TODAY I’m taking action, and I feel both exhilarated and nervous about doing it.
After discussing every possible positive and negative outcome with trusted friends and fellow artists, I finally decided to change my Instagram username from @catrains_collage to @thehotelartist. Although a small action on the surface, there are so many uncertainties that continue to swirl in and out of my thoughts.
- Will my 13.8K Instagram followers stick with me?
- Will my followers realize that I’m creating art IN hotel rooms every night after my day gig, rather than creating art to decorate hotel rooms?
- Will I live to regret this change, and want to change back in a month?
Although still wrapped in unknowns, my intention with this change is simple…
1. To tell more of my expanding story as an artist, and specifically how I integrate my passion for art into a traveling day gig by taking my art studio on the road with me.
2. Ultimately I want to be interviewed by creativity podcasts where I can share my unique art story for the purpose of inspiring others to figure out how to transform their day gigs into an asset for their passion, rather than something that holds them back.
I already have one booked for June with The Lucious Living Podcast with the lovely and talented @bohorustic and @embraceabundance (Betsy and Laura) and I’m hoping this will be the first of many!
Want to know how I transform hotel rooms into art studios?
I pack VERY heavy. I travel with two – 50 pound suitcases, one full of paint, brushes and canvases, and the other with my professional day gig clothes and job supplies. As a result, I have been joyfully creating art at night from hotel rooms across the country for most of 2017, finishing more canvases on the road than I previously completed in my home studio when not traveling on the weekends.
What I pack in one of these two, 50 pound suitcases!
The biggest surprise I’ve experienced from creating art in hotel rooms is that I now look forward to leaving Monday morning for my traveling day gig because I know at the end of each day I’ll be spending many hours with my hands covered in paint! Ahhh….
Can YOU relate?
I’d love to hear how YOU integrate your passion for art, writing, sewing, etc around YOUR day gig.
Please share in the comments to inspire us all to find a way to make this seemingly impossible mission, possible!
So until further notice, I will be known as Catherine Rains, The Hotel Artist, and @thehotelartist on Instagram. Only time will tell how my art story will evolve from here, and what the next chapter will look like.
All I know for sure is that I needed to take this action to find out, even if it turns out to be the “wrong” action! No matter the outcome, I’ll learn from this action, in which case it won’t be a mistake.
P.S. I’m open to ALL suggestions of podcasts where you think my evolving story might fit.
If your podcast referral lands me an interview, I will gift you a large archival Art Print of your choice as a gift!
Cath love what your doing… in fact I’d love advice about how to grow insta as I seem to shift then plateau. I’m at the point of leaving my day job and launching. It’s about just getting out there and needing to step into me.
Cheryl,
Cheryl, I wish I had some magic advice. I have taken 4 online classes on how to break the IG code, each taught me a ton, and then the rules change again. At the moment, I am at a standstill as well, and have reached out to someone 3 times bigger than me and still growing for the same type of advice. Believe it or not, the follow for follow method works really well to get to your first 5k. I know people that have used this to get to 30k, and then stopped doing it. I stopped doing this for many reasons, but it helped me grow fast, which is important when people are trying to decide whether to follow or not. I have always loved your work, and I admire your courage to take it to the next level. I’m happy to give details about F4F if you want them – email me! Hugs, Catherine
Hello Catherine, I just think of you as The Hotel Artist after hearing your interview on “the Creativity Habit” and I googled Hotel Artist to find you just now! You really inspired me to realise that art can be wherever and whenever you find yourself! Just as we can be organised enough to take a prepared lunch on our travels, with a bit more effort we can take our art materials also!
Kat,
Thank you for taking the time to connect with me here. It took a long time for me to realize that I needed to take my art with me if I wanted to integrate it into my traveling day gig. I’m glad that this resonated with you as well. Very cool that you could get to me by googling the hotel artist! Thanks for letting me know that this works. My very best to you as you figure out how to create wherever you are!
Hugs,
Catherine