From the time I could hold a crayon I was creating art. Growing up, my mom kept art supplies on hand so it’s always been something that I love to do. I took a few art classes here and there, but I never liked the structure of being told to paint a certain way. The classes I took were great for learning some basics, but developing my true aesthetic came through playing with different styles, practice, trial and error.

People are my favorite subjects to paint. I love the reactions from my customers when they see themselves or someone they love illustrated. But I don’t create realistic illustrations. I like exaggerating features but highlighting key characteristics that make the person recognizable. 

Securing a job as an associate producer fresh out of college was exciting. My day started at 3:30am and it was nonstop before and during our four-and-a-half-hour show. It was very fast paced and I wore many hats. After a year of working as an associate producer, I was promoted to News Producer for the same morning show. I booked and scheduled all of our guests and segments for our show in addition to writing news stories and producing our traffic segments. 

Getting up early and having to multi-task so much made me more disciplined, which is essential for running my business while I travel. Working with local organizations and celebrity guests like The Today Show, Neal Schon from Journey & the Blue Man Group gave me great interpersonal skills that I’m now use when working with clients. It was my job to make sure everything ran smoothly and there was good communication between the guest and our crew. There's so much that can go wrong on live TV, so asking lots of questions, being quick to take action and, having lots of patience were essential skills. When working on custom [art] orders, I apply these same principles to create an enjoyable experience for my clients.

Spain was a major turning point for me as an artist and as a traveler. Living abroad rekindled my love for creating art. It sparked a wanderlust in me and made me reevaluate what I wanted in life. Before studying abroad, I thought I would work my way up the corporate ladder after graduation. Traveling around Europe changed all that and made me want to travel more and explore the world. 

I realized I wanted a life full of travel before I realized I wanted to be an artist full-time. Art was my passion, but I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it my career. I bounced around different career ideas that would allow me to travel, but nothing short of taking a year break was going to give me the freedom I wanted. While working and trying to figure out my future, I was painting for myself, then creating custom illustrations for others, and little by little Lauren Taylor Creates grew from something I loved to do on the side to something I wanted to do as my main focus.

Up until I left for South America in March, I was working full-time or part-time while working on my business. It was a lot of work doing both, but it was comforting having a steady paycheck—freelance orders definitely come in waves. Since I’ve grown my business, I’ve worked on creating multiple revenue streams so I’m not completely dependent on one source of income. I sell original paintings, prints, commissioned illustrations, and now phone cases! 

One piece of advice I would offer to freelancers is to start before you’re ready. You will never feel fully prepared or have everything figured out. If you wait for everything to be perfect or the “right moment” you’ll never get started. Take action and go for it!

I didn’t feel fulfilled in my job at Hawaii News Now so I decided to move back to California, save money, and travel through South America for a year. In Hawaii I was already working on Lauren Taylor Creates on the side, and when I moved back to California, I continued to paint while working another job. I moved back in September 2013, and by November I started offering prints from my two most popular paintings. That Christmas I sold more prints, custom and original paintings than I had to date. Selling that artwork and working with new clients made me realize if I worked while I traveled I wouldn’t have to stop after a year, I could move around indefinitely.

I started my business with a few paintings and an Etsy shop in 2011. When I returned to Hawaii from Spain, I was painting a lot more and wanted to share my work with others. After receiving great feedback on a fashion-based painting I did for my sister, I began looking to vintage magazines, current fashion trends and tastemakers for inspiration. I honed my technique and style, and two years after first opening my Etsy shop I began offering prints. When I made the decision to take my business on the road, I decided to have my own website built. It’s exciting to look back and see how my business has grown. I’m really excited to see where it takes me!

My heart wasn’t completely in the media industry so it wasn’t hard for me to leave. What made it difficult was the fear of failing. It’s a little scary stepping out and going after your passion but it’s also the most rewarding. I believe that every job, action, etc., in life leads to the next so I don’t think there’s a typical career path. It can be hard to see how some  things are linked when you’re looking forward, but looking back you can see how it’s all connected.

I would tell other women looking to pursue creative careers to not compare yourself or where you are to others.  Everyone is at different stages in their career or work and comparing yourself will kill your drive and desire to create.

Working with Shop BURU was a really great experience! I created seven different illustrations for them to use for the invites to their fashion week event. They came to me with a clear vision of what they wanted, and I took that idea and ran with it. It was exciting seeing the illustration printed on the final card and different influencers and tastemakers posting pictures [of it] on Instagram!

Social media has been an amazing platform for me to connect with clients. The majority of my business comes from Instagram, but I’ve even connected with a few clients because they saw my work on Pinterest. It’s a great way to showcase new work as well connect with an amazing network of potential clients, tastemakers, and people who inspire me.

I’ve definitely had moments of self-doubt. I think it’s natural to feel that way at times—just don’t let it stop you from trying. Being in South America had its downsides, like shoddy WIFI and not being able to find supplies I need. There have been a few issues that I couldn’t have foreseen or planned for. I was told in Valparaiso, Chile that I wasn’t able to ship one of my paintings without a certificate from a museum in Santiago, Chile’s capital. When you run into these kind of hurdles you have two choices: stress out and give up or make it work.

I am obsessed with Latin America! I can’t get enough of the culture, language, people, music, and food. This year I spent over six months traveling around South America. I went to Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru. Colombia has become one of my favorite places. It is an incredibly diverse and breathtaking country with the nicest, most beautiful people.

But my all time favorite is Spain. After spending a year in Seville in college, I absolutely fell in love with the country. I’ve been back once since then and plan to go back again soon.

My plan right now is to travel indefinitely and spend a few months in each place. I get antsy if I stay in one location too long.

One piece of advice I would give my younger self would be to do what makes you happy. Everyone has an opinion about what you should do and how you should live your life, but at the end of the day we only get one and it goes by pretty quickly. I believe that everything in life happens for a reason and that unexpected things end up leading us to where we are.  My journey has had it’s ups and downs, but overall I’ve had some amazing experiences and I look forward to having many, many more.

I travel with a suitcase and carry-on—that’s it!—so everything I need for my business I have packed up in my carry-on. I’ve become pretty comfortable setting up shop wherever I am and my “office” changes almost daily. In Buenos Aires, Argentina I worked at home or in coffee shops, in Cartagena, Colombia I worked on a sailing catamaran. As long as there’s a decent WIFI connection and a sturdy table to paint on I’m happy.

While getting ready to travel through South America, I took time to really go through the supplies I actually use and need for running my business on the road. I’m able to manage my website and communicate with clients from almost anywhere in the world. Thanks to international shipping companies like FedEx and UPS, I’m able to ship custom orders from just about anywhere as well. I work with a manufacturer in the U.S. to print and ship all my prints when orders come through. Having streamlined systems makes it easier for me to work remotely.

One tip [for traveling]: make sure you bring everything you know you need. Don't assume you'll be able to find something at your destination. I had a really hard time finding art supplies in South America. Most of the countries have strict importing regulations so they don’t have the same brands or selection as the USA.

I love the flexibility I have in my life right now.  Every day is so unique, and I look forward to working with new clients, exploring new locations and navigating this adventure of working for myself.

I’ve recently made my prints available for wholesale so I’m looking forward to working with retailers and making my artwork available to more people. I recently launched a collection of phone cases with Casetify, which I’m really excited about. In the future, I'd love to see my artwork on more items like clothing and bags, and I'm eager to work with new clients and brands.