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

Valerie, appreciate you joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

For 15 years I worked in sales, marketing and merchandising. I jumped around and tried different careers but I didn’t find one job that really called to me until I became an Artist. However, I gained so much business experience working in those roles. As a salesperson, I became comfortable reaching out and connecting with potential partners even though I have received many rejections. Working at Macys in merchandising taught me how to build a user friendly shopping platform and how to create a collection that speaks to my audience but also offers a range of work for potential clients that don’t all want the same thing. Finally, all of the experience I gained in the corporate world taught me important skills such as how to correspond with others, stay organized, and understand that building a successful career in any industry takes time.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am an abstract artist. I paint small and large scale work that is colorful and happy. I paint in two styles – softer “abstract” and “geometric” colorful shapes. My art career started organically. I studied Fine Arts in college but I did not paint much until 2017 (16 years after I graduated). When my boys were ages 3 and 1, I started taking drop-in art classes at a community center. I really enjoyed painting again. It was therapeutic and a nice break from the hectic life as a stay-at-home mom.
I posted one of my first paintings on Instagram and an old college friend purchased it. From there I started to paint more and more and sold work to friends and local clients. In March of 2020, my commitments shifted and I was able to make more time to paint. I decided that I really wanted to focus on building a career as a professional artist. In July 2020, I participated in a group art show and my work was well received. From that time on, my career has slowly taken off.
I feel that my work stands apart from others because my style is unique and it brings joy to the collector. My art reflects who I am. It is fun, upbeat but also has imperfections like marks, scrapes, and colors peeking through top layers of paint. Finally, I frame nearly all my work. This simplifies the installation process for the collector – they can receive and hang it with ease.
Along the way, I have had several proud moments. I am thrilled when I see a stunning installation photo. In addition, it has been an honor to have several publications, including Voyage Baltimore, write about me and my work. Most recently, in May, I sold out my collection of 17 paintings in under 8 hours!

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an Artist is that my work is making a connection with the collector at some level so much so that he/she invests in my art and has it in their home to look at every day.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

As someone who spent over 15 years working for a larger company with layers of people, I was able to turn off “work mode” in the evenings, weekends and on vacation. I typically felt that I was very capable of doing what needed to be done and complete it in a timely manner. But now as a creative and business owner, I find that I am very engrossed in my career as an Artist. I am constantly thinking (and sometimes overthinking) what to paint, how to improve and grow as an Artist, and ways to develop my business. I also have a hard time saying, “this painting is done”. For me, I have found that working on several paintings at once has enabled me to be a better Artist because I don’t overwork my paintings. I move around on many paintings at once, allowing me to look back at something I was working on a few days ago and recognize it is complete.

I also put a great deal of time and energy into each and every painting so I am sensitive to how people view my work – I always hope it is well received when I share it with the world. But I don’t think I am alone in these feelings. I connect with other Artists and we are always most sensitive to our own work – we question if it is good enough, is it finished, will it sell?

I am fortunate to be married to a non-creative professional who reminds me that I am good at what I do and to keep going at it. It is very helpful to have this sounding board to encourage me to continue to move forward and believe in myself and my ability.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.valerieleuchs.com
• Instagram: @valerieleuchs
• Linkedin: Valerie Leuchs

Image Credits
Thomas Agoglia Photography