We were lucky to catch up with Seth Holmes recently and have shared our conversation below.
Seth, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?
As long as I can remember I wanted to be a professional artist. I never pursued a career or even an education in art because I didn’t think it was possible to make a living off of art. I was used to the picture of ‘starving artists’ and struggling artists.
I bounced around from job to job for close to fifteen years, never feeling satisfied in my work, or hopeful for my future.
I drew and sketched but didn’t have a cohesive style. During the pandemic I decided to try to develop a unique style and opened an Etsy store. It quickly got shut down because my paintings were deemed ‘copyright infringements’.
From that time on I decided to only create original characters and paintings.
I began to play around with painting watercolors of buildings that caught my eye, but I still didn’t have a cohesive style. One day I just let go. I decided to create without expectation. I allowed the medium of watercolor to flow and do its thing. I sketched a super loose image of a new business that went up across the street from where I was working at the time. When I was done I stared at the painting in amazement.
I had no idea how I created what I did, and began to reverse-engineer my own painting. I studied it and tried to replicate the techniques I had used. I posted the painting on social media and a woman messaged me, asking to purchase it. I told her that the painting meant a lot to me since it was my first one in a style I was really proud of. Then she told me that she was the mother of the two girls who owned the business, and that her husband had designed and built the building. I let go of my painting.
Gradually, people began to reach out to me and ask if I could paint their houses, pets, and family members. This was the first time in my life I believed that it might be possible to make a living off my art. Psalm 127 says:
‘Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.’
I began to turn my hopes for my business over to God. I would pray, ‘God, if this is something you want for me, you need to bless it or it will come to nothing; and if it is something that you don’t want for me, let the commissions dry up. Let the sales dry up. Remove this as an option for me.’
The Lord continued to provide for me. The commissions kept coming in.
I began to take on more and more commissions, and then began selling at a local farmer’s market. I worked primarily from home or from cafes, and as word-of-mouth spread, business picked up. I continued to pray, asking God to remove opportunities if it was not His will for me. He continued to bless me, and so I continued to be faithful.
Around Christmas last year I was talking to a local business owner and she told me that she had a storefront that she was going to rent out. I said ‘Oh really…’ and in January 2024 I began renting the storefront. I opened an art shop in May, and it has continued to do well and grow ever since.
I continue to hand my business and my life over to God and ask Him to guide me and lead me, and if it is His will to provide opportunities. My identity is not in my art. I’m willing to work a ‘regular’ job, but I am delighted to know that He has been faithful in providing for me and giving me the creativity and imagination to do well as an artist.
Ultimately, I cast my anxieties on the Lord and trust Him with my entire life. My optimism comes from knowing that regardless of my ‘success’ as a business owner and artist God is in control of every circumstance, and loves me beyond reason.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I have an art storefront in Waynesboro, PA and specialize in ‘architectural caricatures’, as well as offer commissions, classes, apparel, coloring books, stickers, notecards, postcards, art supplies, and more.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The encouragement of friends was a huge motivating factor for me. At one point I thought to myself, ‘Who would buy my art?’ Friends encouraged me and pushed me to start selling it.
Observing people, buildings, landscapes, and life all around me has equipped me to distill what I observe into a story and capture in simply and quickly in watercolor form.
It really just comes down to observation, simplifying, not being self-critical, and practice.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
When I was a kid, my mom would find art competitions and events for me and my brothers to participate in. She encouraged us to create, and put our art in front of people. This was more encouraging than I realized at the time.
I’ve had students in some of my classes tell me that their high school art ‘teacher’ told them they should stop creating art because they weren’t good. I think that’s far more a reflection on the ‘teacher’ and their inability than the student’s ability.
Creating art isn’t about meeting some standard or criteria. It’s about self expression. The less critical one is of what they create, the more likely they will create something they’re happy with. If we try to create with a standard of perfection in mind, and we don’t reach that standard, we will be unhappy. If we create for the fun of it, there is a chance you could stumble on something amazing.
Contact Info:
- Website: holmeswatercolors.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/holmes__watercolors/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Holmes-Watercolors/100070542224488/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/holmes-watercolors-waynesboro
