Job Description
I run my own business as an artist and designer. I focus mainly on large scale installations, such as murals. Much of my work is hand painted, but I also create designs that are printed on vinyl and installed. In addition to murals, I've designed things for magazines, posters, t-shirts, tote bags, and websites. I don't have any employees, so I manage the whole business on my own. This allows me to structure my days in a way that works best for me. My job can be very exhausting, but also very rewarding. I am constantly amazed that I get to do creative work as my full time job!
Relevant School Subjects
- Arts
- Business
Areas of Expertise
- Design/Arts
Career Story
It has been a very winding path! I graduated from the Integrated Arts Program at Eastwood Collegiate Institute, where I majored in visual art. In the fall I attended OCAD University, majoring in Illustration. However, after one year I decided to put school on hold (long story, but generally I wasn't happy with the school).
I then spent a decade trying out other creative endeavours, while working unfulfilling jobs to pay the bills. I dabbled in acting, modelling, performing arts, filmmaking, fashion design, costume design, and character design. In 2012, a friend of my was working at a start-up, and asked if I would be interested in painting a mural in their office. I had done some small murals in high school, but hadn't thought about it as a career path. They were considering a few different artists, but were happy with the idea I proposed, and I landed the job! They passed along my info to another start-up that was getting off the ground (Vidyard) and they commissioned me to paint a mural in their first office. Their business grew exponentially during this time, and they kept moving to new offices, and expanding their space. Each time they did so, they called me back to paint something else.
Also around this time I was working at a cafe, and started illustrating very decorative chalkboards for our menu items and specials. This lead to some regular work as a chalkboard artists, and led to some murals as well. For a few years I juggled murals and chalkboards with part time jobs. I desperately wanted to pursue art and design full time, but didn't have the skills and knowledge I needed to do so. That's when I decided to apply to Conestoga College for their Bachelor of Design program.
I started in the fall of 2015, when the program was only in its second year. My digital skills improved tremendously, and for the first time in years I felt like I had hope for my future. It was very exciting, albeit completely exhausting! I only slept for a few hours at a time, usually every other night. The demand was unhealthy, but I felt a lot of regret for not finishing my program at OCAD, and the last thing I wanted to do was leave school again.
At the beginning of third year, fall of 2017, the Ontario colleges went on strike. At the same time, I had landed a job designing and painting murals and environmental branding in the Catalyst 137 building. It was a massive job (literally, the place is huge) and the strike came at a convenient time for me. I spent all my time painting at Catalyst, trying to get as much done in case the strike suddenly ended. It lasted about a month, and when school resumed I didn't have enough time to complete the full semester, AND finish my work at Catalyst 137. I decided to put school on hold until the spring, but by that time I was getting regular mural opportunities and I didn’t want to pass them up. In the summer of 2018 I decided to register my business, and pursue art and design as my full time career. I have been busy with it ever since!
There has been a lot of learning over the past five years, and many lessons I have learned the hard way. It's not always been fun, but it's been very rewarding! Initially I was doing mostly hand painted murals, many of them for tech companies. During this time I learned a lot about how to write contracts, send invoices, prepare quotes and proposals, and just deal with all different types of personalities. I also learned a lot about designing for a variety of interior spaces, and how to create work that is cohesive with that space. Over the years my work has evolved to include vinyl installations (which are great for keeping costs low, or for places that can't be painted) as well as digital designs for print (editorials, posters, garments, etc) and for web.
The types of clients I work with has evolved greatly as well, to include universities, restaurants, design firms. Additionally I have worked with BIAs from different cities to create public art in their downtown core. The first few years of my business were spent experimenting with different styles and types of projects, to get an understanding of what I wanted to create. This has allowed me to organically find my creative direction. Now I am reflecting on all the things I have learned throughout the process, and seeing my path from a birds eye view. I have a newfound sense of confidence that I am ready to apply to the next phase of my career.