Transcript
Speaker 1: Just get into that mindset that you will do it eventually. But you've just got to do one tiny thing at a time and not rush. You just got to do what you can and not be hard on yourself. Just have the patience and just think do you know what? This might take me 10 years to be really successful at it, but I'm going to do it.
Speaker 2: Welcome to the Moms Who Create podcast. I'm your host, kelly Hile, and I am thrilled to share a podcast that celebrates the incredible moms who are pursuing their creative passions. Are you a mom who feels like you just can't balance your creative pursuits with the demands of motherhood? Each week, i'm bringing you interviews with accomplished and talented moms who have made their creative dreams a reality. I talk to writers, artists, musicians and entrepreneurs who have successfully found a way to do what they love while raising the ones they love. Some of the writers I talk to are New York Times bestselling authors, while some are self-published first-time authors. I also share my own insights and resources to help you navigate the unique challenges of being a mom who creates. So, whether you're an early bird or a night owl, a seasoned pro or just starting out, i want you to know that you can pursue your creative passions and be an amazing mom at the same time. Grab a cup of coffee, a notebook and get ready to join our community of like-minded moms who are on a mission to live intentionally and create with purpose. This is the Moms Who Create podcast, and I can't wait to share this journey with you. Hi everyone, and welcome back to this week's episode of the Moms Who Create podcast.
Speaker 2: Kat Wilmore is today's guest. She's the owner and founder of plant-based paintings, creating bright botanical art to spark joy. Kat aims to be as eco-friendly as possible and she's planted over 250 trees via her partnership with onetreeplantedorg. So every order of her art that's over 3 pounds plants a tree in the Amazon rainforest and it's also packaged in a plastic-free, eco-conscious way. Her flowers she paints are so vibrant and absolutely gorgeous. Now Kat left art for a while, but on her maternity leave she came back to find her passion again. She'll talk about that today. So enjoy today's episode. Kat, i am so excited to meet you and talk about your art today and motherhood and all the things, and you also have like the best accent ever.
Speaker 2: So this is going to be a fun conversation. Thank you so much for joining me.
Speaker 1: I'd say I love your accent too, because I just feel like I don't know, like obviously, being English, you get all the American TV and stuff so it seems super glamorous to have an American accent. It's like, yeah, I just love it.
Speaker 2: It's something like the TV's future. No, i feel like no you guys are so proper and cute and we're just over here. Like You know, you always want the accent you don't have, so that's so funny So funny Okay let's start out by just having you introduce yourself to everyone, everyone who Kat is.
Speaker 1: Okay, so my name is Kat. I live in Devon in the UK and I have a husband and two little girls. So my girls are now five and seven, so my youngest started school in September. So I've been in business for four years now because I started on maternity leave, but I've actually really started full time for about six months now. So I still feel like a newbie, but, yeah, obviously like I have been doing it for a little while now.
Speaker 1: So my work is basically very bright botanicals. I love to do prints, cards and original work, and I do try and be as eco-friendly as possible, because I feel like you've really got to think about those things these days, haven't you? And so D&D really is going with me throughout our courses. So, again, i talked a lot about this, especially things like my packaging. I tried to make sure that it is plastic-free. So basically what happens is every time that I make an order over £3, i plant a tree in the Amazon rainforest with my partnership, with One Tree Planted, which is really cool, and I discovered them online a little while ago and, yeah, it's just, it's a nice way of doing something good with my art and yeah, it's really, it's a fun thing to do. It's very rewarding.
Speaker 2: Absolutely gorgeous and I love all the colors you use. It's not just like your standard, kind of like flower colors or like, yeah, if you would think of like a landscape. You know you add some like bright, maybe like unexpected colors in there too.
Speaker 1: Yeah, i do yeah.
Speaker 2: I took a screenshot of one I loved, so awesome.
Speaker 1: Yeah, i went to India when I was in my 20s and it was only a short holiday, but that like really changed things for me in terms of like a color. I remember coming back to England through the airport and everything. Just it just seemed like the contrast had all been turned down, because everything out there is so vibrant and it's always colors that I love, like the teals, the pinks, and like oh, it's just so vibrant, and so I think that that really like just got in my head and you know, sometimes things like years later can actually really inspire you.
Speaker 1: But you don't even realize it at the time and it just all sinks in.
Speaker 2: So yeah, you're so good, i love it. Tell me about like your journey.
Speaker 1: This is a bit of a weird story really, because basically I always loved art. I always did loads of drawing when I was a kid and I really wanted to be a graphic designer. So I went to college, studied graphic design and then sort of decided that I didn't really, i wasn't really into it. So then I ended up staying at the same college and doing fine art as like a higher diploma. So I did study art for a couple of years and I absolutely loved it and the college that we were at was fantastic. It was really fun and just those kind of people that you meet, and the tutors, like everybody there, was really really lovely. So that was a great, great experience for me. However, they really pushed us to go to university and I was unsure about going and I just went with their judgment because I wasn't really sure what to do next.
Speaker 1: So when I got to university, it was totally different and basically what happened was the tutors would come in and they'd set us some work and then they would literally go away for three or four weeks at a time and then come back and be like, oh, how are you getting on? And you just didn't really get any support. There was no real tuition. And then there was like a pinnacle moment where I was in this lecture and the tutor was just saying well, you know, it's really really hard to make any money from art. You're not going to make it. Most of you are not going to make it. You need to be in the top London galleries and you need to know all these famous people. And if that's not you, then you're probably going to have to accept being starving forever and it's just not possible. And I'm just like see now, if I see other artists, i'm always like come on, you can do it. Because I just feel like why?
Speaker 2: would you?
Speaker 1: say that to people Like it's not possible. If you're a teacher, do you know what I mean? You should say that.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you should say that You should be more encouraging. That had to be like really discouraging to hear It seems like yeah, the art world, so I would say, for art too, i have my art degree, and in painting, so I do abstract painting, though. That's why I really like some of the different vibrant colors.
Speaker 2: I love teals too, Love teals and paintings And they, i remember in art school they were like, yeah, it's really hard to break into the art world, basically. And then all these old painters that you've heard of. they really didn't even get famous until after they died.
Speaker 1: So I was like exactly, yeah, yeah. And the thing is is that I feel like now, looking back on it, you know, this was before like Instagram and YouTube and the internet was there, but it wasn't like it is now. There's no social media. So I guess, from his point of view, there was only one way, which is getting in galleries and and doing it that route. But anyway, so I that lecture, it was literally like right, this is a massive wake-up call for me. Like I was like early 20s, i wanted to get out and do stuff and the thought of just like never like doing anything apart from just struggling was like really, it's just really unappealing, isn't it when you're really young? So I left and then when I literally just walked out in that lecture, i was like I walked out, i left university and I was done and I was just like this isn't, this isn't for me. And then I kind of channeled my creativity in other ways. So I was really into like home decor and my garden and you know, you just like find other ways of doing things. But I was really I just completely didn't even think about my art anymore because I just I kind of told myself that it was just one of those things where it wasn't realistic and I kind of internalized all of that stuff of like it's not possible, it's not realistic, so what's the point? So after a while I ended up getting a really good job and I was doing like sales and marketing and you know I was happy with what I was doing. So I ended up just like doing other things and not thinking about it at all. So that's the first half of the story is I've given up, nothing's happened in.
Speaker 1: So then fast forward to me being on maternity leave with my second daughter. So we're like 20, 20 years down the line here and they were doing like painting and drawing and little things with my eldest. But I really was feeling like I really cannot go back to my job because I was doing a lot of weekend work. I was working really long hours and it was really stressful and I thought this is not going to work around my kids at all And I just I remember just feeling like what am I going to do? and having no idea.
Speaker 1: So I kind of just thought, okay, something's gonna come up. I'll just like trust the universe, something will turn up. And then like, as I did that and as I was thinking that I ended up randomly going to a boot fair which is like a yard sale Okay. So yeah, and I found some picture frames that I really liked and I thought I'll pick those up. They're really cheap and I just thought I'll get those. And then when I got them home, i thought the picture's a bit boring And I thought I wonder if I could just paint something to go in them. And I just painted some plants that were on my dining table And I just was like, oh my God, i remember what this feels like.
Speaker 1: And I just thought that like this is what I do. Do you know what I mean? You know, when you have that moment of like, why have I not done this and why is I not do it? And also, at the time, i'd recently joined Instagram and I was sharing pictures of my garden and stuff like that, and I was following other people that were artists and creators and I kind of saw other people doing it And obviously, all that time ago I hadn't seen that There was nothing to sort of like be inspired by. And now there was all these people doing it And I thought you know what, if they can do it, then why can't I do it, why can't I try? And so I did, and that was four years ago And I'm so glad I did.
Speaker 1: I'm really glad I did. So it's a rocky journey sometimes, but it's also really rewarding. And I also get to be there for my kids. Like, i do all my pickups with them and I get to go to their sports days And there's lots of advantages to it. For anyone listening to this, if you're like in your 20s and you're thinking, oh, like, i'll just not bother with that, like, just you know, don't give up because somebody gives you bad advice, because obviously you know I could have kept my hand in Like I just hadn't even picked up a brush, apart from to, like, repaint my lounge.
Speaker 1: Do you know what I mean?
Speaker 2: Yes, and I feel that way. So, like I was telling my husband a few days ago, i was like, man, i haven't painted in a while. I've been doing, you know, podcast stuff or I'll just do other things. And yeah, like, yeah, i'm a painter, like, yeah, i paint. Then I look at something, i'm like how long has it been since I've painted? I do that every now and then I realize that what's been way too long.
Speaker 2: So I go my husband's like, when the kids go to bed tonight, go get a canvas or whatever and go downstairs and like put on some music and paint, and every time I do that it's like this big breath of fresh air. I'm like oh. I'm back in my zone. Why don't I do this more often? Like why do I go Now? your epiphany was okay. This is what I'm gonna do, like as a job, like this is my which. Yeah, that's, that's.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna do that, okay, so now.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna start my into my panty again, but no, i, i know that feeling there's definitely flow state, like people talk about that flow state of like, yeah, yeah, being in it's like meditation, isn't it? You just go into it and And it's like nothing else is like there. I can't I don't know how else to explain it. Yeah, you just get in the zone and it's really cool. It was just that thing of like always having a brief where someone else would set what they want and then you've got to do what they want, and I wanted the Freedom of just creating what I want to create and then, yeah, i hope someone likes it.
Speaker 2: Just want to make art and you want people to buy it so you can pay your bills and have a great life, right Yeah?
Speaker 1: and people have a very if you're doing graphics, people have a very specific brief of what they want and you've just got to do What people want to say and which is fine. But yeah, it just wasn't for me. I just wanted a little bit more freedom. In that it's is a totally understand what you're saying about, um, especially after maternity leave, that feeling of like just is quite like an emotional release, really, isn't it? Because I was like that with my first daughter I hadn't started painting yet and I was just. I'd went from like a job where I was in a team and I was with people all the time to Being on my own all day long with a baby that wasn't sleeping, and I was just like this is so hard and you just lose yourself, don't you think?
Speaker 1: if you paint or you do anything creative for yourself. It just feels like the biggest luxury and it feels like such an escape and and uh I'm so relieved.
Speaker 2: It like grounds you and you, just you can be tired, so tired as heck, but like that just makes you feel like energized like a big two cup of coffee, thing you have.
Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, yeah, you were just talking, before this went live, about my coffee cup, which is like three times bigger than my face.
Speaker 2: I want to have to. I'm gonna have to search that and get one. Oh, I do have my. I did my harry potter cup today because you're In england, so of course harry potter right.
Speaker 1: That looks like holographic as well. That is amazing, Isn't it cool Yeah?
Speaker 2: Now you have two children, five year old and seven year old, right? Yes, i do. Yeah, oh, i'm like a couple years behind you. I have a three year old, and then my daughter turns six next month.
Speaker 1: So I'm like a couple years. It goes so fast, doesn't it?
Speaker 2: It's insane how flustered, it is. I know, and you found your new love, your new found love for what you do, and you have these amazing paintings. You know this business of selling this all and you're planting trees in the amazon. I mean, holy cow, that's just neat. That's just neat. It's like an extra, it's like an extra level on top of on top of.
Speaker 1: Yeah, i do, i'm really super proud of that, because obviously I'm not literally like getting the spade out myself, but I think if you are like, if you have got a business and you put like a little bit into a charity or You know, some of your profits go somewhere, i just think that's, it's a nice thing to do, it's really rewarding and, um, you know it. Just I don't know, i just think it's a nice thing to do and I'm really I, i I never really thought of Like how, how kind of like how that would take off. Do you know? to mean, you just think, oh, like, sign up for that. That sounds really lovely and you know, and like, maybe in a few years It'll be like a forest worth, and that's just.
Speaker 2: I don't know. It's just Really Yeah for making your art. You're also making like a lasting impact on the environment. Who knew that was even possible? Yeah right, not me.
Speaker 1: Amazing cat. I love it. Do you know what I think? the thing that really like spark things off me was that, obviously, when you're starting a new business And then you think, right, i've got a package, these prints and cards and everything else, and you start thinking about packaging, and then you think, well, do I want to make loads of plastic packaging and how are people going to use this? and and also, you don't want to have loads of Packaging, so it weighs loads and there's loads to throw away and you just start thinking about How that's all gonna work and I just think that now There's not really an excuse to use plastic, because there's so many alternatives I use like It's like called nativia film or bio film, so it's made out of sugarcane and it looks like plastic.
Speaker 1: And I mean I don't use anything Plasticy with my orders that I ship out to customers usually, but like, if I have my work in shops sometimes, then I'll use that rather than cellophane, so But there's no reason not to use that because it looks exactly the same, it's the same price And I just like buy the grade and that's it.
Speaker 1: So it's just a case of researching it and seeing what options are available and and just doing that, so yeah.
Speaker 2: Instead of just like living life by default, you know, just like motherhood, when you wanted to go after something. Don't just be like I can't, i'm tired.
Speaker 1: Just thinking about ways that you can do things a little bit differently and yeah and and not just doing what everyone's done for the X amount of years. Like you know, you just want to make it. It initially it was just to make it look pretty and minimal. And then, you know, you just start researching things and you think actually, like what do you want to put out in the world? and You kind of feel like a bit of a responsibility to Try and do good and not just make it worse.
Speaker 2: What could I say you can't? that's so awesome, so awesome. Tell me, how do you handle the motherhood artist balance.
Speaker 1: I would say that obviously now they're at school and it is so much easier And and it's a complete game changer. But obviously when I first started I had I'm trying to think what the ages were so I had my youngest was on, i was on maternity leave from my youngest, um, and my eldest was three. So I think let's say like one and three. I think I'm terrible on timings, but yeah, so at that point obviously it's chaos. So there were the work times where I could like set up all my paints and have them doing like Painting at one end of the table and I did the other, but quite often they would be bored within like two minutes and then They would want to go off and do something else and then I would be like, okay, i'm just gonna have to leave this And you are gonna have to just accept that you might only get 10 minutes of work done in a day, but it's better than nothing.
Speaker 1: So I would say to anyone thinking about starting this that You, you, just if you can do one tiny thing a day and be consistent with that, then You will get somewhere, because it is really just a case of just trying to do what you can when you can and and accepting that sometimes you just need to sleep and That's it. You know you can't always do it all Um, but some days all I could do was like watch a youtube video about How to do packaging or a motivational video about mindset, or you know, there's all these things that you can just do where you're like cooking dinner and you can just listen to something, like you can sort of absorb yourself in that. Like you can watch documentaries about other artists, look at what other people are doing and kind of just get into that mindset that you will do it eventually. But you've just got to do one tiny thing at a time and not rush. You just got to do what you can and not be hard on yourself. Just have the patience and just think do you know what? this might take me 10 years to be really successful at it, but I'm going to do it.
Speaker 1: It's tiny, tiny things and not beating yourself up about it if you can't do it, but just, i didn't do a lot in terms of like social time or watching Netflix. I did pretty much just look after kids and do my art, and I think you have to really, really want it as well, like you have to really want it because it is a lot of, you know, doing things later at night, early mornings, trying to fit things in when you can, and you know it's not always easy to do, but it is worth it in the end.
Speaker 1: And now, as I was saying at the beginning, like you know, i can go and do like sports days with them and things like that. There are times where I can just go, yeah, i can go and do that. I can go and help the school like I'm going to go and help them do some gardening in their community garden next week. I can go and do that, and I wouldn't be able to do that if I was still in my old job. So, yeah, for those reasons alone, it's worth the sacrifice. While you're on maternity leave And I know things are different in this country because we have like quite long paid maternity leaves, which is also really, really good, which I know that not everyone does- Don't rub it in.
Speaker 2: Don't rub it in.
Speaker 1: I know, i'm just like. I do appreciate that it's not always that easy, but it is just a case of like, you know, if you're, if you're spending like an hour a night watching Netflix, like could you be doing something else 10 minutes of painting, exactly Do some Instagram posts for the week, like you can. you can do it if you're determined. you know, and now I can watch it because I'm doing this in the daytime. then three o'clock comes around, then I go and get the kids and then you know, and then I can watch Netflix when they go to bed, because I've got this time now, in that time when, when you've got really small kids, you just got to do what you can and it's not going to be forever, and, you know, enjoy them because it's so quick.
Speaker 1: Small sacrifices now to have the long term It's just tiny, tiny things, just just keep chipping away, because I think the thing that the thing that most people that I see are doing alright do is consistency, is just turning up all the time and doing little things and just keep going And that's it really.
Speaker 2: I like really quickly. I like the bit about like listening to something as you cook. Like I either listen to true crime podcasts or like these insanely like motivational, like Ted talks. But every time I cook my husband's usually off work, so he's like playing with the kids, whatever, and I just put one air pod in case they need me or you know, something boils over and I need to hear the fire, but I'll put one in and I'll listen to like a podcast or listen to you know one of the like another mom podcast or something, and I'll just use that little bit of time.
Speaker 2: I hate cooking, hate it all a minute. I do not like cooking at all, but that makes it a little bit more enjoyable and I'm kind of learning and getting inspired at the same time.
Speaker 1: So yeah, those little moments are important. That's it. And, like you know, and sometimes I think, a lot of times when you are at home with small children, you're not getting a lot of adult conversation. And I feel like if you listen to a podcast in one ear, it's like you're just getting that adult conversation, even if it's one sided. You're just getting that, that social thing and just absorbing something and yeah, it's good. But yeah, i do exactly the same thing.
Speaker 2: I have my one earbud in and the screaming is going on in the other area. You're amazing and people need to buy artwork, and I am going to buy some of your artwork too.
Speaker 1: So I'm going to go into the website I was looking last night.
Speaker 2: I want to tell you that And for my US listeners are non UK listeners. She does ship internationally. So, yes, yay, tell us where can people go online to buy your art and then where can they also connect with you on social media?
Speaker 1: Sure, so the easiest way of finding me is my website, which is plantbasedpaintingscom, if you go straight to there at the moment, i've got two things that might be of interest. So the first thing is that I'm setting up a membership for other artists and creatives so that we've got like a little support network. That's going to be a monthly membership where I share everything about my art journey and just everything I've learned so far, basically all behind the scenes stuff. And then also I've got my color guide, which is on my website as well. So if you're interested in styling your house and getting a little bit more color in your house, then that is on there too, and I have my Instagram, which is where I'm most active, and that is at plantbasedpaintings, and that's it, and I'd love for you to pop over and say hi, and yeah, you were wonderful.
Speaker 2: I could talk to you all day and I love listening to you and talking to like fellow artists. It's wonderful And it's you've inspired me. As I was telling my husband a few days ago Like I need to paint, i haven't painted in a while. He's actually out of town in business right now, so I think when I put my kids to bed tonight I have that like by myself time I think I'm going to paint tonight. I think I'm going to do it, oh yeah, thank you for that inspiration.
Speaker 2: Kat, if you're listening to this on the release day, happy Memorial Day. I hope you guys had a great weekend and a great summer ahead. Thank you so much for listening. I'll see you next week.
