Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Nelson.
Hi Lisa, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My childhood was pretty turbulent. My mother passed when I was an infant due to a heart condition, leaving my dad to care for my brother and I on his own. Despite the hardship of that situation, my life was filled with creative adults pursuing their passion. My dad was an incredible musician, my grandpa a fantastic woodcarver, my brother also gifted in drawing and music.
As a young teenager, my life was brought with another challenge. My brother was diagnosed with cancer, fought for years, and then ended up passing at the age of 18. This is a big moment that art became a bigger part of my life. I spent countless hours in my room pouring into my drawings, doodling through class to distract my mind.
Art become a passion more and more over the years. When I was a new mother, I spent nap times learning digital art. Soon I was making cards for people that led to starting an Etsy shop. My career has evened from that to becoming an illustrator and surface pattern designer working with companies such as Denik, Minter, and Bounty Paper Towel.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think anyone ever has a smooth road. We all learn our mistakes the hard way. I had to learn a lot of things on my own since I decided to start my career as a new mother. Starting a career during that sleepless and uncertain time was certainly a struggle.
Little by little, I’ve learned more, but I still feel that there are so many things that I don’t know. I’m still learning.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m probably best known for my custom family portraits. I create artistic representations of families. It’s been so fun and fulfilling; they grew in popularity a few years ago. But recently, I’m trying to grown my surface pattern design career. I’ve been blessed to license my work to many great companies and hope to continue that in the new year! I also sell a few products from time to time. During the Christmas season, I created a collection of tea towels and calendars that were received wonderfully.
What are your plans for the future?
My 3 girls are all in school now. So, I actually have time in my day to work on things. I hope to establish many more licensing deals with companies. I would also love to expand in the art education department. A big dream of mine is to teach other moms how to fit creativity into their everyday lives, which can be very tricky…
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mylittlebuffalo.com
- Instagram: @mylittlebuffalo
- Facebook: Facebook.com/mylittlebuffalo
