Tamara Hergert is an award-winning artist, author, business owner and founder of Empowered Artists. The mission of this community is to “empower visual artists of all levels of education and experience to bring their visions of success to life.” Hergert offers practice articles, interviews, live Q&A sessions as well as live and on-demand Masterclasses. We corresponded with Hergert via email to learn more about what inspires and sustains her seemingly ever-flowing creativity.

Please tell us about yourself, your background and your career.

I’ve been an artist all my life. Some of my first memories were of me drawing, which led me to declare to my Mom, “When I grow up, I want to be a great Artist!” at the age of six. My mom replied, “Oh, boy!” and tried steering me toward a more conservative career. In the end, we both got our ways, because I got both an art school education and an accounting degree. This gave me a solid footing in both creative and business fields. It empowered me to start my own art business and achieve the success and the life style I wanted to create for myself.

I’ve always liked large canvases and surfaces. To me, at first, they were scary, but the bigger I got in terms of project and surface scale, the more comfortable and at ease I felt. Above all, they’ve always felt exciting and rewarding! That is why I create murals and paintings on commission for private and commercial clients. I do amazing live painting events. I sell my originals and create illustrations for books and cards. I’ve worked with big brands, and met some amazing people on my creative path.

What gave you the idea to start Empowered Artists?

I’ve always known that at some point in my art career I would be teaching and helping others. Over the years, I’ve received so many emails with mentorship requests that I wanted to create a better way I could share the best practices that made me happy and financially successful.

The thing is, you don’t have to have a massive following on social media to make thousands of dollars a week in your art practice. I am living proof of that. I cultivate peace and tranquility in my life, and my family has always been my highest priority. I do use social media though, but it’s more of a business tool to me, and I’m very strategic and thoughtful about what I post and when.

What kind of topics are addressed in your Masterclasses?

I chose the following three topics to be covered in the first Masterclasses because they are not widely covered and they also answer the questions I get asked the most:

• Getting Commissioned Projects – how to get clients who would love to commission your work (without social media or paid ads).
• Working on Commissioned Projects – how to successfully work on commissioned projects, so you love it (plus a project agreement template and checklist).
• Licensing Your Art – how to license your existing work and negotiate a licensing agreement (plus a licensing agreement template and checklist).

You recently started a podcast, has that expanded your audience?

Yes, it has given me a broader reach and allowed me to have meaningful conversations with amazing people! Each one of the artists I’ve interviewed has a niche and has really figured out some piece of their art business. My job is to bring all those crucial parts of knowledge and best practices together, to create shortcuts and empower real growth and transformation. Most importantly, I want to help people realize their true potential and create the lives they desire.

Hergert was commissioned to paint a mural for Lowe’s Centennial celebration,
representing Seattle, Wash.

You work in so many different mediums and scales, do you have a favorite type of project?

I like exploring different mediums and learning how things work and what effects they can create. Each project calls for a certain look and medium, and if you have a vast array of tools that you’ve mastered, it gets so much easier to bring the idea to life. I love oil paint for its rich texture, watercolors for their imperfection and spontaneity, acrylic and latex paints for the fast drying qualities and precision, and of course pencils and chalk for how delicate they are. I use Procreate on my iPad to create digital illustrations and artworks, and I love how easy it is to create and edit it.

With such a busy schedule, how do you relax and recharge?

There are two things that keep me focused and relaxed: I do less. On any given day, my goal is to do only three work-related things. It means that I choose the three most important things that will help me move forward that day. Everything else can wait. I put it on my calendar above my desk, and it propels me forward at super speed, even though it’s only three things a day.

I practice meditation. It’s more a way of being than a way of doing. I just sit down and breathe for a couple minutes throughout the day. It helps me get in the right state of mind: focused, yet relaxed. It creates a certain openness and flow, which boosts my creativity and productivity. I also feel that it makes me a better parent, spouse and friend.

Do you have any projects or new Empowered Artists features you could share?

One of the newest features in the community, is the ability to go live within the community platform, which means that we do Live Q&As without having to zoom. I am also slowly opening myself up to one-on-one Mentorships.

What is one piece of advice you would like to give to those looking to expand their artistic practice?

The best advice I can give is to get crystal clear on what you want and take advantage of every opportunity that gets you closer to your vision.

[Editor’s note: For More information https://www.empoweredartists.co/]

-Z.G. Burnett