Meet Lindsay Witt of Avondale, Arizona

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lindsay Witt.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am born and raised in San Diego, California, and I have had the urge to create and draw for as long as I can remember. Art has always been such a huge piece of who I am I wouldn’t know how to live if I could not draw or make things, and I was so lucky in that my family and parents were so supportive and encouraging of it, they were huge cheerleaders of mine, and still are. Most of my life I made decisions out of fear. Art was my passion and obsession, but I was always too afraid to pursue art making as a career, worried I was kidding myself, it would be too hard, too much of a struggle, and maybe I wasn’t cut out for it. In school, I pursued a degree in psychology because I planned to become a counselor for troubled youth. Ironically enough, as I was a full-time college student and struggled to pay my bills, It was doing art projects that helped make ends meet. I would do illustration projects for musicians in Los Angeles, such as drawing their show flyers and making logos for them and other designs for their memorabilia and promotion.

I moved back home to San Diego to figure out my next step and it’s funny how your passions in life just call for your attention, I was still afraid to pursue my art full-time, and now I’ve graduated without taking a single class in how to pursue the business side of art so I felt even less qualified to do so than I did as a teenager. Then finally one day it clicked to become an art teacher. I was a pretty big nerd in school, I love school and I love learning, I love learning about art, and I love to share the joy of art with people, whether they like it or not haha.. so that thought finally clicked. I got myself back in school now I’m in Arizona, and finally went for a job that I really felt excited about and used my passion. I’ve been teaching art in high school for 9 years now, and not only has it encouraged me to continue my learning of art, but I get to share the absolute peace of making art with teenagers who I feel could use the benefits of it most.

Getting to be an art teacher also kind of called me out to all these passions I had but didn’t go for.. I’m over here pushing these high school kids to shoot for the stars and not sell themselves short or settle for less than their dreams, and I’m an example of that very thing.
I had this conviction and started to get back into the idea of making a business from my art, and started dreaming up my logo.. and got myself the Instagram to start posting my work seriously. And then came lockdown.. I realized as I was working from home, and with the world literally shut down there was no were to go, so now I had all the time in the world to do something. I realized, “if I didn’t do it now, then I could go ahead and admit it was never going to happen”, and I didn’t want that to be true.

So I finally went for it. At the time I had been getting into making jewelry and accessories. I was making art, and honestly just painting on everything. I started slowly and just figured I had made up enough excuses to not try, and just started throwing my work out there, and ever since I started I haven’t been able to quit! Its been amazing to finally have a door I can take my work from my art room and mind and present it to the world- the feedback has been really special and loving, and I’m mad I didn’t believe in myself to do this sooner- but I am so happy I finally did.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think trying to make money selling your art is ever a smooth road, but It has been nothing but rewarding and a blessing to find out that people think what I make is great enough for them to spend their hard earned money for! Business wise I still have a long way to go, But I’m trying to not get too caught up in the business side of the work, as that’s when it starts to kill the joy for me, so I’m okay with taking it slow. I would say ‘Comparison’ has been the biggest roadblock. I love following and watching other jewelry makers and artists, and sometimes I will see their work as too good and I’m just so far from their level.. like I could never create things like them, and they seem to be running their businesses so well. I freeze sometimes when I get too caught up in the trap that I will never be as good as others. Sometimes our inspiration can become a comparison and make you feel like you’re so far away, so why even try? If you’re not careful, it can kill that creative drive and keep you from pursuing your own work.

I’ve learned to embrace what makes my art mine. Sometimes we need to put the blinders on and stop comparing ourselves to other’s journeys and paths, because what’s beautiful and special about what we do is that no one else can do it like you. I’ve learned that the more you lean into yourself, your own aesthetic, what feels right to you, and try your best to ignore what you think other’s want or what popularity says is best, then you make the most uniquely amazing things that are even more valuable because no one else could have come up with that art except you. I’ve really had to be conscious of the balance between artists that inspire me and also trusting myself that I am on my own journey with my voice to be heard, and it’s not going to look like anyone else’s and that’s a good thing.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am really driven by color and pattern.. I am maximalist to my core, and it often mixes with my love of fashion. I like to combine imagery and patterns from the natural world, and draw attention the small details we might miss, and overdo it. I over think every inch of a painting, and every bead on a strand. I really pine over every little detail down to the finish of the individual bead I put on- nothing is random or thrown together, even the order of the beads was carefully planned and considered. I like to paint on things and create items for home décor, or hand paint a purse with a specific design in mind.. I make one of that, and that’s it. I feel like this sets me apart because when you buy something from me, it is truly one of a kind and specially made, and not another one like it exists or will exist. I feel this makes my work even more meaningful for someone who finds themselves struck by it- knowing that maybe that piece of art, jewelry, or that handmade item was made just for them?

I think what sets me apart, and honestly probably makes me a little stupid too haha, is that I refuse to compromise on that. I know profitability teaches that I need to assess which designs sell best and replicate that success.. but I am not a salesperson. I am an artist.. I don’t care about getting as much money out of people as possible, I care about how many combinations of color, texture, stone, and design can I create. It’s endlessly fun and every time I see a bracelet sell, I always wonder about the person who will be wearing it, and what drew them to it. I guess in my weird introverted way, it’s my way of reaching out to people for connection, as I’ve never been very good at doing that with words or socializing haha.

I suppose the things I am most proud of are going against all the good advice I’m given and still making my way haha. I am told that I should focus on one thing, one niche and stick with it. But here I am, selling my art, drawing portraits commissions, creating and selling jewelry in stores, I created printable valentines for kids, and most recently I have also began selling fabric. I achieved a bucket list item and have a coloring book for sale on amazon, and plan to do more. I also create art for t shirts, mugs, and notebooks, and I’ve been creating original art greeting and note cards as well from lino prints. I have so many plans and ways I want to create art. The internet and advances in the world today have made it so much more accessible for the little girl artist in me, to put her art to the world, and for it to find the people it was meant to find. It’s such an amazing thing and I plan on exploring every bit of that opportunity. I plan to be a one-woman boutique, a one-stop-shop for art, accessories, gifts and more. People who follow me know that I will always be exploring with my art and style.. I don’t see myself ever wanting to stop learning what more I can do with my art and this compulsion to mix pattern, texture and color.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Y’know today, it’s so easy to get connected with people who do what you want to do, or to find others like you. Social media does its thing and pushes people and businesses to me that are in my area, and I’ve found it to be so much easier to find local businesses, markets, and to connect with people in my area, as they are also showing me to them! I don’t think I have any advice other than be your authentic self online. Be yourself when you post and write your captions, and please don’t always be trying to sell to people. People will follow you for your personality. The social media bots have done well in sending other artists my way that I’ve made some great connections with. These are people that I love following and seeing what’s going on with them, and I want to support them in whatever they are doing if I can. I’ve done collaborations with them and that’s been immensely fun and a great experience. Be yourself online as much as you can, because it really is magical how the internet connects us to so many more people all over the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lwellsart.etsy.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/l.wells.art
• Facebook: facebook.com/lwellsart
• Linkedin: Find me in Stores at Retail Therapy AZ (find them on instagram or Westgate shopping mall in Glendale)
• Other: instagram.com/l.wells.design

Image Credits
All photos were taken by myself