Today we’d like to introduce you to Colleen Holland.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started painting about six years ago. I was going through a rough time and I started doing it as a way to cope with anxiety and depression. It was also a way to distract me from my day job at the time as a social worker at CPS. I started off painting in a corner of my bedroom and the first paintings I ever made were covers of my favorite albums at the time. About a year into it, I started exploring abstract painting and found it to be my niche. I was able to sell paintings here and there to supplement my income and it continues to be a way to help support my family. I’ve participated in art festivals and shows, as well as worked with interior designers who have carried my work in their shops.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road. There have been a lot of hiatus in my work. There’s been a lot of ditched canvases and bumps in the road. And I’m still very much finding my way to where I want to be as a painter. The whole concept of “the struggling artist” isn’t a farce. It’s real on a lot of levels. Figuring out what kind of artist you want to be, finding your style, finding your audience, and figuring out a business model. More times than not, it feels like a struggle.
But every time I start to think too much about sales, Instagram likes and followers, and whether or not I am “successful” enough, I always remind myself that if I never sold another painting, if no one ever saw another one of my pieces, I would still be doing it. Because when it comes down to it, the only thing that matters is that I love doing it.
Please tell us more about your art.
I am an abstract painter. I’m most proud that I have taken something that I love and turned it into something that I am able to share with people.
I used to think as an artist that I needed to stick to one particular style. As the years have passed, my style has changed and evolved more times than I can count. My paintings grow with me and I think that is something special.
I continue to use my art as a way to cope with my depression and anxiety. It’s a meditative process. It’s healing to make something out of nothing. I’ve always said that my paintings come from a part of my brain that doesn’t function in words. A lot of the time the end result is something I never could have imagined as a whole. Inspiration comes to me in the form of shapes or a certain color combination or a single brush stroke.
What were you like growing up?
I’ve always been creative. My father was an artist and I always say that he is where I inherited my artistic abilities. But I was a dancer from the ages of 2 to 18 and that was always my outlet for self-expression when I was growing up.
I have always been described as hard-headed and persistent. My mom affectionately tells a story of me going into a dressing room at a store at the age of two. When I walked in, she tried to follow me and I turned around and told her no. That I would do it. If there’s one story of my childhood to describe who I am, that’s it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.colleenhollandart.com
- Email: colleenhollandart@gmail.com
- Instagram: @colleenhollandart
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