A local artist friend of mine, Marrus, published her first book in 2009, Lightsurfing: Living Life in the Front of My Mouth, which details her experiences on the road to making a living off of her art. The book also includes full-color images of some of her original paintings and sketches, in her signature kink meets Ren-faire fantasy style. I recently caught up with her to find out more about her path to full-time artistry and her advice for other artists.

Can you tell me a little about your background as an artist? Do you have any formal training?
I launched from the womb clutching a paintbrush – I always knew I was an artist. I saw Technicolor dreamscapes behind my eyes even when I was awake, and I have sketchbooks and drawings going back to when I was about five. I went to school for illustration, where they enthusiastically tried to beat the marvelous things out of my head which would eventually buy my house. College was great for intensive life drawing sessions, and teaching me to thrive creatively under pressure, but not so marvelous at showing how to make a living with what I’d learned.

How did you turn your art into a career? How do you diversify your offerings, and how has this contributed to being successful at living off of your art?

Making a living doing what you love doesn’t always come easily, so like almost every other creative person, I worked for other people. However, even working for someone else, I was always quietly calculating how I could use the experience for when I was running my own career. I wanted to not just create art, but make a living at it.

So, I caught a one-way bus to New York City when I was 22, got lost looking for a bathroom and accidentally landed a gig in animation. From there, I networked in every direction I think of and began inking comic books for several companies. I never lost sight of what I wanted to do, and my last “real-person” job was in the late 90s working with a business incubator launching start-ups. That company lost a lot of money, and taught me how to NOT run a business. After the World Trade Center attack, I realized how fleeting life could be, so I struck out on my own and haven’t looked back since.

I took my one big skill – being a quick, accurate draftsperson, and parlayed it into several directions: painting, illustration work, face / body painting, and storyboarding for the movie industry. This diversification ensures that if business slows down in one direction, there are several others that can take its place. Freelance work is ebb & flow & juggling & risk. If you don’t learn how to manage your time and money and constantly look for new opportunities, this isn’t the career for you.

If you could go back in time, knowing what you know now about the experience of writing and publishing your book, what would you do differently?

The man who would become my publisher started off as my editor when I worked in comic books almost 20 years ago. When he launched his own multi-media company (with attendant boutique publishing house), he told me if I wrote a book, he would publish it. I thought he was kidding – I should have believed him sooner!

What suggestions do you have for other artists who want to make a living off of their art?
Being an artist is a very different animal from making a living as one, and too many confuse the two. As an artist, you’re gonna have a lot more in common with someone who runs a housecleaning business or owns a bar than you might think. Be professional, be responsible, nurture relationships with those you can help who can help you. Evict naysayers from your life. Keep at it. Never stop learning new skills. If you’re not willing to sacrifice whatever it takes to achieve your goals, rest assured that someone else will. So many people have helped me along my path that now that it’s time to return the favor and teach others what I’ve learned. My book, Lightsurfing: Living Life in the Front of My Mouth shows how I became a landed-gentry-gypsy-with-a-paintbrush. With lots of full color art. And kinky clown stories.

Other than your website and festivals, etc, are there any other places people can find your work (galleries, shops, etc?)

I have lithographs at the Great Artists Collective here in New Orleans, and in November & December you can find me and a whole bunch of my original paintings at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival on the Northshore. The rest of the year, I travel up and down the eastern seaboard painting people, selling books & artwork, and speaking about turning your passion into your career!

Please check out more work by Marrus on her website: www.marrusart.com. You can also find her book on Amazon or become a fan on Facebook.

~ Mallory