Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Orstrom.
Hi Erin, 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 backstory with our readers?
My story, like many over the past few years, has its roots in an unexpected time, but the creative spark goes back further. When I was younger, I enjoyed drawing and other creative expression, but as I got busy with schoolwork, sports, and life, that interest waned. Additionally, I never felt I was ‘naturally’ good at art. Up until the last few years, it wasn’t something I spent any significant amount of time on.
My artistic journey truly began in 2020. I picked up a set of watercolor pens from Amazon, and shortly after a set of tube paints, as a ‘pandemic’ hobby—a quiet, low-pressure way to find focus and creativity during a period of global uncertainty. I was instantly captivated. The fluid, delicate nature of watercolor drew me in, but it also quickly ignited a serious desire to learn and grow, proving to myself that skill is built, not just inherited.
That initial exploration soon expanded beyond the one medium. I started experimenting with the rich opacity of gouache, the vibrancy and texture of acrylics, and more recently, I’ve been diving into the endless possibilities of digitizing my art.
For me, the art _is_ the journey. I’m constantly seeking to push my style, learn new techniques, and evolve my creative voice. This commitment to improvement became the driving force behind everything I created. That dedication naturally led to the desire to share that evolution with others. That’s how I got to where I am today: balancing these different mediums, building my own art business, and sharing my designs with a community that appreciates the beauty of constant creation.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Does entrepreneurship or building a business ever truly go smoothly for anyone? Jokes aside, I truly believe the struggle is where the real growth happens, and I’ve learned a lot through the journey.
The biggest challenge, and one I’m still actively navigating, is finding my distinct niche and audience. As an artist who doesn’t have set subjects and loves to experiment across mediums—from the looseness of watercolor to the precision of digital work—it’s easy to feel scattered. You know you need to be recognizable to build a business, but you also need the freedom to follow your artistic curiosity. It’s a constant push-pull between the creative freedom of the studio and the strategic demands of the market.
This ties directly into the second major struggle: balancing monetization with joy. There’s a delicate line between building a sustainable art business and letting the administrative tasks—the marketing, the inventory, the sales—completely drain the fun out of creating. Part of this challenge is thinking creatively about how to make a single piece of art pay off in multiple ways. Instead of relying on only selling an original painting, I’ve developed a mindset of asking: ‘How can this design become a print, a sticker, or a digital download?’ or ‘Which products would this specific design look great on?’
There is a great freedom and limitless possibility in diversifying, but it takes serious energy to manage all those avenues. I have to be incredibly intentional about carving out time to just create for myself, with zero pressure to turn it into a product, to keep that original creative spark alive.
Finally, like many creators, balancing the business with my daily life, especially while actively searching for full-time work, has been exhausting. It’s hard to find the mental energy to pivot from a job search or a workday straight into a business mindset. It requires serious discipline and often means sacrificing downtime.
But, I look at these challenges as fuel. They push me to be more efficient, more strategic, and ultimately, to value the time I spend creating even more.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
While I’m most comfortable with watercolors, I’d consider myself a Mixed Media Artist and Creative Entrepreneur, but what that really means is I’m dedicated to the beautiful intersection of traditional painting styles and modern design.
My specialty lies in creating work with a sense of vibrant colors, tangible texture and depth, regardless of the final format. I primarily use a blend of water-based media—specifically watercolor, gouache, and acrylics—which allows me to layer transparent washes with bold, opaque marks. I then often use digital tools to refine those original paintings, allowing me to isolate elements and prepare them for print or product use.
My recognizable style stems from my ‘hybrid’ process: I begin with the intentional, tactile energy and uniqueness of traditional media, but I treat the digital platform as a final layer of refinement. This ensures that every piece maintains the authentic emotion of the handmade, while possessing the crisp lines and brilliant color fidelity necessary to be perfectly translated across a diverse range of prints and products.
What Sets Me Apart
What truly differentiates my work and my business model is my approach to design diversification. I don’t just create one-off paintings; I create design systems.
Instead of focusing on a single, expensive original piece, I specialize in translating my art into a range of accessible products—from stationery and stickers to textile designs and prints. This strategic view allows me to reach a wider audience and gives fans a choice in how they want to bring that design into their lives. My differentiator is the balance of authentic, hand-painted creation with a strategic, scalable product line.
What I’m Most Proud Of
My proudest accomplishment isn’t a single painting, but the discipline and confidence it took to begin building my business entirely as a self-taught artist. I say confidence because I know so many talented artists who have the dream and the vision, but lack the belief or clarity needed to start monetizing their art and building a business around it.
Overcoming that initial self-doubt and committing to the entrepreneurial path—that is what truly defines my journey. I never had a formal art school curriculum, which meant I had to develop a deep sense of personal accountability to learn everything from color theory to supply chain management.
Seeing my work move from a personal sketchbook to becoming tangible products that people can proudly display in their homes—that is immensely rewarding. That journey from beginner to entrepreneur is what I value most.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Oh gosh, too many to list! Here are a few favorites though:
Apps/Tools:
• Buffer (for social media scheduling)
• Canva (for various design needs)
• ChatGPT/Claude/other AI tools (for assistance with content creation, brainstorming ideas, and everything in between)
Podcasts:
• Art + Audience with Stacie Bloomfield
Art YouTube channels:
Watercolor-
• Anna Bucciarelli (she has one of the most soothing voices I’ve ever heard!)
• Dr. Oto Kano (not recently active, but she has some really cool deep-dive videos on specific watercolor pigments, color theory, specific supplies, etc.)
• Emma Jane Lefebvre
• In the Studio with Michele Weber
• Jenna Rainey
• Kris Debruine Studio
• Louise De Masi
• Nianiani
• Paintcrush with Kristy Rice (super fun gal full of encouragement)
• Paul Clark
• The Mind of Watercolor
Gouache-
• HamRib Art
• Jess Chung
• Sarah Burns Studio
Everything Art-
• Jazza – he has an amazing variety of art content, and is entertaining
• Scott Christian Sava (recently published a book called “Becoming an Artist”)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ErinOrstromsArt.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erinorstromsart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ErinOrstromsArt
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/erin-orstroms-art
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ErinOrstromsArt
