Meet Colleen Williamson | Artist & Creative Consultant

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

Hi Colleen, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I wanted to create a life for myself that allowed me to be my own boss, make my own schedule, delve into my creative passions while still being able to spend time with my family. Life is precious and I didn’t want to look back and see all the years I wasted working towards someone else’s dream and working on someone else’s schedule.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started Kisco Print Shop in 2014. My self-made brand include art prints and patterns that are bright, vibrant and modern. I never received formal training in the art world, so I forged my own path in combining colors, patterns and shapes to create unique pieces of art. My background also includes the creation of my own clothing label that was inspired by my time spent at a frenetic New York City showroom that housed accessory labels such as Kate Spade, Me+Ro and Slane & Slane. The path to success is never easy, but that is where we learn and grow. I’ve learned a lot along the way! I’ve learned that it’s important to make contacts and network, network, network! It’s exhausting, but in the end, will pay off. It takes a lot of time to create recognition around your art. It has helped me tremendously to partner with companies who have a larger marketing budget and network than I do. One of my most successful partnerships is with Minted. As a result of this partnership, sales and exposure of my work has increased exponentially. Today, some of my pieces hang in really cool places Cosmopolitan headquarters in New York City and projects by Emily Henderson. My art has also been featured in Domino Magazine, Redbook Magazine and Rue Magazine to name a few.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
As a former military brat who has moved over 18 times, it says a lot that I’ve been grounded in Denver, Colorado for the past 15 years! The following are some of my favorite spots in Colorado: 1. Red Rocks Amphitheater 2. Paonia, Colorado 3. Hanging Lake 4. Basalt, Colorado 5. Downtown Golden, Colorado 6. Amante Coffee in Boulder 7. Sushi Sasa & Sushi Den in Denver 8. Yurt Village at Snow Mountain Ranch 9. Salida, Colorado 10. Chautauqua Park in Boulder

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The success of a business doesn’t typically take place in a silo – I have been blessed to have a supportive family and a network of other entrepreneurs who have helped me throughout this process. My Dad and my husband are analytical and left-brained so they’ve helped me the operations side of the business while my Mom and sister are more on the creative, right-brain spectrum and they have been a guiding force with the creative development of my business. The HeyMama network of mother entrepreneurs has been an incredible think tank when it comes to any and all business questions and solutions. If I could recommend one thing, it would be to find a group of supportive and smart people to help guide you and your business. Success doesn’t happen in a silo!

Website: www.KiscoPrintShop.com

Instagram: @kiscoprintshop

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/colleenwilliamson

Image Credits
Gina Rachelle Gutierrez took the photo of the hearts. Colleen Williamson took the photo of the three prints.