"Why are you called The Happy Struggling Artist?"
The emotions that my business name evokes is varied and vastly contradicting... To some, it's just plain funny. To some, it is utterly relatable. They approach me with a knowing shake of the head; a look in their eye that states, "I feel you!". And to some, it is puzzling or even upsetting... I understand and respect all three opinions, and all three have merit! If you fall in the third group, please allow me to try to persuade you that - contrary to your concern - my name does not bring me down, but rather lifts me up!
It took me a long time to discover that I wanted to pursue a career as an artist. The realisation hit in 2015 — we were about to get married! Strapped for cash, we had to get creative with gifts for our wedding party. I decided to paint a pack of wild dogs for our best man. I was overcome with a feeling of, “This is what I want to do with my life!”. It was magical!
Fast-forward to a few months later, and I’m sitting at my cousin’s kitchen table, clutching a cup of tea and crying… Knowing what you want isn’t always enough. The journey to get there, sometimes feels utterly overwhelming. Even impossible.
I had taken on a few part-time jobs so that I could keep the ship afloat while trying to figure out how to get my art business off the ground. The harsh reality of my seemingly irresponsible career choice was starting to get to me. “Maybe I should just try to find a nine-to-five. Or… Maybe I should just be a struggling artist”, I said. Without skipping a beat, my cousin responded, “No, a happy struggling artist!”.
The name just… stuck! I thought it was relatable and inspiring, but most of all I just thought it was really funny! Now, years later, it has gained a much deeper meaning:
Making a living as an artist/creative/entrepreneur is hard -- there's no two ways about it. Life isn’t all sunshine and roses. But, it is never just all good or all bad. And one cannot exist without the other.
It’s the combination of good and bad that makes life what it is and moulds us into who we are. I believe that life is about finding the balance between the good and the inevitable bad and understanding the value of both.
Revel in the Good, for it may not last. Find lessons in the Bad and thank it for the learnings. Both Good and Bad are teachers. Sometimes Bad is a better teacher than Good! Sometimes, the more difficult choice is the right one. Sometimes, a painful experience shapes us into better people. Beauty and inspiration may be found in difficult times.
It’s normal for us as individuals - and our lives - to be built up out of pieces that are polar opposites: happy and sad; easy and difficult; confidence and fear; joy and pain; calm and bat-shit-crazy…
Over the years, a lot of people have commented on my name. Most adore it! Some feel that I am speaking negativity over myself and my business. I really do understand this perspective, and I absolutely believe that the way we speak about ourselves has a major influence on our general mood and happiness.
However, denying the struggles in our life or sweeping them under a rug of feigned happiness does not make the bad go away. In fact, I think it just aggravates it and stops us from working through it and eventually moving on. Left alone in a dark, forgotten corner, the Big Bad Wolf will plot his revenge!
Okay, reel it in, Corinne…
We are complex beings with complex emotions on complex journeys. There is good, there is bad. And it’s all okay. My struggles have brought me here. They have shaped me. Without them, there would have been no happiness. I am grateful for them. I acknowledge and respect them. I speak them out loud. Honestly and proudly.
The Happy Struggling Artist is a genuine representation of my work and life as a whole. A combination of everything, not just the good stuff. It is an ongoing roller-coaster ride with ups and downs, dazzling, fun sunshine and dark, scary tunnels…
So, a name that started out as a little joke, turned into something very, very real and close to my heart! I am uplifted and inspired by it! It makes me smile on my bad days and serves as a reminder to celebrate every win. Most of all, it just feels authentic to me. In fact, it feels like me: An imperfect, work-in-progress that experiences happiness, struggles and everything in between...
See more of my work in my online shop:
