We were lucky to catch up with Amy Wike recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Amy, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
I think the idea of having a sole, grandiose purpose is an unknowable and maybe self-indulgent concept. I’m less concerned with finding my purpose and more focused on staying attentive to my values and how I impact those around me. It’s a natural part of life for our values to shift and change, so I try to stay aware of my internal landscape. Ultimately, I want to live a life and make work that enhances my own experience and the experiences of those around me to the best of my ability.
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 a watercolor and illustration artist based in Portland, Oregon. Since 2017, I’ve been working with individual and corporate clients to create custom artwork and designs including portraits, branding, print and web assets, surface pattern design, and event visuals. My colorful and energetic style is inspired by small joys and finding delight in the everyday. I try to make sure that the guiding values behind my artwork—approachability, connection, and investigating the ways we observe, learn, and perceive—are present in everything I create.
In a freelance capacity, I’ve had the pleasure of working with such notable clients as Friends of the Smithsonian, Trimet, Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, American Heart Association, and many local businesses in my area. Some of the most fulfilling aspects of my career are the different ways I get to connect with the people around me through hosting watercolor workshops, working with people on deeply personal and special portrait commissions, and participating in markets around town with my line of paper goods.
With five years of full-time freelancing under my belt, I’m beginning to finally feel equipped with both the experience and the data necessary to make informed decisions about which areas of my business are the most growth-oriented, and which can be tailored or let go of altogether. With this in mind, I’m focused on expanding my class and workshop offerings, implementing a more consistent pitching strategy for reaching out to my dream clients, and beefing up my portfolio of licensable designs.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The best advice I ever received about pursuing a creative freelance career is learning to get out of your own way. We get so much advice thrown at us and at times it can be conflicting; learning to focus on identifying which habits or practices are currently serving me versus which are hanging me up has been invaluable in my career progress. For example, taking 10 minutes to doodle something every morning was a practice that initially helped me set the tone for my day and got me loosened up. But at some point, it became an inhibitor; I would spend up to 30 minutes sitting at my desk, trying and failing to decide what I wanted to draw. Sometimes challenging myself to keep a daily practice even when it isn’t the smoothest is beneficial, but in this instance it had become something that started my day off with frustration and a sense of failure; it was getting in my way instead of helping me, so I let it go.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I think about this all the time. Both strategies have strengths, and I often find myself straddling the line. Thus far, the well-rounded, broad skills approach has worked well for me in that I’m able to offer a wide variety of styles and aesthetics in order to work smoothly with nearly any client. I value that this approach has created a consistent variety of income streams that put me in a safer financial situation, and it keeps things interesting by creatively challenging me. However, this chameleon approach sometimes leaves me feeling like I don’t have a strong or immediately recognizable style, which is something I admire in other artists and would love to hone. I believe it’s possible to pursue both, but I feel a constant internal push and pull between the two.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amywikeillustration.com/
- Instagram: @Amy_Wike (link: https://www.instagram.com/amy_wike/)
Image Credits
EshVion
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
