We recently had the chance to connect with Courtlyn Sholten and have shared our conversation below.
Courtlyn, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
In September of this year I hit a new height in my art career that i’m really proud of. I was given the opportunity to have my artwork on the Visual Arts Journal’s Times Square billboard for a day. Knowing that my art was being seen by such a huge amount of people felt surreal. That experience made me hopeful for my future as an artist and made me confident to seek out more opportunities to share my work.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Courtlyn Sholten, creator of the brand CourtlyNikol FX. I am a self taught painter, my main medium being acrylic paint. I have an art studio / gallery in Traverse City, Michigan. There is a huge amount of talented artists in Traverse City which adds to the pressure of having unique art and your own style. My style revolves around pop culture with a focus on bright colors. I’m currently working on a commission of a portrait of the late actor David Lynch. The piece is primarily blue and red which gives me the challenge of pushing the values of those two colors. I use limited pallets in a lot of my work which helps me have a distinct style.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a kid I always admired artists but thought I did not have the talent or skills to become one. I focused on music because I thought that was the only creative ability I had. Then I was told that talent is just practice so I picked up a pencil and started doodling. I would look up videos of people explaining how they draw and break things down in simple shapes and lines. The more I drew the easier it became. I practiced and thought about art all day, everyday and now it’s my main career focus. I remember that thought all the time, especially when I’m feeling down about my skills, that if I want to get better, I just have to practice.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Being an artist in this economy, especially in an area that is saturated with artists, I get the feeling about giving up pretty often. Also right now with the growing use of ai art , I get discouraged having to compete with that aspect as well. The thing that keeps me going in the current art environment is the reactions I get from commision clients or seeing people react to my original pieces. I have a piece in a local bar near me and when I hear people say how much they like the painting it fills me with the motivation to continue pursuing art as my career.
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
I am a person that is what you see is what you get. I pride myself in truly showing up anywhere as my most authentic self. I find it disingenuous to show up as a fake version of yourself. I am confident enough in myself and like myself enough to always want to be my real self wherever I go.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I finally feel like I am doing what I was born to do. A lot of people discouraged me from becoming an artist full time and warned me against pursuing such a difficult, unsecure career choice, but once I started taking art seriously I knew that it’s what I wanted to do. I tried out many different jobs and degrees, but never felt happy, and I enjoy every aspect of being an artist. I know that if I could retire now that I would still be pursuing art which affirms to me that I’m doing what I’m meant to do.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtlynikolfx?igsh=aTY0bGk2MW1vamN6
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Bm9uRkiLv/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@courtlynikolfx?_r=1&_t=ZT-926tB3kG3W2
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