Art Career Experts is so pleased to be able to welcome our special guest contributor, Kimberly Santini. We asked her to share with our readers a little of her background history as an introduction before sharing some of her many successful art ventures in an article. We felt that her story would be an inspiration to other artists. Kim made life altering decisions, opting to leave Corporate America and be a stay at home mom. She has faced not only all the challenges of an artist entrepreneur but all the challenges that a family brings! We look forward to her upcoming articles. You will be able to comment on any of our articles in the ACE blog ! Be sure and visit Kim's site where you will be able to get a fuller understanding of what she does and is doing in her art career! -Theresa and Steve


Guest Contributor Expert:  Kim Santini



I’m delighted to become a contributing blogger to Art Career Experts (ACE). My goal is to write contributions that share my particular path (which is not the only path, but simply one of the many options available) and begin a dialogue about the possibilities that exist for you, the reader.
I truly believe that talent alone does not ensure success. Hard work, drive and common sense do. A little creativity also helps. And you know how to be creative, right?

I am Kim Santini, a fellow creative soul with my own in-home studio. I specialize in commissioned portraiture. I am ever so grateful for my clients who are willing to wait, sometimes up to a year, for me to complete their paintings.

I am also a mom of three, with the accompanying busy household. I had a traditional desk job when I was suddenly blindsided by the realization that the whole career path bit was deeply unsatisfying and not who I was or even remotely close to who I wanted to be. The birth of our third child caused a whole ugly mess of self-examination, and I was lucky enough to be able to quit my job and become a stay-at-home Mom.

For a little bit, at least. You see, someone had other plans. I started painting seriously during nap times, and one thing led to another. Before I knew it I was juggling commissions with gallery representation and coding a website.

While I seemingly painted in the womb, I am relatively new to the business side of art. How did I learn? Along the way I talked to those more accomplished than myself and modeled my operations after tried and true methods.

There’s really no re-invention of the wheel happening – it’s just a matter of figuring out what works in which circumstances and applying that knowledge accordingly.

I realize that although no one stops learning, I also have much to share. I’ve made mistakes and gotten lucky (knowledge and opportunity!) with a few good decisions. I have no qualms sharing these ups and downs with you.

  By means of a background, I was lucky to go to college, and although it wasn’t an art school (my parents bought into the Starving Artist Myth and said art was not a viable career choice for a young woman in the late 80s), I did study art extensively – I got a BA in Art History along with a BFA in Painting, minoring in Ceramics, Photography and Creative Writing at the same time.

  Real life job experiences included retail, photographic portraiture, technical writing, research assistance, project management, software training and customer support management. Each of these jobs provided more than a salary – they taught me life skills, skills I would eventually draw upon when I decided to fulfill my dream of being a working artist.

  It's been 8 years now since I opened my studio. I don’t miss the desk job, the office politics, the commute, being on call all hours of the night, or the last minute struggle to rearrange my day when I have a sick child.

  I’m also done with the excuses – “I’ll start painting more when I have larger uninterrupted blocks of time” or “My community doesn’t really support the arts well enough for me to give it a go” or “My kids are too young for me to try and be self-supporting” or “Actively working at selling my art is really just selling out.” I’ve heard them all even parroting quite a few myself. Those days are history.

I work 100 times harder than I ever did before, and not because I was a slacker before, but because it’s now my bottom-line and my reputation and my company. I’ve built a business from the ground up, established myself as an emerging artist and created a niche market for my work. There is no time for excuses because I’m too busy painting and selling and marketing and living (in no particular order).

I am always looking around me, examining what others are doing, learning the ins and outs of new tools (like social media) and thinking about the future of my studio. I have invested in myself, and with the help and support of my family, will continue onwards and upwards.

I think you do want to try to make a living at your art, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this! Shelf the excuses, if you have them, and humor me for a few weeks. Join in the conversation and watch the opportunities develop.

Kim