Meet Elaine Callahan | Artist, Graphic Designer & Soul-Led Business Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Elaine Callahan and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Elaine, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always been creative since I can remember. However, I haven’t always fully embraced the value of the creative path even though I have been a graphic designer my entire career.

Like many creatives, I grew up with mixed messages about the creative path. I internalized those messages, causing self-doubt and confusion about the value of something that was very natural for me.

I painted on and off for years, was in many juried shows, and even won awards. Yet kept my fine art relatively private until I finally got the courage to start sharing it publicly over 10 years ago.

Evolution: true in life as it is in art.

Years ago I wanted to create abstracts but found my heart wasn’t connected to them. I was so discouraged I almost stopped painting for good.

Then one summer I bought these beautiful yellow, purple, and green beans from a local farmers market. They were so fresh having just been picked, they glistened from the morning heat.

I went home and took photos of the beans. Deep within me a voice whispered, “this, paint this.” However, it took to being diagnosed as celiac in 2007 and my relationship with fresh fruits and vegetables changed to be open to painting “this.” I now saw healthy food in a whole new light that I hadn’t before. The bean painting, called Summer Harvest, was the first painting of my food art series. It received several awards in art shows.

The food paintings were abstract and graphic in composition yet realistic in execution. My intention was to express the beauty and spirit of the food as works of art. The light within them exists within all things. I would always say I paint the light, yet what people most remarked on were the shadows. While it was about the light, there would be no light without the shadows. True in life as it is in art.

Then life took a detour. I’ve always been intuitive although that wasn’t something I embraced either until I followed my intuition, and nudges from the Universe, to save a client’s employee from drowning in their private lake in the middle of nowhere and nearly drowned helping him. (I share this story @ https://trueyoubrandalchemy.com/lake/.)

I realized that what it took to survive and help another were all the qualities I had previously disowned about myself. Those qualities of intuition, courage, faith, and a deeper inner strength in my heart were actually my superpowers. It was time to fully own and embrace them.

That experience changed the course of my life, and my fine art, eventually.

Today my art is coming full circle. Currently it is a combo of intuitive creative abstract painting, with inspired intentions in them, and using the heart as a sacred symbol for what I call Heart Art Expressions.

This art is my response to the current energy in the world. It’s what I want to contribute and experience in life. Because I’ve learned, what’s true in life is true in art.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In today’s world, creativity and intuition are important now more than ever. Thankfully I fully embrace the value and the magic of them both now.

My career and business have evolved to encompass a larger toolbox. Some of the tools I use are Scientific Hand Analysis, Human Design, and Gene Keys when I work with clients, in their personal lives, and professional ones. I am multifaceted and able to apply the same principles I use in graphic design and branding with helping someone understand how they are uniquely designed to experience life.

Being highly sensitive and intuitive of other people, allows me to get to the essence of a personal brand or a business brand, and give good guidance.

As a business owner for over 25 years, I’ve worked with businesses, large and small, to get to the heart of their offering and create branding and graphic design that makes them shine.

For over eight years, I’ve worked privately with individuals, to help clients rediscover and powerfully reclaim their soul’s true design so they can own their own brilliance, be truly seen, inside and out, and make the difference they desire as their True You.

I also have an out of the box way of helping teams in business discover how they can connect with heart.

My fine art has grown into an offering. This is something I always thought would be on the sidelines and ‘just a hobby.’

I believe we are all good design, beautiful works of art. Maybe covered up by our conditioning that doesn’t allow us to shine as we are meant to. My greatest joy is helping a client transform the true gold within them – their rich, untapped potential – and help shine more, in life and in business. That is true alchemy to me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I visited my friend Jessica in Erie, she would take me to the Little Herbal Apothecary in Lafayette. It is the cutest shop to buy teas and lotions. You can bring the glass jars back and refill them. They have cool gifts and workshops too. After that she’d take me to the 24 Carrot Bistro for delicious food (gluten free for me), and fun cocktails.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
A huge shoutout to all my clients throughout the years. You have given me the opportunity to joyfully serve you with my skillsets and have helped me grow tremendously. To all the teachers, coaches, and mentors who have helped me step into owning and embracing ALL of me. And my family and friends who cheered and supported me along the way. A big thank you to you all.

Website: trueyoubrandalchemy.com

Instagram: instagram.com/elaine.callahan

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/elainecallahan

Facebook: facebook.com/groups/trueyoubrandalchemy

Other: Other web site: elainecallahan.com All photos, branding, and artwork by Elaine Callahan/True You Brand Alchemy

Image Credits
Elaine Callahan/True You Brand Alchemy