Today we’d like to introduce you to Valarie Joy Winkleman.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Every day, my story expands and my journey unfolds more and more. When I think of art, I can’t decide if I have inherited my passions from my very creative kin or if it is something that sparked from the get go and has grown immensely since childhood. Recently, I have learned to truly embrace my upbringing for everything it has taught me. My hardships painted a road to success. Between both sides of my very hardworking and big families, inspiration is traced throughout my blood line. Art has been something I have recognized and learned from since a very young age. Every weekend I could, I was visiting my paternal grandparents in Orland Park working on a new project or creating more crafts. It was that or I was with my maternal grandparents in Hillside listening to my grandpa tell his stories of his craft tracing back to the days of him writing about, photographing, and being featured in Chicago. Both grandmothers have heavily influenced me as I feel connected to them in many ways; always so selfless and loving by reflecting care and strength with their art. Both grandfather’s reflected hard work and dedication to help build the families from the ground up, learning from their parents and so on. Learning and being inspired from all has been what has kept me driven. Currently, I work three jobs and I still continue to express my craft day in and day out. It has been a major blessing to be influenced the way I have and I will continue to push myself for greatness and to strive to serve others.
Please tell us about your art.
Art is all around us. I don’t think I’ve ever viewed something and not connected what suggested it is beautifully and purposefully made. With each new life lesson, I continue to believe art is more and more complex showing the relatedness it has throughout the world. My personal hobbies include painting, baking, and crafting projects/decor for others. In my personal life, I use art to suggest gratitude for others to reflect and share love. Love is my inspiration; something I have noticed that is so commonly overlooked because many people may get wrapped up in the speed of life. Art disciplines me. It keeps me grounded. It prompts me to slow life down a little and appreciate everything. As for my academic background, I ended up pursuing my multimedia passions from high school and expanding it in college. I graduated Purdue University with a Bachelor’s in Visual Anthropology with minors in Communication and Film and Video Studies. My big goal is to produce documentaries. I have no preference of topic, kind, or length; I simply want to create. I want to expand thoughts– big and small. For now, I work at a management company learning more and more as I go, while on the side, I work for marketing companies sharing kindness as much as I possibly can. Last, my passions reflect the most through a self-made small business I created recently to offer art in any forms. To me, it is not about the monetary values, it is about the rewards of creating something beautiful and being able to feel the appreciation and light from my clients. I wish to continue to grow my passions by serving others. My photography guides me because I love to help share other’s creative sides and document their special days and milestones. Overall, my art teaches me more than I could ever give back.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
To me, it seems like many deem finances to be a form of setback. As I grew up in a low income household, I know it gets tough. I have been striving to financially support myself since I was 16 years old. Depending on the art, I believe it to be something to build from. I know many other artists, like myself, who built their story from the ground up. If I’m feeling down, I may doubt myself and sometimes even underestimate my work. Although I accept these emotions when they come, I believe it is completely natural to feel like this. I have been practicing more and more to value myself and recognize my worth. I shoot back up from the temporary lows and remind myself that my financial situation does not define me or my happiness. One major influence throughout my struggle has always been a memorable quote that my late grandfather had always reminded to me and my five siblings throughout the years: “Excel where you’re at. Attitude can change adversities into assets”. To me, this is powerful. Our minds are already one of our greatest assets; using it to craft a positive attitude is what led me to overcome many bad times. And for every success, I reflect back on what I overcame to reach the reward. It has been my attitude that has pushed me past barriers and respectively led me to greater opportunities. Stay humble through the process, learn to trust the process, and continue to work towards a greater goal. You may surprise yourself.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My business name is Served in a Wink. As my small business expands, I try to update my social media pages as often as possible. I would have to say I update my Instagram the most. Instagram has been a surprisingly pleasant platform. Until I created a public, business account, I had not realize how many makers there truly are. I love love love to see other’s passions unfold and watch other’s stories continue to expand. Additionally, I am on Facebook and I have been aiming to update as much as possible to show my work. My passions run deep and this is more than a business to me, it is a craft in which I wish to guide ideas and to push past standard goals of service. My social media pages aim to display my photography, face painting, and other artistic passions. Overall, I just want to share optimism and creativity. I truly love networking with other artists and I believe that using social media is a very convenient way to do so! I do aim to have a website up and running by 2019 and then a long term goal is to have my own studio to display it all. I feel extra blessed when people recognize my efforts and I couldn’t thank the people who support me enough. The amount of support people express with one another is something I have always deemed to be important in my life, so I try to reflect it with every opportunity I come across.
Contact Info:
- Email: servedinawink@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/servedinawink/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/servedinawink/
Image Credit:
Valarie Joy Winkleman
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