We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Michaela Yoro . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Michaela below.
Michaela, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
A huge part of not only running your own business, but creating artwork that comes from a real and authentic part of you, requires a level of risk, whether it’s financial or emotional. Whenever I make plans to create artwork and make moves in my business that is somewhat out of my comfort zone, imposter syndrome inevitably finds its way back into my thoughts. In those moments, my mind either jumps to comparing my lack of (fill in the blank) to another person, remembering moments when people voiced their doubts of my ability as well as digging up my own innate insecurities. The crazy thing about imposter syndrome is for the most part, it’s not necessarily based on anything true, or at least not anymore. However, overcoming imposter syndrome boils down to a change of mindset – gratefulness in all circumstances – something that I have to practice daily. If my mind sees an artist on instagram or in-person who seems like they’re fulfilling all the dreams I’d love to achieve, instead of sinking into doubt and insecurity, I focus on what I can be thankful for. Thinking of this present moment as a gift and all the amazing things I’m experiencing in it, I have to tell myself that their success has nothing to do with me, and where I’m at has nothing to do with them. Comparison truly is the thief of joy, but gratefulness brings peace. By realizing the victories and blessings (large and small) in your life/business/art that you can be thankful for, I recognize that I have and will continue to achieve my goals and I can genuinely celebrate someone else’s achievements.
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 am an oil painter and an art instructor based in Orange County, California. I have been pursuing my own creative business professionally for about 3 years. However, my artistic background begins much earlier, having been painting in oil paint for about 10 years. After receiving my BFA at California State University, Fullerton as well as 1 year at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence, Italy, I began teaching at a small art studio as I continued building my own painting portfolio. After the effects of COVID caused my hours to decrease at my teaching job, I decided to venture out on my own. Although it was unexpected and challenging at the time, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Starting a business from scratch with no real business experience came with an intense learning curve, one that I am continuously climbing. However, I dove head first into this business, studied extensively and have found a huge passion for entrepreneurship through the creation of my sustainable and growing business. As a part of my business, I offer original oil paintings, custom oil paintings, private drawing and painting lessons as well my newest addition: live wedding paintings. Working in these different facets of my business only helps to improve my craft in a well-rounded way. First and foremost, I am absolutely dedicated to and passionate about creating the best painting I can create and I am constantly working to grow in my knowledge and fundamental skills as a painter. I believe it is my commitment to being a student that allows me to provide high quality custom artwork to all of my clients. No matter the subject matter, how large or small, through these years of practice, I am at a place where I have complete confidence in my ability to create their vision.
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?
Although this road of navigating a creative career is an ever-changing, evolving path, these three things have served me well through the last several years. First, prioritizing diligent practice of my craft. Of course, a passion for painting is the entire purpose of why I decided to pursue an artistic profession, but the most important aspect is to never stop pushing myself further and further outside the box of my current skill set. In other words, becoming a lifelong student propels my work to always feeling interesting, never routine-like or stagnant. As I grow in and improve my skills, I find more opportunities for further growth in business and exposure. Secondly, over the years, I have experienced a fair share of rejection and “failures” as a creative. However, I mention these seemingly negative events in my journey because finding a productive mindset in reaction to these “no’s” has been a huge growing experience. Instead of being afraid of failure or rejection by taking it personally, I try to think of it as a way to sharpen my skills and challenge my thinking and to encourage me to aim for more. The last area that has been impactful on my journey as an artist is simply teaching others. It really has been quite a humbling experience to teach another how to draw and paint, of which I am not perfect, but I strive to offer all of my accumulated experience and knowledge. This is by far one of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of what I do and has served to make me a much more knowledgeable artist.
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?
In my experience, working on the areas in need of improvement within your strength is most important when desiring growth. In other words, I don’t believe that I need to be an avid acrylic painter, watercolor painter, sculptor or welder to be a more well-rounded artist, specifically, an oil painter. Not that pursuing one of those creative fields would be a hindrance to my painting progress, but it will not result in as much development as if I structured my learning within the realm of oil painting. There are countless aspects to learn in order to become a well-rounded oil painter. I tend to get distracted easily no matter what I do and can quickly become overwhelmed by the numerous distractions I encounter. For my growth and journey, I have found it to be most valuable to focus on one element (portraits, value, color, drawing etc…) at a time until I feel comfortable in that field. In the times when I give into distraction and try to accomplish multiple areas in one artwork, I feel completely overwhelmed and in the end, create a mediocre painting. For example, four years ago, I realized how uncomfortable I was creating painted portraits simply because I had limited experience and practice in that field. I spent the next several months painting almost 50 small portraits focusing on one thing – accuracy and familiarity with the subject. This approach of head-on practice involving a single focus, has helped me feel accomplished by setting small goals for myself and find endurance to learn.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.michaelamoffett.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moffettstudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoffettArtStudio/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/moffett-studio-fullerton
Image Credits
I own all images
