Today we’d like to introduce you to Elaine Lee.
Hi Elaine, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve been drawing since I was a kid and had always known that I wanted to be an artist. I grew up with traditional Chinese parents, so of course, there was no support for anything art-related. In the beginning, it started out as a hobby.
You’d find doodles stashed below in my backpack. I’d get in trouble for always drawing and never completing school work. My aunt was the one person who saw my potential and every year, she’d gift me art supplies.
She’d tell me, “You know you can probably start making T-shirts or something with your art.” I didn’t think anything of it. Art was always just for fun for me. Fast forward, I went to the Academy of Arts University in San Francisco. My focus was on illustration and graphic design. I wanted to be a comic book artist. Shortly after 3 years, I dropped out. From there, it felt like a big black hole. Where do I start? Where do I go from here?
How do I continue this journey, that felt like there was no light? Thankfully, in this digital world, we have social media. I was posting my art all over and someone local to me messaged me about participating in an art show they were curating. So I joined, and I’ll never forget that day when I almost sold all of my original artwork.
Now, living in Utah for 5 years, I’ve been doing maker markets and it’s been such a rewarding journey!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not. At. All! Prior to living in Utah, I was in Southern California. Although I did several art shows, it was hard for me to build my confidence that “YES, THAT’S MY ART.”
It was also hard to not compare myself because there were a lot of admirable artists around me, who are just totally killing it with not just their art, but their business. On top of that, again, those valid questions I asked myself, “How do I continue this journey? Where do I even start?” I didn’t have the right resources to get me to where I am today. If I’m being completely honest, it’s a lot of trial and error, like a science experiment.
When COVID came and I couldn’t work for a whole month, it was a blessing. I had rebranded and did so much sourcing for maker markets to join that this year, I headed straight to applying left and right for them. To see things come to reality and unfold themselves, I’m barely getting a hang of it, while having a day job.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a product designer. I hand paint each and every tote bag, so it’s essentially a fine art accessory that you can use every day. I also design stickers, buttons, and stationaries. Some locals know my painted tote bags, rather than my visual art, which I take pride in!
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Be an opportunist, but also watch yourself in case anything goes south especially if money is involved. Be persistent, and believe in yourself. Try to force yourself to talk to others because networking is important these days. It’ll definitely take you far!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/laineyberryart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laineyberryart
