fit. I worked hard on my submission, revising my artist statement and carefully deciding what art to submit. When I received the rejection notification, I was crushed, and later, I felt even worse when I learned that more than 100 artists were chosen (not merely 20 or 30), many of whom I knew from the local art scene.

For about two weeks, I couldn’t shake my disappointment. knew I needed to do something to heal my ego and nurture my creativity, so I signed up for a 21-day online sketchbook course focused on the fun and joy of artmaking. I explored what felt good to create without pressure to produce finished work. It allowed me to relax, explore, and discover what felt right in the moment – exactly what I needed at the time. Eventually, my confidence returned, and I regained a positive mindset. The following year, when that same gallery put out a call for their second annual female artist exhibition, my work was accepted. If at first you don’t succeed…

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

I’m a perfectionist, which can hold me back. If I wait until each painting, newsletter, or gallery pitch is perfect, I might never finish or send it. Letting go of perfectionist tendencies is something I may need to work on for life, but I’ve come a long way. Sometimes I remind myself that visually, I often prefer the imperfect. I’ve come to celebrate imperfection, in my art and in life.

I think the best advice I’ve gotten came from my husband, who told me: “Start before you’re ready.” I think back to that easel I bought which sat unused for years and wonder why it was so hard to apply his advice and just start painting. I thought I didn’t know what to do or how to do it, so I did nothing. But now I know that you just need to start. After I began to paint, I realized that you figure it out as you go, not before you start.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stefaniestarkart.com
• Instagram: @stefaniestarkart or https://www.instagram.com/stefaniestarkart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stefanie.b.stark/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefaniebstark/
• Other: 
  Newsletter sign up: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62e401c4c4d48aec3664b6f2
  ArtFull February Instagram Challenge for artists: https://www.instagram.com/artfullfebruary/
  ArtFull February  sign up: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/626305e3ec93244248594f59

Image Credits
Claire Harvey (all studio shots) Stefanie Stark (photos of paintings)