We had the good fortune of connecting with April Borchelt and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi April, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
When I was fresh out of college I worked pretty much all the time. I didn’t take weekends for myself and an average day for me was; Wake up at 9:30 each breakfast, work till 3pm, have lunch, work till 6/7pm have dinner, work till 10pm and go to bed. Don’t get me wrong, I did a lot of work during that time and learned a lot. The older I got though, I realized it wasn’t sustainable or the type of lifestyle I wanted. Especially after I got married to my husband, I made a change to make time to recharge. I now don’t work weekends and make sure I’m not working 24/7. This has helped me stay fresh as well as be able to focus on other areas of my life to bring a new perspective to my work.
Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art is constantly changing. I started with fine art degree from Kennesaw State University in Georgia and from there have tapped into a lot of different artistic veins. After college, I worked on strengthening my digital art skills by taking online courses to apply to different projects. It definitely wasn’t an easy process since I was competing with other artists that could paint digitally straight out of college. I feel like I’ve always been playing catch-up in a way but it’s helped me continue to challenge myself and reach for higher goals. Since then, I’ve done work in the animation industry such as painting background art for Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants, worked in house at a video game company and created Splash illustrations, created art for board games, books, and more.
As far as my personal work, I find myself leaning more in the traditional route. I’m currently painting more than I ever have, mostly in oils and acrylics, and I love it! I’m excited to see how I can use my traditional work in future projects and be able to share my true voice through my work over time. My work is normally filled with animals, whimsical scenarios, and inspired by my faith. I’ve also started learning Japanese so the language and culture find its way into my work as well. I’m still learning what my style is overall but I’ve come to embrace that it will always be different. That’s what time, learning, and experience will do to you.
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’ve lived in Georgia my whole life and have loved the diversity it brings! If I were to take a tour around the area I would definitely do some hiking at some of the local mountains such as Kennesaw Mountain, Red Top Mountain, and even Stone Mountain for a day! The lakes are spectacular during the summer and nothing beats taking a boat out on the water! As far as food, I’m a sucker for almost any sushi place in the area. If you’re looking for a nice night out I’d recommend Iron Age. They are my favorite Korean BBQ place by far and are also really close to a delicious sweet shop called Sweet Hut! Their desserts are fresh made every day. I go there every time I get the chance! Downtown Woodstock and The Avalon in Alpharetta are also great places to walk around and have a good time!
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to first give the glory to God. Without Him, I wouldn’t have had this talent to begin with. There have also been so many people in my life that have contributed to nurturing my artistic talent and helped me grow. My parents have always been so supportive in my journey as an artist, I’m very lucky to have them encourage me even at a young age. There are SO many other people but a few that stick out were part of big turning points in my career. I’d love to shout out to Casey Robin who took a chance on me and introduced me to amazing opportunities. I want to thank Ty Carter for telling me I had a chance and to not give up. His encouragement lit a fire in me to keep my passion alive. I also want to thank ALL the amazing people I had the honor of meeting at the Fantasy Art Workshop Illustration Intensive. Their friendships and support have brought me a long way so thank you!
Website: www.aprilrainstudios.com/links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aprilrainart/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilrainborchelt/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aprilrainart
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AprilRainBorchelt
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg8LNZAidqGf5Sqg5q2-YPA
Other: Etsy: https://www.aprilrainstudios.etsy.com