We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lauren Glover a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren, 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?
Simply put, my optimism comes from God. My knowledge of who God is as my Father, and learning of all of His promises over my life are what fuel me. I was reading a book by Michael Todd called ‘Crazy Faith’, and he talked about how God will either give you the mountaintop without the path, or the path without the mountaintop. But its up to us to have active faith and work towards or work with whatever God provides. I feel like this concept of the book heavily speaks to my journey with Raw Rose Studio. Sometimes I get asked “where is your studio” or ”do you have these up in a gallery”, and my answer for now is not yet. I see my art (mentally and spiritually) up in a studio or gallery, but I am working towards that mountaintop. I working towards selling the art pieces that have to be delivered via a professional delivery service. I am working towards the piece where I need to have a ladder to get to the top and create.
In the meantime, it is my duty as Gods child to keep working, while keeping the vision clear and at the forefront of my mind. Its my job to work diligently and bring forth the ideas/concepts that pass through my mind. God is a God of obedience and faith, and my optimism and hope are traits that have been instilled in me through Him.
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?
Raw Rose Studio was created as an outlet for me as I was a burnt out ER nurse in 2022. I always love to create and share my works with others, and decided to take the leap of faith of doing so and getting paid for it. Creating artwork, especially my artwork, is a way for me to share joy and peace with someone, which I am seeking to find and have for myself. My art is composed of many grooves and lines that are intriguing to the eyes and fingertips, with neutral tones and touches of gold accents throughout to bring everything together. I have been told many times that my work is very calming and relaxing- which is my ultimate goal. To give a moment of peace to someone in their space. To soothe the senses, even if only for a moment,
Creating art for others is a way for me to express myself, while also caring for others in a different light outside of nursing. Moving forward I see Raw Rose Studio as a organization/brick and mortar of solitude and rest. A place where people can engage physically, and have a mental pause from the pressures of the outside. This is also the mindset I take when creating many of my pieces, allowing the structure of the lines and abstract designs to come and flow through me.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Three things that were most impactful for me in my journey thus far have been- perseverance, being aware of comparison and having fun in the process. Perseverance is a big key to not giving up when the sales are not coming through, the markets are getting tedious and hard, and the ideas are not flowing easily. I think as human beings we love to see tangible results especially when it comes to things in the small business world. But growth happens many times slowly and in seasons, I have to just keep reminding myself of that from time to time. Working hard and putting my all into my creations might not yield harvest immediately, but I am still sowing seeds for my future.
Being aware of comparison and having fun in the process have gone hand in hand. Comparison will make me feel like my art is not good enough, or worthy enough for ‘the big markets’. But throwing that mindset aside and just taking every opportunity for exposure and growth is where the fun happens. I have learned things and met people that I would not have gained in my day to day life. Exploring different venues, trying different techniques or styles of my art is where the joy and mental release happen. In being raw, and being yourself and sticking to YOUR journey (no matter the obstacles along the way) will pay off for you as a person and your business in the long run- my business thus far has been evidence of that.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
With my artwork being the style and nature that it is, I am looking to collaborate with interior designers, real estate agents, home stagers, movie set staging agents and any other profession that is similar to these. I want to be able to sell my art and it be seen and enjoyed by countless others. I also am starting to do painting kits with (slightly like your at home/in office sip and paint), which will include an 8×10 canvas, brushes, paint, a custom made sticker and some type of snack or non-alcoholic beverage. I am starting to do these for parties, office groups or family/friend gatherings.
Ways to contact me for potential collaboration/ partnership would be to:
-Email: RawRoseStudio@gmail.com
-Reach out via my website: https://rawrosestudio.com/pages/contact
-Instagram Direct Message: @RawRoseStudio
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rawrosestudio.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/RawRoseStudio
Image Credits
Nelson Onyeji
