5 years in as a full-time artist

5 years ago I was fired from my interior design job abruptly. I was working on a project, when all of the sudden I couldn't get access to my email account or anything related to the company anymore. I contacted tech support and asked for help, but no one answered. I then was asked by my boss to come upstairs 2 hours later, and I had a sinking feeling that something was wrong. They told me I wasn't a good fit for their culture. It was hard to hear, but I also agree.

Their culture honestly sucked. It was stuck with a lot of old school sexism and divisiveness, I was in trouble often for taking too much time with my clients. One of my core values is good customer service, and so this made it apparent that this really wasn't my place to be. The community felt hostile at times, and it was stressful working there. I stopped eating while I worked there, and had lost a lot of weight due to the stress.

After receiving my pink slip I hit my boots to the ground and began the hard work of beginning my art business. I didn't file for unemployment like many of my peers, as I wanted to learn how to make my own money without having to rely on someone else. I was broke, barely making my rent payment, but yet the universe provided. Slowly one by one I had clients interested in artworks. I remember the moment I was working in my home studio and someone purchased 2 paintings on my website. That sale made me leap and dance, as it was my first large sale after working hours diligently creating a solid website. I showed up to holiday markets, showed in as many places as possible and truthfully I worked as many hours as I could. This work was so important to me, that every waking second I was thinking about the next painting, instagram post or email I needed to work on.

Running your own business has been glamorized over the past few years, especially on social media. But I got news for you, it's not a cake-walk. Like so many of you who buy my work, you're entrepreneurs as well and you know intimately how the work can creep into all areas of your life. The burn out is real, and I have experienced it. What brought me back was getting back to the basics. Not allowing my phone into the bedroom, slowing down with my son, making real nourishing foods (I really like nourishing meals) if you haven't heard of her stuff, check it out! Dr. Emily at Terrain Natural Medicine has also been a god-send for my health. Overall I just needed to make some big adjustments from being "on" all of the time to being a human again. When you love what you do, it's contagious and you often don't want to stop.

Today, I can't believe where my business began to where it is now. It's truly something I am so grateful for. This artwork is my family's main income, and to be able to create art that is resonating with so many is such a gift.

Below Is a little more Q & A about my art business:

1. How many artworks have you made since 2020?

   150 artworks! Which feels honestly unbelievable at times, but I am truly dedicated to making art. I start feeling "off" when I don't lean into my creativity.

2. What artwork is your favorite?

   I'd say it's not possible to have a "favorite" because I'm always in the process of making my next favorite! There are always pieces that feel special to me, but I do believe in the process of releasing the art.

3. Where is your favorite place to show art?

   National Nordic Museum has been a favorite! I am Norwegian (my grandpa spoke Norwegian and invited me to many Lutefisk dinners- where I only ate the lefse!) When I show my work at this National Nordic Museum, I feel like I am honoring my ancestry in a way, and I feel like it's deeply connected to my spirit.

4. Do you ever do art without color?

   In college I did many pieces in black and white, as that is how they wanted the projects. I didn't enjoy it. I thought it lacked soul and expression. I didn't set out to become the "most colorful" artist out there, but I think my color stands out due to the lack of color the United States culture uses in general. Whenever I travel, I find other cultures rich with hues and colors. Color is a fantastic way to add dopamine, creativity and light into our lives. Why leave all of that overseas?

5. What is a secret that people wouldn't know about you?

   I love being my family's travel agent. I am always planning the next adventure and scouting out where we can go to next. One of my favorite spots is Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World. Waking up to giraffes outside your window, just makes me so happy.

6. Do you have any future dreams for your art business? What's to come?

   My future looks like building my team! I have been doing this business on my own and it's been a lot on me. I was really struggling with doing my taxes and hired an awesome CPA that's been helping me, and I just hired on another assistant to help with packaging and fulfillment. The computer work I will tell you, NEVER ends! My dream is to paint more, and get a bigger studio space!

At the end of the day this dream of mine was made possible by people like YOU. My community has shown up in ways that make me cry- happy tears. I can't wait for what the next 5, 10, and heck- 30 years of this art has to offer! I am so thankful to you! Cheers, Kristine Cooper

5 years in as a full-time artist

From Blank Walls to Calm Minds: Using Art to Create a Healing Home

Picture this: You lean back in your living room chair and reach for the TV remote, but instead begin to soften your shoulders taking a breath and just relaxed with an artwork hanging on the wall. The colors are slowly shifting as the sun is setting, and you can feel the essence and soul the artist poured into this work. You just sit back, and enjoy the moment.

This is the power of art. It can bring us back to the moment. It's analog. In a world that is increasingly fast pace, AI generated and busy we need this more than ever. We need art on our walls that bring us to our center, ground us and invite us to be.

When I began the journey of creating art I didn't know there would be an element of wellness. I just started painting and hanging the artworks on my walls, and I witnessed with my own eyes something unveil with time as I sat with the works. I saw them improve my mood, lower my stress and bring me into balance.

I know it sounds like fluff to think that you can add an artwork to a wall and see noticeable differences, but this is science backed. There is truth in how you noticeably feel around color, movement and art that holds story.

In a study by American Journal of Public Health , They discovered that patients in the hospital recovered quicker when they received exposure to art. Less medications and interventions were needed. That is pretty powerful in itself. So what is the art doing you may ask? It's elevating your mood, bringing optimism, hope and the human story to life.

Art made with human hands will always be relevant, important and a healing modality for our homes and community spaces. Art is vital to our well-being and I think of it as an extension of our holistic health. If you've had art leave an impression on your mood or provide peace in your home, I'd love to hear from you! Share how art has impacted you below in the comments!

Cheers, Kristine Cooper

From Blank Walls to Calm Minds: Using Art to Create a Healing Home

We all start somewhere...

My first art show at Seattle Pacific University

I was my parents worst nightmare. In college, I called them one afternoon and said, I'm quitting the teaching degree, and going 100% into art. They thought I was unstable or likely didn't know that people don't become artists. But somehow, intrinsically I deeply knew that this what I wanted. You can feel the energy beaming from my smile in the image above as I stood in front of my very first public art show in 2016. Call it naivety, but I believed that I didn't have to live a "normal" life succumbed to boring. This college showcase featured in the image stressed me out to all ends, and was the first time I had gone abstract with my creations. It wasn’t my best pieces, but it was my start to what I knew was going to be something bigger.

I didn't become a full-time artist overnight, and I think thats critical to point out to a world that's always selling a course on how to make a million dollars in passive income overnight. It took close to 10 years to become "successful", but my desire to paint is deeper than the vanity metrics. I genuinely want to create, because these paintings are my legacy. I want someone to look at my work in a 100 years and feel inspired.

My artistic voice is a constant evolution and discovery. I never sat down to figure out "my style", it just naturally evolved. The more work I create, the more my voice has shown through. Color theory and colors run deep in my art because I believe color is a powerful tool for speaking. Why do sunsets leave your jaw on the ground and take your breath away? It’s just colors. But the way they come together can literally change how you FEEL. That’s how art works too. Art that uses color in a powerful way should take your breath away. Or be something you can’t stop staring at. Within each of my pieces I weave stories, feelings, spiritual world and spontaneous things that peak my interest. I don't always go into the studio knowing what's going to come out. This open ended mystery I believe makes for my best work.

My hope is that my story encourages you to begin. For you to begin your passion, whether that's to cook exquisite meals, craft beaded jewelry or read to children at the library. There is magic when we tap into our souls purpose, and I hope you get the delight of feeling that vibrancy in your life.

Remember, we all start somewhere.

Much love & peace,

Kristine