Rising Stars: Meet Brianna Voron

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brianna Voron. 

Hi Brianna, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Three years ago, I quit my day job to do art full-time. I quickly burned through much of my savings and found that only a small percentage of making art for a living involves making art–the rest of it is business. So, these past three years, I have really been learning how to succeed as a small business. I wear all the hats you can imagine, sometimes all in one day. I answer emails, I edit photos, re-order shipping materials, I update spreadsheets, and I plan my social media marketing content. It has been a roller coaster of ups and downs, but never backwards. In short, I have never regretted that scary leap into the unknown I made three years ago. Today, I am sustained completely by my own hands. I have goals that I am still far from reaching, but I am confident I’ll get there someday at the rate I am going. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The biggest struggle about making art my livelihood has been managing stress. If I am not careful, the daily worries of running a small business can affect my overall creativity and ability to work. It is easy to get burnt out. The darkest seasons of my career have been the times when I no longer feel filled up by the things that used to bring me joy. It’s a delicate balance. When experiencing a slowdown, I try to redirect my energy into something new or formerly neglected. In this way, I never stop learning and furthering my skills. Some of my best work has come out of these difficult seasons. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am best known as a painter and more and more as a woodworker as well. In reality, it is hard to call myself anything but an artist. I don’t like to feel limited by those titles and mediums. I’m constantly discovering and experimenting with new ways of art-making. My ability to try and succeed or fail at anything is what I am most proud of. I see something I like and my first reaction is, how can I learn to do that myself and do it better? I get real joy out of having a hand in every little detail about my work. In this way, I can ensure that it is made with the best quality materials. It is owing to this immense scope of skill I have accumulated over the years, that I can create very special custom work for my clients. 

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
For a very long time, I had this idea in my head that I needed official validation from galleries and museums in order to be seen as a successful artist. There is a certain formula that I was taught to follow in all my art education–go to school, get a master’s degree, apply to shows, grants, residencies, get gallery representation, etc. I spent my first full year filling out extensive applications every spare moment only to later receive another disappointing rejection email. The little acceptance I did receive usually required more money and time to be spent, and I rarely made anything back in the way of funds or exposure. Yet, at the very same time, I was consistently having meaningful connections with my own little social media following and selling my art to real people. My point is, being a small fish in a small pond is not so bad as they make it seem. So, my advice to myself three years ago would be: prioritize the collector above all else. The internet and social media has made it so that artists are now able to market themselves and make their own meaningful connections with potential clients. The moment you sell your work at full value to someone who will actually care for it and enjoy it in their day to day, you have received all the validation that really matters. 

Contact Info:

• Email: contact@briannavoron.com
• Website: www.briannavoron.com
• Instagram: @briannavoron
• Facebook: @BriannaVoronArt

Image Credits
David Blakeman