Meet Catie Lehman

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Catie Lehman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Catie, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

The real question is ‘How do I overcome imposter syndrome’! For me, imposter syndrome isn’t something that I’ve dealt with once and it’s gone away – it is something that I have regularly faced throughout my artistic journey (and just my life in general) and know that I will probably have to deal with more of in the future.

The trick for me is knowing how to face imposter syndrome, or really any kind of negative thought, when it emerges. When I am creating a new piece, posting about it on social media, and selling it online or at a pop-up event – I sometimes wonder if people are looking at me thinking ‘Who does this girl think she is?’. I’m sure that this is something most business owners can relate to, the fear of not belonging and that you aren’t actually even good at what you do. This especially rings true for artists who are selling their art. Selling artwork is an incredibly vulnerable thing to do – it feels like baring a piece of your soul to the world.

So when these moments of insecurity arise, I usually do a few different things.

(1) I remind myself of all the hard things that I’ve done in my life, how I got through them, and that they have eventually gotten me to where I am today. I physically look at my office full of work and pieces I’ve accomplished thus far. As cliche as it might sound (and be), literally chanting to myself that I have done harder things and can do more hard things really works for me.

(2) I get outside – jumping in the ocean, going for a hike, or just listening to the birds really helps get me out my head. Imposter syndrome is really just negative self-talk, and it’s not reality. Being in touch with nature gets me back to myself and to reality.

(3) I call my mom. She’s my biggest hype woman!

Recently, I’ve kind of had an ‘aha’ moment with imposter syndrome – I’ve realized that, while it’s important to overcome imposter syndrome, it’s still okay to be scared. It’s normal. If you’re not scared, than you probably aren’t growing. I firmly believe that it’s better to do it scared, than to not do it at all. 🙂

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am a self-taught printmaker based in Honolulu, HI. Like many, I was introduced to printmaking in a middle school art class. I remember loving it, and so wish I still had that first print (they were flowers!) I’ve always loved drawing and watercolor painting, but didn’t pick printmaking back up until I graduated from Pepperdine University 5 years ago (where I actually studied business – not art!)

I started making my family’s Christmas cards each year, and creating more and more new prints. It was became a goal of mine to maybe sell my prints, but always found a reason to put it off. I was scared!

I took a solo trip to Japan in May 2023, where I attended a Mokuhanga (Japanese printmaking) workshop. This was a special trip that gave me the confidence I needed, and I decided to take the leap and started selling my art in the Summer of 2023.

My work is almost entirely nature inspired, especially of the flora and fauna of Hawai’i. Growing up between O’ahu and San Diego, nature has played a big role in my life. Not only do I attempt to capture the literal beauty of our surrounding nature, but more importantly, the overwhelming feelings of peace, awe, and grandeur that it brings. I am an ocean lover, mountain lover, and more recently a bird watching enthusiast! I hope that my vibrant love for the land shines through in my work.

All of my prints are created from hand-carved blocks, and are individually inked and printed for each print, making each one an original. Printmaking is a special, laborious, and meditative process that teaches me a lot about life. It reminds me to slow down and enjoy the process, even if it might not work out the way I want it to. And even then, it usually works out in a way that is better than I ever could have imagined.

This journey has grown a lot in the past year – I have participated in multiple exhibitions, launched an Etsy Shop, and focused on selling my art at various craft markets on O’ahu. These in-person pop-ups have been the most valuable way for my business to grow – and while they are a lot of work, it is so rewarding to ‘talk art’ and get to know customers at these markets.

Currently, I am about to finally launch my own website, which is a huge win! I am also working on developing other ‘merch’ items (like t-shirts) for later this year, as well as prepping for some larger craft shows on island. I am also just getting started in wholesaling some of my work to retailers. Lots to do but lots to look forward to! I still work full time (I am a product developer for a jewelry brand) – sometimes it is hard to do it all and still live a balanced life. But as hard as it can be sometimes, I know deep down that it’s what is meant for me and is the right thing to do!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Grit / Determination / Hard Work — Having a dream and knowing what I wanted, and taking actionable steps towards making that dream possible (even in the smallest ways). Breaking down overwhelming ideas (for me – doing a market solo, making a website, teaching a workshop for the first time, etc.) and taking them step by step. Tackling each hurdle as they come, and never letting anything or anyone knock you down (at least not without getting back up!). Putting my art out there and creating a business out of it was (and still is) daunting, and I am definitely working harder than I ever have before. But I keep showing up! I’m definitely no genius, but Thomas Edison did say “Genius is 1 percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration”.

Authenticity — Being my truest self, and expressing my truest self through my art. Making the art that I want and not what I think others want. Being self-aware, admitting when I am wrong, and showing Aloha always. I know that authenticity is somewhat of a broad quality, but at the end of the day, who you are is greater than what you do. I think that’s been an important one for me on this journey.

Organization / Self-Discipline — Kind of a boring one, but so important for creative success and business success. I can always be better in this area, but staying organized and having a routine to do so has been critical to my creativity, productivity, and maintaining an overall balanced lifestyle as much as possible.

As for advice goes, I would tell anyone to be prepared for hard work and long days for years to come (or probably forever, haha). I would say to find your niche / craft / skill and hone in on that as much as possible – perfect it and tweak it so that you are offering something new and different and YOU. You have to be truly passionate about whatever it is that you are doing in order for this to work. And if you are, it will probably always keep you coming back to it anyway. I’m kind of addicted to what I do, and I would honestly be doing the same thing right now even if I wasn’t selling any of my work. That’s how I know I’m following the right path.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

There are so many amazing books out there, but one that I go back to frequently is probably Twyla Tharp’s ‘ The Creative Habit’. I first read this book in high school, and I believe it is a really insightful and important read for anyone and everyone – since creativity is important for far more than who we call ‘creatives’.

This book speaks to the importance of habit when it comes to creativity and overall success. Twyla says “The routine is as much a part of the creative process as the lightning bolt of inspiration, maybe more.” Hard work, grit, determination – these are key principles for a rewarding creative life. Having a creative routine forces you to exercise your creativity, and pushes you to be better.

As an artist, this is so true. I print and make art every weekday evening, it is just a part of my routine that ensures I am getting inventory replenished so that I will not have to stress later to meet deadlines. Being disciplined and having a creative routine has also propelled my creativity and pushed me to create new pieces with different techniques and ideas. I was speaking with someone recently about this, talking about how I often have 12 hour days between my full-time job and doing art, but that staying busy and being productive pushes me forward and brings about new opportunities. Doing more truly makes me do more!

This is not to say that rest is not important – because I think that also needs to be a habit of it’s own to take restful days and time away to recharge. However, I will say for me personally, I usually have a difficult time creating after longer periods of time off. I need to be creating consistently within a routine in order to get to that flow state that we all crave.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://catielehmanart.com
• Instagram: @catielehman_art
• Facebook: Catie Lehman Art & Design

Image Credits

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