If Not You, Then Who?

The earliest thing I remember wanting to be was an artist. In elementary school I would pretend I was one with my best friend Olivia and we would make absolute masterpieces and then hold sidewalk sales with our art. But then as I grew up I felt the need to have a "practical" job and I let art fall by the way side. I felt that if it were actually possible to be an artist for a job then EVERYONE would want to be one. And since I didn't really know any professional artists, I wrote it off.

But a few years ago I started working as a studio assistant for Lindsay Stripling, a painter and illustrator in San Francisco. Suddenly got to see first hand what it could look like to build a career as an artist. I saw the work and care Lindsay put in every day. I started noticing the types of products that feature artists' work. For the first time, I really understood that being a working artist didn't have to mean gallery shows, and it didn’t mean being an old, dead white guy in a museum, but could be made up of all these other types of work that round out to a fulfilling career. I could make the kind of art I wanted to make, and I could make it work for my life.

Importantly, I was also finally aware of how many people are pursuing this path. The fact that there are so many people working and living as professional artists inspired me. Because if they can do it, so can I. Why not me? And why not YOU?

The world is a beautiful messy place filled with all sorts of people. If you are the sort of person who wants to spend your time creating art and connection with fellow humans, then we need you to do that. We truly do.