***Flygirl Fridays***

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to take a course called "Flying Lessons" given by a very talented artist - Kelly Rae Roberts. It was an excellent course that covered such topics as letting go of yours fears, going after your true passion, and many other things. One of the best things about the course was, I got meet and learn about a lot of talented artists, all in on different paths, but all working towards making their dreams come true and learning to take flight. Flygirl Fridays is all about these wonderfully talented people and a little bit about them, so you can get to know them as well!

Please join me in welcoming

Jacquie Williamson!

Please introduce yourself, who are you and what do you do?
I’m Jacquie Williamson.  I am a mother, wife and mixed media artist.  I mostly paint girls, but I am starting to get into whimsical animals and some abstracts.

What is something that you really love, and why?
Well, my first love is painting.  There are plenty of things I love to do, but this is what I love the most.  I have been pretty crafty my whole life, but I never really knew what my “thing” was.  Last year, when I was laid off, I picked up Kelly Rae Roberts book and started painting.  I haven’t looked back.  It has really saved me.  I now have something that I look forward to doing every day.  Although, I wish I had tried it so many more years ago, it came into my life at the perfect time.  Also, my daughter thinks it’s pretty cool.

What would your dream project be?
Really, I have two.  I would love to organize an art retreat.  I was actually working on one for next year, but I thought it might be a good idea to actually attend one first.  So, I’m putting that down for a couple of years down the road.  The other is to write and illustrate a children’s book.  That’s something I’ve wanted to do most of my life, and now I actually feel like it could be possible.

What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve ever received?
Face your fears.  My fears are the one thing that’s been holding me back all my life.  I’ve always had those voices in my head that tell me I’m not good enough or can’t do something.  I have since learned that you can’t do anything if you don’t try. 

Where does you inspiration come from?
I get most of my inspiration from other artists.  I love girlie paintings.  It’s just something I’m drawn too.  I love the expressions, the quotes, the colors, the poses, etc.  I have done a lot of research and found some great artists out there who inspire me, and I’ve actually taken online workshops from some of them.  Also, my daughter inspires me.  She inspires me to keep going and to be more free with what I do.  I’m a perfectionist, so art is sometimes hard for me, but she just sits and draws and paints without regard to perfection.

What do you think is the biggest thing holding you back?
Most definitely fear.  I have come a long way, especially after taking the Flying Lessons course, but I still have a long way to go.  It’s really hard to put yourself out there.  I’ve done some small shows and markets, and for the most part, the feedback is great, but then there is the small handful of people who make a comment that sticks with you for a long time.  The more I face my fear the more fearless I’m starting to become, however.

What change do you think would most help your business grow?
Really just time and education on what resources are available for me.  I’m trying to build a mostly online business, and that just takes time to get your name out there and build a following.  Right now, I feel like I’m taking all the right steps to get to where I want to be, I just need to be patient and let things happen.

What’s the biggest thing that you took with you from Flying Lessons?
There are so many things.  Facing my fears was a big one.  But another big thing was learning about all the things that are possible to do with my art.  I guess I always knew about them, but it was awesome to have it all written out in a here are all your possibilities format.   It was really helpful for setting my goals.  Ahhhh, that was the biggest thing actually.  Kelly Rae telling us to write down out goals and dreams.  It’s amazing how putting it in writing and having it to refer to can help you take steps toward realizing those goals.

Websites:

Blog: http://www.jacquiewilliamson.blogspot.com/

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/JacquieWilliamson?ref=ss_profile

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/JacquieWilliamsonArtist

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/artistjacquie