Check Out Kimberly Lavon’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Lavon.

Hi Kimberly, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. 
My creative career started really early. In elementary school, I created and exhibited art with the 4-H youth development organization. Middle school introduced me to music, where I began playing the alto saxophone and started expressing myself through creative writing. High school brought commercial art, where I created and illustrated a comic strip called “Loopid” for the newspaper. It was a series about two friends, Mary Jane, Clancy, and their pet chicken, Mabel. From there, my interest in music grew to include symphonic, orchestral, and jazz performances. I drew, wrote, and performed throughout that era of my life. 

After graduating from high school, I started painting. That somehow led to a tattoo artist apprenticeship, where I gained certification in bloodborne pathogens and trained as a portrait tattooist. However, that proved to be a bad fit. After some soul-searching, I started undergraduate college and found a deep passion for fine art printmaking. I majored in fine art while minoring in Graphic Design, aiming to learn how to market myself as a creative. When I graduated in 2009, I opened my first print shop/art gallery. I worked in that role for over a decade, then decided it was time for graduate school. 

I applied for printmaking but ended up earning an M.A. in Advertising—a very happy accident. I graduated during the height of the pandemic, and the unexpected circumstances shifted my focus from job-seeking to knowledge-gaining. I took the time on lockdown to take remote classes, workshops, and programs to stay sharp. After a small business entrepreneurial program and one brand strategy boot camp, I found my purpose: to end the starving artist dilemma. 

I took my lifetime of creative experience and used it to write the book on how creatives everywhere can create sustainable businesses. The outcome is my new small business, Mint Maven.” 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
“My journey looks more like a scribble than a straight line. If an obstacle existed, I was the one to find it! For years, it felt like a curse. I felt like a magnet for everything bad. The constant red tape, closed doors, gatekeepers, and everything else were becoming too much. It became my version of “normal,” so I accepted my fate and tried to exist through it all, hoping one day it would change. That someone brave, strong, and tough would come to end my struggles – someday, they would deliver the answers I’ve been searching for, and those answers would lead me somewhere better. 

Spoiler alert: That never happened! It was only when a trusted friend told me I had to stop “waiting” that things changed. My friend opened my eyes to what was really happening. I was writing the book of “No.” I knew every obstacle, every blind spot, every pitfall. I had the playbook on what not to do. The only missing component was the positive side, the solution side. To get that book written and deliver the help I’ve been waiting for was up to ME. I was the answer. I was the solution. I was the person I’ve been waiting for. So, I stopped complaining and started seeing my obstacles for what they really were: half of a whole solution. I set out to write the book of yes and worked tirelessly for almost 2 years to make it happen. The culmination of all that work manifested into a business I call Mint Maven, providing funding for creatives in business. 

Skip to today: I’ve single-handedly created the solution for starving artists everywhere. I’m nearing my 2-year anniversary. Mint Maven has helped over 100 creative people in the USA and Canada find success, with future planning to go worldwide. My childhood dreams have finally come true, and I couldn’t be happier about it! If you’re a starving artist, a lost creative, or someone who really wants to make your creative dreams come true, you’re in the right place. Mint Maven was created to help you!” 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
What I do now: Fundraising for creative businesses. 

My Specialty: Art and business production. 

What I’m known for: Fine Art Printmaking and Grant funding for creatives. 

What I’m most proud of: This is a hard question for many reasons. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a sprawling creative career with many milestones. If I had to name a few they would be… 

• Graduating with honors from a top 10 art school with my Masters.

• Exhibiting at the Detroit Institute of Art

• Having my art showcased on 2 billboards.

• Winning a great deal of awards, credentials, recognition, and funding.

• Helping over 100 creative businesses and people like me find success!

What sets me apart from others: My nickname is Lightspeed Lavon because I’m naturally caffeinated. I have an eidetic memory, and I’ve never given up on any pursuit. EVER. 

Are there any books, apps, podcasts, or blogs that help you do your best?
Absolutely! I’m a big book fan. The 3 listed below have been pivotal in helping me succeed. 

1. Art and Fear

2. The fine artists guide to marketing and self-promotion

3. The Drawing Mind

Pricing:

• Art Business Templates: The intersection of mad libs, art, and business = 1 for $29.99 or 10 for $150
• Grant Guides: Evergreen grant opportunities sorted by specialty = $299 or 5 for $1,000
• Creative Compass: A 1:1 consultation with Kimberly Lavon = $150 per hour.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mintmaven.co
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mintmaven.co
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlylavon
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kimberlylavon3583?si=6UkvhG3DM87LNF34
• Other: https://bio.site/mintmaven.co

Image Credits
Kimberly Lavon
First Last Media, LLC