July 20, 2025
Going Full-Time as an Artist
I always ever dreamed of this day. I have been creating, drawing, and painting since I was very little. When anyone asked me what I want to be when I grow up, I told them an artist and a stay-at-home mom. It hasn't been until the last few months that I am no longer considered a starving artist. I am so glad I never listened to that one college instructor I had tell me to find something else. I am truly blessed to get paid well doing what lights my soul on fire, and all in the comfort of my own home so I can nurture and watch my babies grow up.
I have more requests coming in than I can handle and more work than is possible at times. Thankfully, my husband has stepped in to help. We've agreed to split our work and children responsibilities during the work week. So now I have more time to create uninterrupted, but also plenty of time to enjoy our children after my set scheduled work hours.
I am hustling more than ever, and the ideas are endless. My daughter asked me the other day why I don't finish one painting at a time. I told her it is because there's a sequence of steps I take for each one, and mentally I stay in that step for each piece.
My process seems messy and sporadic, but it's what works for me, and the paint teaches me this every time I sit to paint. I am reminded that the beauty of creating doesn't necessarily come from my head. It comes from my soul. The soul doesn't always make sense, and a lot of times it might be communicating in a way that makes no sense, but through trust and surrender, encased in a container of time, space, and boundaries, the most beautiful things come to be.
As I prepare for the San Diego Point Loma Art Walk, I am humbled by all the opportunities I have to share my gift. I look forward to updating you on how it goes. Many blessings!
Rachel