DistefanoHolly Podcast 2

The podcast is about Holly DiStefano's journey in decorative artistry. She didn't realize there was a market for it until people praised her drawings. She became a teacher but started painting kids' rooms as a side job. She invested in learning decorative art and quickly gained clients. After a few years, she returned to teaching but continued her business on the side. She works with designers and homeowners, creating murals and decorative art. She encourages DIYers to invest in certification classes. The satisfaction of creating someone's vision is indescribable. Holly invites listeners to join her podcast. This is Holly DiStefano, owner and operator of Forget About It Decorative Artistry. Welcome to my podcast. The idea of this podcast is one of great variety, which will come with an evolution story about life, teaching and making art, and the decorative art business. Maybe some tricks and tips for the DIYs out there. Welcome. I guess the best place to start is why decorative art, or what is even decorative art? Well, I really didn't know there was a market out there for the decorative art business. It kind of happened kind of organically, like accidental, like as a kid, I was always the one off in the corner drawing or coloring, that sort of thing. And it became my identity from childhood, my friends, acquaintances, family, people would look at my drawings and say, Oh my gosh, you're so good. Maybe you can become an artist someday. Well, a lot of that helped shape and mold my love for art, because people would always take notice. But I never really thought that I had the talent to actually make money at it. So I decided to go into teaching. I loved my high school teacher, and she was such a great role model for me. And so I went to college and got a traditional teaching art degree, K through 12, and started teaching right outside of college. Well, I did that for a few years and had a baby, started a family, that sort of thing, and quit teaching. I didn't know I was going to go back, actually. But I eventually did. And so that is what I am currently doing. But in that in-between time, I started painting my kids' walls, baby nursery stuff. My neighbors took notice and said, Hey, hey, how much would you charge if you did this, if you did that? And I really had no idea. So I started looking around on the internet. And keep in mind, this was like in the early 2000s. So there was a little bit out there, but not a whole lot. When I finally found a place in southern Missouri, I decided to go ahead and invest the money so that I could go and learn all the tricks and trades and see what it was really all about. Well, basically, decorative art is painting on walls, faux finishing, large murals, small murals, accents, that sort of thing. So I dove in. It was a go-to, sleep at the hotel, get up every day, go to class, that sort of thing. And I really got involved. And before I knew it, I had a website, designers started calling me, and I got busy really, really fast. And it just kind of came out of nowhere, really, the speed of it. So about four or five years into it, I decided to go back to teaching. I missed that, and some major family changes were on the horizon. So I decided to keep my business sort of on the side, and that's kind of where I am right now. I worked with some designers, I worked commercial locations, I do signs on the side of buildings, I work with builders and work with homeowners to use their building allowance for decorative art. I've done man caves, I've done children's nurseries, and it was a lot of fun, and still is. If you are looking for a little bit of decorative art in your home, I could probably help you out. Take a look at my gallery when you get a chance on the website, and give me a call. If you are a DIY and you're looking to get into the business, I encourage you to look online, search for those schools, be ready to drop some money. I went to Vegas to do some certification classes, and it cost me a lot, but I came out with a lot of skill sets that paid off in the end. But it really is fascinating to work with homeowners and businesses, and once you create their vision, just the feeling is like nothing that I can explain. Seeing little boys jumping up and down because their rooms are awesome, or the family dog sitting on the bed and watching me all day. No, that is really awesome. So I invite you to join me on my podcast, and let's see what we can talk about. That's all for now. This is Holly DiStefano with Forget About It Decorative Artistry. Till next time, see ya.