Check Out Julia Hagen’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Hagen. 

Hi Julia, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
In 2014, I started out pre-med in college because I thought that was the route I was “supposed” to go down. About a year into the pre-med program at Boston College I knew this was not the path for me, and I knew I had to get really honest with myself about what I actually want to be pursuing after college. In what may have appeared like an out-of-left field move, I dropped out of Boston College and transferred to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I would say “and the rest was history”, but it was not a smooth journey after making the move to art school! I floundered a lot and actually was not a painting major. However, I really wanted to concentrate in painting, but at the time I believed I could never actually make a living as a painter. So, I took mostly classes in film and sound design, believing that would be a more viable career, and would occasionally allow myself to indulge in a painting course. 

Upon graduating from SAIC I had no interest in pursuing film or sound design and once again found myself at an impasse. 

I took odd jobs but started painting consistently on the side, posting occasionally on Instagram, and attending art festivals. Very slowly I started to gain a following and then the pandemic hit. In March 0f 2020 I was working a day job I hated while trying to make painting work on the side. But I was burned out and had no passion for my day job, so I decided to take the risk and quit my 9-5 desk job and take painting full time in July of 2020. I haven’t looked back since! 

I am now a full-time painter and focus on creating colorful landscapes and cityscapes, sharing my process with my followers on Instagram, and selling my art online and in festivals and shows. 

Being a full-time artist has been a boot camp in self-promotion, business, and self-discovery. I am so grateful for this winding path and have learned so much as a painter and as a person. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The bumpiest part of my journey were all the times I wasn’t honest with myself and others about what I really wanted to be pursuing, which is painting! As soon as I fully leaned into my passion and started taking my passion seriously and making it a business, things have gone far more smoothly. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work as evolved greatly over the years, as I said before I was not strictly a painter in college and therefore had not taken those years in college to clearly identify what I wanted to be creating. So, after school I really had to evolve on my own and listen to my own interests, which I would argue has made my work very honest and deeply rooted in my own passion rather than the opinions of peers. The work I am making now is colorful. I know that muted colors have been having their moment, and for a while, I was tempted to adjust my work to fit the times. But I could never do that and make work I was genuinely proud of. So, I doubled down and really owned the fact that I love color, and I love creating bright, colorful landscapes and cityscapes. 

At the moment I am particularly proud of my cityscapes because they feel very unique to me. I was seeing many other artists create these beautiful, rugged, and gray cityscapes – which I really appreciated and loved, but I wanted to see a more feminine, colorful take on cities. So, I decided to start making what I wanted to see more of! 

They have been received with so much enthusiasm, and it’s been so fulfilling to see my work take on a life of its own outside of myself! 

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
Everything is moving online! Gone are the days where you MUST be in a gallery or an art festival to be a successful painter. I am not saying those outlets will go away, but I think embracing the fact that customers are becoming more and more comfortable buying original art online is freeing. 

Contact Info:

• Email: juliahagenart@gmail.com
• Website: juliahagenartist.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliahagen_art/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuliaHagenArt

Image Credits
Julia Hagen