Exploring Life & Business with Monica Linares of Painting Miles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Linares.

Hi Monica, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am originally from Venezuela and moved to the US in 1999 with a husband, a degree in advertising and many dreams. After learning English, I worked in advertising (in the creative department) but always with a big interest in art. When my kids were born, I started taking some painting classes (I did a lot while the kids napped or at night after leaving them ready for bed).

One day my painting instructor showed me the work of an artist she thought I might like. I contacted the artist to tell her that I loved her work and that I would love to learn from her someday. To my surprise, she kindly answered my email, telling me that if I organized everything, she could come to Apex (where I live, 20 minutes from Raleigh) to teach a painting workshop for a group of artists! I was in shock! In a super happy way. So, with the help of my teacher, I was able to bring the wonderful Carol Marine to town, and I (and the rest of the group) spent the most three wonderful days (twice! because the class filled up so quickly that we had to open two workshops in a row) painting, learning, having meals together, walking around town after class and having the most interesting conversations.

That weekend I decided what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to offer this experience to other artists wanting to learn from well-known instructors! I realized that when we surround ourselves with people that have similar goals, something clicks. We find community. For a few days (far from every other responsibility) we get into a great flow and are able, with more ease, to see and feel what we really want from life.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It has not been smooth, but I have met the most incredible and kind people on this rocky road. The biggest struggle is to find the right space for hosting a multi-day workshop. A space that has all we need to make it a smooth experience, a space that can fit about 17 people and all the painting equipment we need during workshops. I like organization and am a bit of a perfectionist… I want everybody to have the best experience. So a good space is key. I have jumped through three spaces already. The first one was my friend’s studio; the second was a wonderful art gallery that closed its doors after five years; the third one was an incredible space that changed its business model, so the big studio I rented wasn’t available anymore. I am now almost ready to jump into a fourth space.

My dream is to have my own space, but finding one that’s affordable, well located, and with all I want and need might require more time (and funding!). But I always say things happen for a reason, and where I am right now is where I need to be.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your art? What are you known for and most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
I actually run two businesses. One is Painting Miles, where I bring well-known artists and instructors from around the world to teach multi-day painting or art-related workshops in Raleigh, NC; the second one is Monica Linares Art, where I focus on selling and promoting my own work and the classes I teach.

I am the founder and CEO of Painting Miles. I offer opportunities for artists to grow or keep growing as artists. I do this by bringing highly recognized painting instructors from United States or abroad to teach multi-day workshops. I also offer classes related to the business side of art, how to sell your artwork online, or how to build the habit of daily painting, which will undoubtedly make us better at what we do…painting! Here is where my two worlds collide, I’ll explain next.

I am also an artist myself. I’ve been painting for over 20 years now… and of course, I keep learning from all these amazing instructors that come to town! One day I realized that even after many years of taking classes, my work wasn’t getting better, and I saw and heard many workshop students having the same issue- they were taking workshop after workshop but didn’t see their work grow or evolve. That was when I realized that we were missing something: how to put into daily practice all we learned during these 3 or 4 days we spent together learning from a master. We needed guidance with how to make painting a priority and not just using our brushes when we took a class. We needed somebody to tell us how to form the habit of painting every day. Like with any profession or activity, the more you do it the better you get at it. And even though we knew it, we didn’t know how to put this idea into practice! And that’s when a big Aha! Moment happened for me. I decided to study habit formation and then apply it to painting, not to what we paint or what happens on the canvas, but to make space in our calendar for painting and actually make it happen (every or most days). It worked- like with any habit we want to form. And of course, I wanted to share that! That’s how my class The Happy Habit of Daily (or most days) Painting came to life.

As an artist, I am mostly known for my 6×6″ floral paintings (but I also paint larger and other subjects too). It all started when I started selling 6×6″ florals at the North Carolina Museum of Art store during their Art in Bloom events, where they invite florists to create a floral arrangement inspired by a piece of art in the museum. Many people go to these events, so they started connecting me with my with florals.

So, other than painting most days, what else do I do in my businesses? Most of it! From contacting the artists/instructors that I bring to town to writing their contracts, promoting our offerings, writing our newsletter, maintaining the website, registering students, having all that’s required for each workshop, communicating with the students prior workshops, taking the instructors for dinner, etc.! I also have an amazing right hand, Luisana. She brings me so much peace! Just knowing that someone else will be there on workshop days, making sure everything is where it needs to be is a life changer. At some point, I had a wonderful social media manager because I believe that knowing all the how to’s of that virtual and always-changing world is an art by itself. She taught me a lot and now I manage our social media too.

My goal is to offer our participants high-quality education in a place that makes them feel part of a community, a community that is there for them, even if it is just during 3 or 4 days. I want to share what I felt during the first workshop I coordinated: that feeling of being at peace because we are aligned with what we really want and surrounded by like-minded people- artists, from beginners to advanced, wanting to grow.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
For artists, my advice would be to trust yourself, to look out for masters, instructors, teachers that inspire them and learn from them. Also to paint as frequently as possible (daily would be best! even for 5 minutes a day… and yes, it is possible.)

For entrepreneurs wanting to create their own business, stop planning and start doing. I know we need some basic direction of where we want to go, but after that, start doing. Do you need a financial advisor? Look for a good one and do as he/she recommends. Do you need a website? Build one! Or hire somebody to do it for you. Do you need a space for your business? Start looking now. And always have somebody you really trust, somebody that pulls you up (not down) close by. Somebody that knows how to listen and how to help. This will make the trip a lot more enjoyable. And the next advice is for both. We thrive when belonging to a community, so look for one! Find a community you feel aligned with.

Pricing:

• The Happy Habit of Daily (or most days) Painting: $200

Contact Info:

• Email: monica@paintingmiles.com and monica@monicalinares.com
• Website: https://www.paintingmiles.com/, https://www.monicalinares.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paintingmiles/ and https://www.instagram.com/monicalinaresart/

Image Credits
People in the photos: Painting Miles students and instructors (most black and white photos). Happy Habit Students (where there are just 3 people on photo) All images by Monica Linares.