Caroline Stroud is an artist based in Atlanta, Georgia. She began painting as a hobby (or side-hustle??) in college and now has the privilege to be a full time artist!
What’s your creative specialty?
Painting - live wedding paintings and my "Cheers" paintings!
How did you start?
I started painting in college as a part time way to make money and continued to paint while working full time in Atlanta after graduation. Once I got a studio and had booked enough wedding paintings in advance to sustain myself financially, I dove head first into the art world. I have been painting full time for a little over two years now.
How do you gain/gather inspiration? What do you do to get recharged?
I gather most of my inspiration from my live wedding paintings. The subject matter I paint in my studio is loosely based on the interactions I see between wedding guests- old friends reconnecting, new friends meeting for the first time and people clinking glasses in merriment.
My favorite way to recharge creatively is to journal on my back porch. Journaling is such a helpful tool to declutter your thoughts and has helped me improve the way I articulate my ideas onto canvas as well.
What’s your favorite thing about creating?
My favorite (and sometimes least favorite) thing about creating is that there are no rules. Once you have an idea or vision for a painting, it is up to you to bring that idea to life and connect with others through your work. This freedom can be scary at first, but once you click with a subject that you are passionate about painting, it will flow naturally.
What advice would you give your younger creative self?
I would tell my younger self that perfection is the enemy of progress- basically don't let the fear of failure paralyze you from starting or trying something new. Running your own business and constantly creating new work is all about trial and error and you cannot get hung up on getting it all right the first time. Sometimes the hardest part is just starting!
Check out Caroline’s work on herwebsite andInstagram and tell her thanks for sharing her answers with us!
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