You Won’t Thrive In Survival Mode
When you’re in survival mode, that last thing considered is to pursue a fantasy life. But what happens when you’ve hit bottom and have nothing else to lose? Perhaps you’ve played it safe, then an unexpected financial expense hits. You get laid off, have a significant car bill, or for Nadia Fairlamb, the sudden loss of her mother.
“In 2009, my mother died quickly of ALS.” Nadia openly shares. “When I got back to Hawaii after the funeral, I had around $3 in cash and about $20,000 in debt.” Before pursuing her art businesses, Nadia played it safe, unhappily working different secure jobs to make ends meet. Until she realized that life was too unpredictable to waste her talent. “[My mother] was the biggest supporter of my talent from my birth until her death.”
Nadia Fairlamb is an artist specializing in decorative and functional art for homes and businesses. In this blog post, you’ll learn about her pivotal moments that encouraged her to build a thriving art business.
What did your life look like before and after becoming an artist?
Before I decided to make my art a career, I was unhappy working many different kinds of jobs to make ends meet. Pretty miserable + unfulfilling + broke. After I accepted that my path is to make money as an artist, a fire built inside me, and my life purpose started to become clearer. I worked harder, longer hours, and with more focus than with any other job. It was a constant challenge to not give up until the day I DECIDED that this was the ONLY work I would ever do again. Then my life changed even more, and opportunities I didn’t know existed opened up.
Share the pivotal moment when art became a big part of your life.
I have always made art, but In 2009 my mother died quickly of ALS. It was devastating to my family and me. When I got back to Hawaii after the funeral, I had around $3 in cash and about $20,000 in debt. It was all or nothing at that point. What did I have to lose since I had nothing to lose? I decided after spending that last $3 that I was wasting my life by not using the talents gifted to me from the Divine and my mother. She was the biggest supporter of my talent from my birth until her death. Someone gave me wood and a sander soon after, and I went for it like my life depended on it.
Why is it essential to provide children access to art education?
When I think back to when I was in middle school and high school, my art classes became my rock, my focus, my delight. Every other class revolved around art for me. I have always been a very active, kinesthetic, visual learner. I learn with my hands and skin first, then my mind figures it out. I see way too many kids who are like me and have no access to art or understand that their frustrations are from stored up creative energy. Children are pure creative energy. They are Source itself, and to rob a child of creative pursuits just makes no sense. To make them sit behind a desk and only learn one thing is suicide for generations. Making and teaching art is easy for me, so this is how I choose to give back. To pay it forward with the next generation. My legacy.
How will Nadia Fairlamb Art School support our next generation?
To provide a space for in-person hands-on fine art drawing, painting, and sculpting classes. Offering exercises in which the child can develop trust in their own creativity.
Where do you plan on taking your business in the next 5 years?
As an artist, I will be selling my sculptures in boutique hotels to architects and designers locally and globally. I will make my designs not only in wood but in metal and clay. I see classes for grades 3-12 at my art studio, and several of those children stay on as interns. All while learning how to create art and operating my business. I will also have a series of online art/creativity courses for left-brain adults who cannot tap into their right brain flow state. And online classes for children too. In 2 years, I’ll have built my permanent art studio/art school on my own land surrounded by gardens, orchards, and the wild parts of the planet.
Nadia is running a crowdfunding campaign to build a local art school for children in Waimanalo.
“My passion is to make sure children get access to art education. For many kids, painting, drawing, and sculpting is a powerful outlet for the immense amount of energy we all have, as some kids learn visually or kinesthetically.”
If you would like to support this cause, please click here to donate.
Ready to take the next step into your entrepreneurial journey? Then surround yourself with incredible women like Nadia. Consider joining us as an Oak + Pine Society Member. Click here to see if doors are open.