We had the good fortune of connecting with Emily Janssen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Emily, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I was little, I loved to draw, paint, and really make any kind of art! I always said that I wanted to be an “Artist” when I grew up, but I didn’t ever know exactly what that meant for me. When I graduated high school and was choosing what I wanted to study in college, I briefly thought about studying art, but I also had the negative picture in my head of the typical “starving artist” that scared me away. I could not picture my art going into a gallery, and I did not have the desire to become an art teacher. At the time, I thought those were the only two options for a career in art!

The thought process behind starting my own business really came from wanting to step out of my comfort zone and share my art in a way that felt authentically me – and not the stereotypes that go along with being an artist. I have always wanted to create art as my career, but I didn’t know how to do it in a way where I could be authentically me. Starting my own business felt like exactly the right way to do this. Being able to choose what art I would like to make and put out into the world and growing at my own pace has been such an amazing experience.
Also, I received so much strength and courage to start my own creative business by seeing others do it first – whether friends in real life or on social media!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am currently a travelling artist, which is so fun! I love to gather inspiration from nature that surrounds me. I absolutely love the landscape of the Southwest. Arizona, Colorado, and Utah are some of my favorite places to gather inspiration. I hand-paint small wood slices (coasters, magnets, and ornaments). I enjoy selling these paintings to locally-owned shops, at art markets, or on Etsy! I also design and digitally draw greeting cards, and I am just starting on invitation suites for weddings and events!

I think what sets me apart from others is that it is my goal to create accessible art! While it is important to me to make a profit in my business, I ultimately think that art is for everyone, and I have chosen to price my art and stationery at an attainable rate.

Something that I am proud of is that I began this small business while working a full-time job. While it has sometimes been a hard balance to find, I am proud of the fact that I have been able to maintain a job as well as a business at the same time!

While it has not always been easy, it has been so fun and so rewarding. There are moments that are stressful, and I have learned a ton of things on my own or from texting a fellow small-business owner friend to make sure I am not doing something wrong. But at the same time, it is SO worth it! To have the freedom to try different things, and see this business (very) slowly but surely growing is SO amazing.

I have learned to overcome challenges by being patient with myself. It is so easy to try to compare my progress with other people, but looking inward and reminding myself that I have all of the tools to succeed has really made a big difference.

Some lessons I have learned along the way: I do not have to be an expert or perfect at something to try it or put myself out there! I knew nothing about marketing before posting about my art on Instagram. I knew nothing about Etsy before publishing my first listing. I have slowly just started trying things (not perfectly at all) and learning along the way. It takes courage, but it’s so worth it!

I want people to know that if they have any desire to start their own business, they can! Everyone else might seem like an expert, but everyone is just figuring it out along the way as well! You do not have to be the most talented or proficient artist to start a creative business or put your art out there. I simply loved making art and have now started a little business with that love.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If a friend visited me in Flagstaff, Arizona, I would have SO many things to show them! We would grab coffee from Single Speed Coffee Roasters, walk around downtown and check out the local shops like MIX in the Old Town Shops, and definitely eat at Pato Thai or Dark Sky Brewing!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
SO many people have poured out encouragement and love to me in this process of starting my business. Thank you so much to all of my family and friends, but I would like to specifically dedicate this to my Grandpa. Grandpa, thank you for always sitting down with me at your dining room table and giving me art lessons when I was little. Every moment of that means so much to me.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ponderosa.pinedesignco/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PonderosaPineDesignCo

Other: Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ponderosapinedesign

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