We recently had the chance to connect with Sydney Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Sydney, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is a normal day like for you right now?
A normal day? As I’m sure any entrepreneur can tell you, and what I’ve learned two years into this pursuit, is that “no normal” is the new normal.
As a muralist, every client, location, and project is different. One day, I’m painting a mural in a barn Airbnb in the middle of Wisconsin, and the next, I’m painting animals at a preschool in Chicago. I also work in the fitness world as a swim coach and aqua-fitness instructor, with clients ranging from total beginners to professional triathletes. With the mix of mural and swim clients, no two days ever look the same.
That being said, while there might not be a normal day, I’ve finally settled into more of a normal week. Three days a week, I’m in fitness mode, and then I trade the swimsuit for a paintbrush and become “Syd the Muralist.” I love the balance. Pairing the energy and community at the gym with the more solitary, creative flow of painting makes every day feel unique and engaging. Is that normal?
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Sure, I’d love to. I’m Syd, the Muralist. I’m based in Madison, Wisconsin, and I travel around Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois creating custom murals. My work ranges from business murals, logos, and lettering, residential murals, holiday windows, and pretty much anything that can be painted on a wall, door, or surface.
A few things that make my business unique start with the fact that I’m a former scientist turned muralist. I’m organized, method-oriented, and really interested in the process behind each project. Additionally, unlike some artists, I wouldn’t say I have one defined style. If you look at my portfolio, it’s a wide range of work. This is because instead of pushing my own aesthetic, I focus on being the artistic medium for my clients. The client relationship is especially meaningful to me. I love hearing their vision, understanding how they imagine art adding value to their space, and then using my design knowledge, creativity, and artistry to bring that vision to life. My slogan is: “Your Space. Your Story. Let’s paint it together.”
Being a small, solo entrepreneur also lets me build my business in a way that aligns with my values. I’ve designed my logo, built my website, and leaned into self-belief and self-promotion, and I take a lot of pride in my brand.
At the end of the day, my hope is that every client of “Syd the Muralist” feels heard, involved, and excited about the mural we create together.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memories of feeling powerful, and why I will always be a big advocate for sports and fitness, go back to swimming. I started competitive swimming at 8 years old and loved it instantly. By 12, I was at morning practice every day and evening practice at night. But because I was very tall and growing about an inch a week, it took years for my body to catch up with my ambition. Once the growth spurts finally slowed down, things started to click.
A race I remember so vividly, and was one of the highlights of my career, was the 400 IM at a championship meet. I had a great morning swim, a personal best, but what made this race special was that I qualified for finals for the first time ever. This was the ego boost I really needed at the time. That night, I was buzzing with nerves and excitement, and when I dove in, something just… clicked. I felt like I was flying. I started fast, kept going fast, and somehow still had gas left at the end. I dropped a huge amount of time from my PB just that morning, and not only qualified for my first state age-group meet but also the senior championship meet. Absolutely massive for little me.
The high afterward was unreal. For the first time, I understood how years of work, sometimes slow and oftentimes frustrating, could suddenly align and surpass what you even thought was possible. I felt powerful. That race shaped how I approached the rest of my swim career through college and how I show up in my life and business today.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell myself that I was doing great, so much better than I realized at the time. I’d tell her to hold on and trust herself. That even though it is tough now, and the rewards are years away, life is shaping up to be more fun, interesting, and joyful than I ever imagined, because of every experience, good and bad, that has brought me here and built the foundation for where I’m going.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
As a muralist, I see fads as fast-rising trends that fade quickly, while foundational shifts last because they’re built on quality and purpose.
A key way to spot the difference is to reference classics—ideas, styles, or methods that have stood the test of time. Trends are recognizable because they are so new or different that they gain popularity quickly, but then the pendulum swings and they become unfashionable. Foundational shifts, by contrast, take time to develop and are grounded in lasting principles. As an artist creating public work, I aim for my work to endure by balancing newness in design with tradition and artistic foundations.
Quality is another essential marker of endurance. Last summer, while visiting an art museum in Amsterdam, I realized that the works that remained beautiful and valuable centuries later all had depth, detail, and real dedication. The longer I looked, the more I could see the time and intention invested in every brushstroke, color, and design choice. Just starting my career at the time, that idea stayed with me, and I promised myself to keep quality and attention to detail at the forefront of my work, no matter the scale or budget of a project.
In the modern world, art often extends beyond physical works and onto the internet. I think the same principle applies to social media. After watching hours of reels and art content, it can be tempting to get wrapped up in it and try to post like an influencer, and I am guilty of this. However, unless you’re willing to invest the time to create high-quality, authentic content or have an exceptional internet personality, it rarely translates into more business and can even feel a little tacky. After some experimentation, I’ve found that what works for me is to use social media as a digital, easy-to-access portfolio, sharing a little bit of my personality and creative process in the captions and only posting outside of this approach when it’s a unique idea and aligned with my art or brand.
Ultimately, whether painting a mural or sharing online, pursuing quality and intention is what shapes work that lasts beyond the moment.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. When do you feel most at peace?
I feel at peace when I have my headphones in, my paint supplies out, and I’m deep in the process of creating a mural. On mornings when I can wake up slowly, meditate, go for a walk, and then teach a swim lesson or two in the afternoon. When I’m in my favorite coffee shop, redesigning my website for who knows how many times. The drive home after finishing a mural and coming down from the buzz of another successful job. Or when my head finally hits the pillow after an 18-hour day, knowing I get to do it all again tomorrow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sydthemuralist.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/syd_the_muralist/?next=%2F
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydney-smith-muralist/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SydtheMuralist/
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