Meet Alicia M. Walter | Artist, Author, Mompreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alicia M. Walter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alicia, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
As a result of hearing “you should start a business,” or  “You’re really good at that!”, I decided to launch my own company. As a young artist, I was reluctant to show others my work out of fear of rejection or being judged because my art didn’t look like so-and-so artist. I quickly learned that comparison was the killer of all joy. My art had become a very personal possession of mine.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In my work, I use abstract elements and human figures to portray emotions in a new way. The images I produce encourage love for oneself, healing, and compassion for others; they are inspirational bodies of work on many media. I purposely make images that display the flow of my brushstrokes, elicit reactions from others, and stir the emotions. I try to get through to anyone who see my work that we are all capable of greatness. As a self-taught artist, being able to see the profound effects my work has on people has helped me to develop a stronger connection to my work. No matter what it is—hope, love, joy, or motivation—just one fresh concept can alter someone’s perspective.

I’m most proud of the ability to take my talents and apply them in ways that encourage younger generations, such as my children’s activity book entitled Naturally Me: Olivia Brown and her Coily Crew (available on Amazon). I’m simply proud that I was chosen to have this talent and share it with the world.

I’m still a work of progress but I often reflect on my journey. When I started my business in 2011, I was just creating art on canvas. I had no business plan whatsoever, let alone did I know I needed one. There was no marketing plan. I just knew I wanted to share and sell my talent lol. I had my paint supplies and my living space was my studio. As time went on, so did my abilites. I began to create wearable art such as handpainted jackets and earrings. I also created portrait wine glasses, which to this day is a very popular item. One day I was approached by an author on Facebook, Author Keith Kareem Williams. Keith  commissioned me to do his book cover although I told him I didnt have the experience creating one, but I did have experience with Photoshop. Keith believed that I could pull it together. I did my research, created 4 book covers for him. I also created for multiple authors and even my own books. Yes, I’m a self-published author! Woot woot! That experience allowed me to tap into the digital side of things. I became curious about what else I could do with my art. I took my paintings and put them on tshirts, mugs, tumblers, etc. But I didnt stop there. Instead of outsourcing to have this type of work done, my husband purchased the equipment I needed to level up and do these things myself. This allowed me to have more control while saving money. In 2017, I began instructing sip and paint parties to help others tap into their inner artist! There’s so many avenues of art that I’ve tapped into including acting!
I’ve learned so much and still have so much to learn, but I’m so very excited to see where this path leads me. Art plays such an important role in life.
Success doesn’t come over night, but it can be yours. You must first believe and know that you can achieve. Be patient with the process. Be patient and kind to yourself, be consistent, and most importantly be YOU unapologetically.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I moved to Georgia in 2020 from Springfield, Massachusetts. There is SO much to do, it’s insane but in a good way!

The New Black Wall Street Market, Artatlanta, Underground Atlanta, 3rd Spot, Van Gough Immersive Experience, National Center for Civil and Human Rights, Georgia Aquarium, Milk and Honey Restaurant, Slutty Vegan, The High Museum of Art.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to shout out to Shoutout Atlanta for this opportunity to my mother and father Grace and Dennis Walter, my late grandmother Virginia Boyd, my husband Kareem, our miracle child Khalil. I’d also like to thank all my siblings, my Massachusetts family and friends, my New York family and now my Georgia family. Even if they don’t realize it, so many people have contributed to getting us to this point. All of them have my undying gratitude. Finally, I’d like to express my gratitude to the mentor who warned me that being a female artist in today’s market would be challenging.

Website: www.artbyamw.org

Instagram: Instagram.com/artbyamw

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/artbyamw

Facebook: Facebook.com/artbyamw

Other: Tiktok: alicia.m_allthingsart