We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stephanie Linden. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stephanie below.
Stephanie , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
It was not long before the pandemic began. I consider myself primarily self taught. I have been painting almost my whole life but never truly believed I could make a living from my art. I had begun taking some painting classes, wanting to refine my skills and started meeting other artists, some of whom were showing their work and got invited to be in a group show. I had been in a couple of shows a number of years previously but this one changed my perspective. My work was prominently featured and the level of interest was amazing. For the first time I could see myself selling my paintings regularly. At the same time I was becoming burnt out in my career as a physician. Then the pandemic hit, and in a perfect storm I found myself more stressed at work, but outside of work there was no where to go so I decided to take online art classes. By coincidence or divine intervention, I came across an ad for the Milan Art Institute, a one year online program to turn artists into professionals. Taking that course was the best decision I’ve ever made, to say it was life changing is not an exaggeration. Not only did I learn the tools to successfully market and sell my art, it allowed my to know my voice and see myself as a professional. I think that is the biggest change, my mindset. I have submitted my resignation for my medical practice and am not looking back!
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 come from a family of artists and artisans, so art has always been a part of my life. My mom is a painter and my relatives include potters, stain glass artisans, and makers of musical instruments, fine cabinetry and knives to name a few. I grew up drawing and started painting regularly in high school. As much as I loved it, back then I never really saw art as a viable career for myself. My dad was a park ranger and later a biologist, and really influenced my love for the sciences and nature. It turns out that medicine actually is a wonderful marriage of art and science, and I became a doctor. However, I never turned away from painting and had my first painting in a show at my medical school, the IU School of Medicine art exhibit of faculty, staff, and student works. I continued to paint but until the past couple of years it remained a hobby. My early work was mostly landscapes, inspired by many hours hiking. However, as time progressed I realized I have a story to tell and needed a subject matter that was animate and full of color to tell it. My favorite subjects are birds and flowers but my true subject is light and beauty. I have a large series of figurative paintings featuring the birds and flowers but the primary subjects are women, exploring the ideas of discovering self. What sets my work apart is my use of light and color. I am very proud that my work is original and reflects my inner self. I paint what I feel compelled to paint, driven to paint. I think anyone that buys my paintings will find the joy in them, day after day.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
Today is an amazing time to be a professional artist. There has never been a time in history where artists so easily could represent themselves, sell their work themselves, and share their vision with the world. However, the same thing that has made this possible, has also made art less valuable to many. So many images come across our screens on a daily basis for consumption, and now AI can generate endless images, all for free. My hope though, is for the consumers of art, is that they engage with the artists at shows, watch their reels on social media showing their process and then can understand what goes into making art. I would hope owning beautiful art would compete with owning designer bags and shoes. I think art appreciation starts at a young age and we definitely need to keep art and music programs in our schools.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
I think the most rewarding aspect of being a full time artist is that I am always thinking about beauty. I am always doing research for my work and it keeps me living in the moment, looking at my surroundings and appreciating all that I see. I am able to live more spontaneously and listen to how I am feeling to put structure to my day. If it is a beautiful sunny day I love to spend the whole day in my studio, if I am feeling energetic or restless, maybe a nature walk to take photos, if it is quiet I can focus on marketing, etc. One of the hardest things about being a physician is being “on” no matter how you feel, your days dictated by your tight patient schedule, and the monotony of the same day in and day out.
Contact Info:
- Website: stephanielindenfineart.com
- Instagram: @stephanielindenart
- Facebook: Stelar Home and Design