Meet Chrissy Collins

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chrissy Collins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chrissy below.

Chrissy, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?

Keeping my creativity alive has meant learning when to step away. Early on, I believed that if I wasn’t pouring blood, sweat, and tears into my work at all times, I wasn’t trying hard enough. After more than a decade of painting, I’ve learned that mindset isn’t sustainable… or productive. Forcing myself to create when I’m not inspired usually leads nowhere.

Taking breaks is part of my process now. Travel plays a big role in that. Visiting other countries, biking, observing new environments, collecting work from other artists, and simply changing my scenery gives my mind room to wander. Even when I’m away from the studio, I’m still creatively engaged. I am always tuned in with my community on social media. I spend my time while traveling listening to podcasts on marketing and other artists’ journeys, reflecting on my path and plans for my artistic future. Taking the time away from the studio and brush gives me time to reflect, organize my business and plan my business strategy for the next few months.

Every time I return home, I come back feeling rejuvenated and inspired with a genuine excitement to paint or begin a new collaboration. I’ve learned that creativity doesn’t disappear when you rest, it waits for you, and often comes back stronger.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I’m an abstract artist based in Dallas, and my work centers on color, texture, and creating art that feels joyful, layered, and lived with. I approach my paintings with the mindset of being my own client. I want my work to complement a home, build off the surrounding interior design, and reflect the personality of the people who live there. Each piece is thoughtfully layered and textured, designed to enhance a space rather than compete with it.

I studied at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in advertising and photography. While I’m formally trained in advertising, I’m a self taught painter. That combination has shaped both how I create and how I run my business, allowing me to think equally about the artistic process and how the work is experienced, styled, and collected.

Before focusing fully on painting, I spent nine years building and running a stationery line. After having three children, my creative focus shifted, and painting became my primary outlet and eventually my full time practice. That evolution has given me a deep appreciation for building a brand slowly and intentionally.

Up until now, I’ve been a true one woman show, creating, photographing, marketing, and selling my work directly through my website. Alongside larger original paintings, I’ve introduced small original pieces framed in lucite that I release around major holidays and special moments throughout the year. These pieces offer a more obtainable way to collect original art and have become thoughtful, giftable options, while still remaining entirely hand painted and one of a kind.

Looking ahead to 2026, I’m excited to expand beyond selling exclusively through my website. I’m exploring collaborations with interior designers, opportunities with galleries, and adding prints to my site as another way to share my work more broadly. Long term, I’m also interested in branching into textiles, allowing my artwork to live in new forms and spaces while continuing to evolve creatively.

At the heart of everything I do is the belief that art should feel personal, joyful, and integrated into everyday life. That philosophy continues to guide both my creative process and where I’m headed next.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, a few key experiences shaped not only my career, but the way I understand how I work best.

Early on, working retail taught me the basic fundamentals of running a business. I learned the difference between wholesale and retail, what appropriate markups look like, how margins work, and how products are positioned for different markets. These were things I hadn’t been exposed to before, and they gave me a practical foundation that still informs how I make decisions today.

Running a stationery line for nine years was my first experience owning and operating a business. Through that process, I learned the real mechanics of entrepreneurship, everything from the difference between a DBA and an LLC to paying taxes, collecting and remitting sales tax, and building and maintaining a website. I made mistakes, learned from them, and gained clarity about what worked and what didn’t. Those lessons directly shaped how I approach my art business today, allowing me to build it more intentionally, efficiently, and sustainably.

That experience also deepened my understanding of the creative side of production. I spent time touring print shops, selecting papers, and learning how color translates differently from a phone screen to a computer and then onto physical paper. Understanding all of the variables that affect the final product gave me a greater respect for process, quality, and logistics.

Along the way, I also learned something equally important about myself. I’m a mover and a shaker. I do my best work when I’m able to move around, engage with people, and stay connected to color and creativity. Sitting behind a desk all day doesn’t fuel me. Building a career that allows for movement, hands on creation, and human connection has been essential to staying energized and inspired.

My advice to anyone early in their journey is to value real world experience. Learn the business fundamentals, pay attention to how you work best, and use your early projects as learning grounds. The lessons you gain and the mistakes you make will become the foundation for something even stronger later on.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes, I’m very open to partnering and collaborating in thoughtful, aligned ways. Looking ahead, I’m especially interested in collaborating with interior designers and galleries as a way to expand my audience and build long term relationships rooted in shared aesthetics and values. I love working with people who view art as an integral part of a space and understand how color, texture, and personality can elevate a home or project.

I’m also interested in opportunities to share my story and process through conversations, including podcast appearances. I enjoy talking about creativity, building a business over time, and what it looks like to balance art, life, and entrepreneurship in a realistic way.

For anyone interested in collaborating, the best way to connect is through my website or by reaching out via Instagram. I’m always open to conversations that feel authentic and mutually inspiring, and I value partnerships that grow organically over time.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chrissycollinsart.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/chrissycollinsart
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/chrissycollinsart
• Twitter: https://tiktok.com/@chrissycollinsart

Image Credits

Tarin Frantz