MY STORY

If you’d asked me years ago, I never thought I had a “story”.

Stories were ways to tell epic adventures, marvels, and breakthroughs. There were heroes/heroines with monsters that seemed impossible to defeat, but in the end, would come out changed and victorious. Stories are something worth writing about; Made for the movies.

While real-life stories aren’t always made for the movies, that doesn't mean they won’t mean something to someone. So, here I am writing my story for you.

Art has been a part of my life for longer than I can remember. I mean this quite literally, I don’t remember a time before I started being creative. My mother is also an artist who taught fine art for more than 35 years. I believe she was, and still is, a large influence on my lifelong passion for art. 

Growing up, art wasn’t just a hobby. It was something I excelled at. Do you know how humans always like to label things? Well, I was the “girl who was good at art”. It quickly became part of my identity. I won prizes in art fairs, displayed my work in art shows throughout high school and university, received many academic awards, scholarships, and community recognition.

In high school, I knew I wanted to pursue a career where I could be creative. For a time I considered fashion design but when I realized that wouldn’t be as glamorous as I had first envisioned, I considered teaching.

The truth is, I didn’t know what I wanted to be, I just knew I wanted it to involve art. Deep down, I wondered what it would be like to just make paintings for a living. At the time, that wasn’t a valid career option because I didn’t know anyone who did that, so in my mind, that job didn’t even exist.

Unsure of the exact career path I would take, I decided to study art at Brock University.

This was a period in my life where I grew my skills as an artist in ways I never thought I could. It challenged me and shook my confidence a bit. Looking back, this was probably very healthy for me–It’s good to be humbled! This time was invaluable and I cultivated relationships with people I still look up to and admire to this very day. I graduated with honours in June 2015.

After I graduated I went through a period of transition in my life. I officially moved out of my parents’ home and in with my boyfriend (now husband) to our first apartment in Cambridge, Ontario. Not only was I in a new city, but I now had bills to pay. These huge changes had many growing pains and reality checks. Adulting is HARD.

I believed a myth many of us artists are told. A stereotype that our society perpetuates: The “starving artist” cliché. That if you want to be an artist, you can’t make a comfortable living just by selling your art.

This belief led me down a path where I ended up working in jobs that were unrelated to my field of expertise. I was so drained by these jobs that I didn’t make any art for almost TWO YEARS. Can you imagine doing something for your whole life, something that was ingrained as part of your identity, and then one day you just stop? To say I felt like a failure is an understatement.

I know I wasn’t actually a failure. I gained a lot of financial independence in those years. It’s something I had to do to survive. I didn’t see what it was doing to me at the time, but looking back now I can see it was taking a massive toll on my mental health. I wasn’t being fulfilled and was beginning to become resentful and unhappy.

The universe works in mysterious ways.

When you start listening, the world gives you signs of where you need to go. This might sound woo-woo to you, but I believe the universe brought me back to my greater purpose.

In 2017 I went on a spontaneous family trip to California. While on this trip, something inside of me changed. I was incredibly inspired by the beauty around me. I felt at peace. I realized this was the way I should be feeling in my life. It opened my eyes to the discontentment which was stemming from my work life.

This is when I realized I needed to get back to what I loved most: Art

In 2018, I took a chance and started my art business. My husband was actually the one who encouraged me to pursue my passion which helped me take a leap of faith.

I was warmly welcomed into the small business community here in Kitchener/Waterloo and eventually all over Ontario. I also started offering commission work as soon as I launched my business. At the end of 2018, I decided to quit my 9-5 job to pursue my passion full-time.

My artwork has now been shipped to SEVERAL countries across the world such as Italy, France, The United Kingdom, The United States, Australia, Austria, The Netherlands, and China (just to name a few). It’s amazing when I take a moment and reflect on how much I’ve accomplished.

So yeah…. That little lie that people like to tell about “starving artists” is just that. A lie. I wish I hadn’t listened to those people for so long. I wish I could go back to myself four years ago and say “it’s going to be okay, this won’t last forever”.

I think back now to when I was trying to decide what to do with my life. I’m actually doing it! I’m literally living my dream. I’m glad I didn’t become a teacher or a fashion designer. I’m even happy I went through a period where I didn’t get to make art because it has made me appreciate what I have now even more. I actually experienced what my life would be like without art.

Is it hard sometimes? Yes!

Is it worth it? Definitely.

I’m still GROWING and EVOLVING as an artist, as a businesswoman, and as a wife.

Some people won’t understand when you pursue something unconventional. Some people will try to tell you that you should do something else, or “get a real job”. People will doubt your capabilities. People might even doubt your love for your passion.

If you love it though, and I mean really love it, find a way to make it work. Prove the doubters wrong. Find people who support your dreams and hold onto them. It’s not always going to be easy. Believe in yourself and keep trying.

With Love,

Kristi