That lightning-has-struck, lightbulb moment you just had?
Yeah, I’ve been there. Welcome to the FBOC, Future Business Owner Club.
I’m Kristina, and I’m here to hold your hand while you get your art business up-and-running.
Does this sound familiar?
You felt a jolt of excitement, followed by an immediate tsunami of overwhelm.
You know you want to make art—what you don't know is how to market yourself or your brand. If only you....
•understood what a "brand" entailed
•knew exactly WHO your perfect customer was + how to find them
•could write the perfect copy to convert customers into collectors
•knew which platform to use to sell your work
.....THEN you know you'd be a hit!
Whoa, whoa whoa.
There is so much to learn, and it doesn’t require a new degree. That’s where I pop in, Albus Dumbledore style, with tricks up my sleeve for ya.
Let me introduce myself: I’m Kristina.
I turned a HS art class into a decade-long career in the fashion industry, all while building this business on the side.
I want to help you, the creative beginner, learn about the principles of art, design, and building a brand + business from the beginning.
Take a deep breath, friend. I’m your new bestie on this journey, and I’m gonna teach you everything I’ve learned in the last 14 years. Cheers to THAT! I’m raising my Mango La Croix to your bravery--let’s go!
Let's start at the beginning....
I’m a Florida native who grew up swimming, walking around barefoot, and dreaming up stories. I’ve always been imaginative, and usually stuck in a world of my own making.
My momma routinely used to ask on car rides, “Whatcha thinking about?” Believe it or not, until my last year of school, I planned on becoming a writer, dreaming of the stories I could pen into being.
That art class I mentioned? Yeah, as a teenaged dreamer, big bookworm, and avid collage creator—hello Seventeen Magazine!—I decided, after reading The Notebook, that I would become a painter like Allie instead. It seemed so exciting to me: the colors, brushstrokes, and scenes.
A recruiter from the Savannah College of Art and Design came to class in my senior year of high school, and I applied that week. I got my Bachelor of Fine Arts at SCAD studying painting and surface design.
After graduation, I packed up my paints and moved to Ohio, to design prints for a fashion retail brand my 16 year old self would have squealed at.
It was thrilling at first. Then, as the years ticked by, I realized that how I was working, well…….wasn’t working.
The lifestyle and pace of corporate fashion was not sustainable for me, and led to feelings of burnout. I knew I wanted to do creative work, but I also wanted to have the freedom to do it on my terms, not someone else’s. (sound familiar? Gotta love that independent streak!)
By day, I was checking colors, managing 2 or 3 seasons worth of pattern collections, dreaming up mood board concepts, and tracking trends for any of the 3 brands I designed for.
At night, I was researching marketing, taking business courses, and learning stuff like CSS, copywriting, and how to source products for my business.
What started as a side hustle creating printed gift wrap evolved over the next 5 years.
My vision grew, and so did my heart. I knew in my soul other people were feeling the same strain, the same burnout.
I know you are holding this dream in your heart, and the fear of not knowing HOW to get started is keeping you stuck. Not on my watch, sis. I’m here to hold your hand through the process. You are not alone on this journey!
I hope you’re ready, because I’ve got my checklist ready, my lipstick on, and my biggest smile waiting for you.
Let’s get this idea off the ground, shall we? You’ve got this!
Kristina
Some of my favorite things
I love a good Q+A, think of it as part 90s magazine quiz, part Oprah interview.
Obsession
Dogs. mine, yours, all of them.
Guilty pleasure
Ice cream (the dairy gives me a stomachache!)
Secret wish
To live before iPhones + social media, in the era of the answering machine
Annoying habit
I don't put things away (used paintbrushes, dishes, clothes, you name it)
Spotify heavy rotation
Lawrence, Sia, Stevie Wonder, Sara Bareilles, Whitney Houston, Beyonce, The Dip, Allen Stone
What do you value in a friendship
Humor, empathy, and effort
On my bookshelf
Ruth Reichl, Elizabeth Gilbert, Jennifer Weiner, Brene Brown, Anthony Horowitz, Nora Ephron (I could go on endlessly)
Where would you like to live
Near the water
My personality by type
Enneagram: 4
Tendency: Rebel
MBTI: INFJ
Love Language: Words of Affirmation
My Values
Resilience, Honesty, Gumption, Moxie
Favorite flower
Anything BRIGHT + colorful!
Go to drink
Mango La Croix, Margarita, or a Gin + Tonic with lime
Go to Flavors + Scents
Lime, Ginger, Grapefruit, Mango
Wardrobe staple
Colorful dresses and teeshirts
Favorite City
Savannah
Dream Dinner Party Guests
Elizabeth Gilbert, Audrey Hepburn, Ruth Reichl, Meryl Streep, Michelle Obama, Kristen Bell, Kerry Washington, Nancy Meyers, Nora Ephron
Now What? Pick Your Next Move:
Explore Free Resources
Request a Custom Painting
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