Meet Allison Frink | Artist & Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Allison Frink and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Allison, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I always knew I could bring more joy to more people if I just had more time to invest in making art. So, being a full-time artist and instructor was always a long-term goal.

In the middle of saving and making a business plan, though, a serious case of burnout convinced me to make the leap from my previous career sooner than I planned. (I tried really hard, but traditional work schedules are incredibly stressful for me.) I guess that made my thought process a mix of determination and desperation! This was what I was meant to do, so I needed to get past my fear and do it.

– Social Impact: How does your business help the community or the world?
I’m not an expert in psychology or sociology, but humans sure seem to enjoy making things. I encourage people to make things – even if they don’t think they’re any good at it – and teach them the skills they need. And hopefully my own work makes people’s lives a little brighter as well.

– Risk Taking: How do you think about risk? What role has taking risks played in your life/career?
Oh, boy. This is a loaded question for me, and probably for any creative in our society.
The conflicting messages of “Pick a job that you’re good at,” vs. “Art is pointless and you’ll starve,” that I’ve heard all my life makes everything feel like one giant risk. But risk and failure are important parts of personal growth, and VERY important parts of artistic growth. I’m comfortable learning from mistakes and trying again until I’m happy with a sketch, so why is it so terrifying to do the same thing with business decisions?
“Everything you want is on the other side of fear” is a great quote* that helps me keep moving forward. (*Attributed to so many different people that I’ve given up trying to be accurate.)

– What is the most important factor behind your success / the success of your brand?
Me! Which both delights and terrifies me, haha. In reality, I only control the quality of my work, how I interact with people, and how I promote my work. If someone likes my work, awesome! They’re part of my audience; we’re slowly finding each other over time. If someone doesn’t like my work, that’s okay, too. It’s impossible to make everyone happy without tearing yourself to pieces.

– How to know whether to keep going or give up?
Hmm, this is a hard one. I’ve asked myself this one a lot, but I can’t give up making art entirely – been there, tried that, and it was a disaster – and making do with scraps of time wasn’t enough. I can’t give up, because all paths have led me back here.
So, I don’t think it’s so much about giving up as it is about switching gears. If the obstacle is temporary stress or a can be solved by a change in strategy, keep going and change what you can. If the fundamental nature of the beast is causing you nothing buy misery, or too many stressors are out of your control, it’s time to bail and save your sanity.
(“Give up” sounds so final. There’s wisdom in saying “I still want to do this, but it’s not working right now. I’ll try again later.” There’s also wisdom in knowing “This just isn’t for me.”)
I’m still early in my business journey, so I’m trying things to see what works, and that’s working fine for me and my spouse right now. I’m so incredibly privileged to be able to lean on him while I get this business started. Life does happen, though, so I have a few “ripcord” situations that would prompt me to get a part- or full-time external employment for a while. That’s not giving up, though. That’s just switching gears.

– Work/Life Balance: How has your balance changed over time? How do you think about the balance?
Despite the hustle, having a home studio works really well for me. Turns out I’m way less stressed when I don’t force myself to work on a traditional schedule. (I’m a night owl. Just the way my body is wired.) Our cats hang out with me while I work – occasionally “helping,” haha – and they’re so much happier and healthier now that they get interaction and playtime throughout the day. I see my spouse more often, and we have time to do things together. (And, if I want to, I can go back to the studio after dinner to take advantage of my most naturally productive time!) I can rearrange my work schedule to attend community events, so I feel less isolated even though I work alone.
These things are important to me, and I couldn’t find a way to make it happen working for anyone other than myself. Basically, I’m getting to actually live my life, rather than cram myself into someone else’s idea of what a life should look like.

– What makes you happy? Why?
Oh, gosh. So many little things. Sunlight filtering through leaves. The beach. A cool piece of art or music. A good story. Good company. A comfortable evening with my spouse. Animals being ridiculous. The look on someone’s face when they finish something they’re proud of. Making a piece of art that matches the vision in my head. Seeing someone fall in love with my art.
Why? Hmm. I think for me it’s about connection. Those moments connect my inner world to my body to the outer world and for a moment I feel real, rooted, actually here rather than just passing through. (Why yes, I do have mental health issues. Life can be really beautiful even when your brain is garbage!)

– Why did you pursue an artistic or creative career?
My childhood plan was to be an astronaut, but turns out I’m too short for manned missions and calculus befuddles my brain. Teenage me looked around at my other skills and said “Animation sounds like a good career.” (Spoiler alert: Industries change!) Cue a meandering and hilarious comedy of errors over the next few decades where every “practical” life plan I made blew up in my face. I got the message eventually!
Basically, I’ve tried a lot of other things, and I’m okay at them, but making things makes me feel ALIVE. My whole brain is engaged. Trying to do anything else ranges from feeling incredibly dull to outright painful. Life is short. Do the thing.

– How do you define success?
Living your best life, not someone else’s.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Oh, gosh. “How I got here professionally” is a very long and stressful story — how much time do you have? The important part is that I’m still here and I’m still creating, and I think my art adds good emotions to people’s lives.

Most of my art tends to be either the quiet magic of everyday beauty found in nature, or the wild magic of imagination and stories. I usually work in pencil, watercolor, digital media, or fiber arts. But I really love trying new styles and mediums and combining them in unusual ways.

One of my favorite things to do with watercolor is to draw something in masking fluid, then paint something completely different –usually a landscape — within that shape. When I peel the masking fluid off, it leaves stark white lines in the watercolor, and I cut out the painting to mount it raised. It’s a little like looking through a window, or seeing two images at once. I think it’s a fun challenge.

I also enjoy helping other people learn about tools and techniques so that they can make their own art, even if (especially if) they don’t think they’re “good enough.” Making things is a very human activity, but so many people feel like they’re not allowed to even try if they’re not already a skilled professional. (Talk about a Catch-22!) Creativity belongs to everyone, and I want people to feel comfortable sharing their ideas.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Touristy Attraction: Georgia Aquarium

Weird Attraction: Oakland Cemetery tour (plus a drink at Six Feet Under)

Activity: Hunting for Tiny Doors! It’s a fun romp around the city, and the doors are all so cute. (https://tinydoorsatl.com/)

Food: A&M Kitchen (Woodstock) for breakfast, Reel (Woodstock) for seafood, Dulce (Woodstock) for gelato, Table & Main (Roswell) for seasonal gourmet goodies, The Daily Grind (Marietta) for coffee, and Stockyard (Marietta) for carnivores.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Definitely my spouse, Jonathan. He’s been encouraging me to make this leap for years, and reassured me that it’s the best decision for both of us, not some wild idea I was dumping on him.

I also highly recommend the books “The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron and “The Right-Brain Business Plan” by Jennifer Lee. They’re full of validation and practical steps to build your art practice and business with confidence.

Website: www.aqulatteart.com

Instagram: @theaqualatte

Other: Twitch: @theaqualatte

Image Credits
all artwork by Allison Frink photo of me at easel taken by Tammy Frink