Chanel Hardy of East Las Vegas on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with Chanel Hardy and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Chanel , thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
My painting business, and working on my skills. Sharing my art with a wonderful community of artists who share my passion.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a writer and artist born and raised in the Washington D.C. area, currently living in Las Vegas, Nevada. I run COFFEE WINE & WORDS Literary & Arts Press/magazine and Chanel’s Paint Shop. I am a painter, an author of several novels and poetry collections, and a natural creative who enjoys all things involving the arts. My passions focus on poetry and painting. Although I wear many hats, my focus lately has been my painting business. My painting style uses acrylics, and mostly consists of abstract paintings, portraits of the female form, and other things of nature and the universe, inspired by a love for science, nature and anthropology. I opened Chanel’s Paint Shop in December of 2024, and my journey has been nothing short of amazing.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
As a child, I never really had the resources or support to pursue my creativity. Like many kids who came from a similar background, I didn’t know much about the world outside of what was offered to me. So while I showed interest in the arts, (writing, theatre, crafting) I never thought I could have a life pursuing and achieving those things. But as I got older and reached my mid-late 20’s, I took a chance on myself, which led me to where I am now. I no longer believe that my creative dreams are out of reach, or that I’m not good enough to try or thrive in new things.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Yes! Very recently, actually. I had a very stressful summer, with so much going on with work and personal life stuff. After 6 months of thriving, my art sales had been on the decline. Some opportunities had not worked out as I had hoped. Paired with the political climate causing disruptions to my business. I had gone a month without even picking up a brush or bottle of paint. So I made the decision to go on a permanent hiatus from painting and selling my artwork at the end of August. (which is a fancy way of saying you quit.)

I’m not sure exactly when something shifted, but I decided to pick up my sketchbook one afternoon and work on something. That’s when I realized that I missed my art. And I missed my community. I never wanted to quit, I just needed to take a step back, a deep breath, and remember who I was. Now, I’ve been back in full swing. Painting more, improving my drawing skills, and painting techniques. I’ve even made new sales. It also helps that I’ve had a bit of a break from my day job to focus on my art.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
That you have to be big and important or popular to be somebody. It can make the art world very intimidating. Gatekeeping is real, but it doesn’t have to be that way. You don’t have to chase behind the “big” people or opportunities to seek validation. Some of the most fun I’ve had as an artist is building relationships and collaborating with like-minded people. I could say the same about my journey as a writer as well. Not every table is for everybody, but there’s space out there for everyone.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes, and that’s when I learned two things:
1) Never circle the block. If it’s in the past, let it stay there. Whether it’s an old job, a terribly failed project, or rekindling relationships with people.
2) Not every creative/business venture is meant for me, and that’s ok.

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