Check Out Carrie Richardson’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Carrie Richardson.

Hi Carrie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a scientist, an artist, and a lawyer. I’ve been around art and creativity my whole life — my mom was an artist and jewelry maker, my Granny was a wonderful sewist, my step-dad was a musician, and my father had a pretty serious photography hobby. I haven’t taken a formal art class since middle school, but I’ve always intentionally surrounded myself with color, and I’ve spend a good bit of my life being the “official artist/letterer” for whatever I was involved in (high school pep-rally sign making, college sorority banner design, creating logo designs for organizations, etc.) I never intended to turn it into a business, but in 2013 I attended the annual holiday party with my girlfriends and didn’t want to spend money on a gift, so I brought a bottle of wine I already had, tweaked a design I’d already created for my home, printed it and went on my merry way. My gift was the first “frozen,” four people asked if they could buy a copy, and another asked if I could do custom designs. That’s when CR2F officially began!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I mean, everyone has their missteps. I’ve definitely gotten all pumped up about a new series or a collaboration and had it flop. I’d say the biggest challenge was really about having the confidence to say what I was doing and call it more than a hobby. My best friend Jennifer and I both had two jobs, both completely unrelated to one another, and we finally made a pact to not just say our more “typical” positions when asked what we do but also add the more unusual one. Getting in the habit of saying “I’m a Chemical Engineer and an artist” really changed things for me!

I’ve also been very fortunate – I’ve been presented with lots of positive opportunities for growth. When West Elm started their now-retired West Elm Local program here in NC, I was one of the first artists to come on board. I ended up being their #1 seller in North Carolina, which was a HUGE confidence boost! And, at times when I found myself on bumpier parts of this small-business-owning-ride, personally or professionally, I knew I could count on my friends for support. They’ve helped me pack orders, run two markets at once, provided ideas and feedback (and inspiration and encouragement!) and even just casually loitered in a store while I was letting the shop owner know that a local shirt printer was selling my shirt designs without permission — because if things got weird, or I needed validation about how the conversation went, I had someone who saw what went down. So yeah, I’ve had bumps, but overall even the bad moments were balanced out by giant positives.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m known for my lettering and my watercolor/gouache paintings. I have a lot of city-centric designs, and locals here in NC are familiar with my Durham designs, especially! I think what sets me apart is my use of color and the way I approach creating new designs. My combo of engineering brain and artists skillset makes me a different flavor of creative! My clients tell me that my work is cheerful and uplifting, that my color choices really speak to them, and that they love my personal art style!

What makes you happy?
I hope a list is okay! 🙂 My kiddos and my husband. Dog cuddles and cat purrs. Full-belly laughter. The color yellow. And green. And orange. Well really the whole spectrum! I love puffy clouds and sunshine and variegated colors and every sort of flower. Baking, textile arts, and bead-making all bring me joy – I like to describe myself as artsy-craftsy. Kindness and thoughtfulness and really good hugs make me happy, too. And of course — art. If a day involves sunshine, giggles, hugs, creativity and yummy food, it’s basically my ideal day.

Contact Info:

• Email: carrie@cr2f.com
• Website: www.cr2f.com & www.cr2f.etsy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cr2f/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/art.by.cr2f

Image Credits
Photos w/ white table & me laughing – Nicole Faby Photography all other photos – copyright me!