Meet Linh Vo | Artist and Business Owner

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

Hi Linh, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Art has always been a big part of me growing up. From an early age, I was doodling on every single scrap of paper I could find around the house. I remember taking advantage of every recession in 5th grade trying to get all my homework done so I could spend the whole night drawing at home. At the time, I was creating my very first comic zine series, it was a spin off version of Sailor Moon. I released it every Tuesday evening, so my friends usually gathered around my desk for a teaser the Monday before.

As I grew older, I put my artistic and creative part aside and ventured into other fields to see what else I could do. It wasn’t until I took an elective drawing course in college and started drawing again for the first time in years that I quickly realized that nothing I did could compare to the joy I have when I finish an illustration or a painting. From that moment onward, I felt constantly pulled to create art that reflects my daily life and the world around me.

2020 came around and got me to open my business. I started small by selling just a few sticker designs and within half an hour of sharing my designs on Etsy, I had people buying them, like actual, real people buying my art and supporting me. That’s just so wild and quickly became my favorite thing in the world. Needless to say, being a full-time artist and a business owner is an absolute dream come true for me. I’m so glad I took the risk to open my business because it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I own a product based online business called Fittonia Co. I’m known for creating plant and nature inspired art that is fun, colorful, and relatable. Most of my art is illustrations I create digitally on my iPad and turn into stickers, art prints, magnets, keychains, etc. I create, market, photograph, pack, and ship every item on my website. I also wholesale my products to many plant nurseries, retail shops, and boutiques across the U.S.
If you’re wondering about the name Fittonia, it is a type of plant. It was the very first plant I bought during quarantine and was the plant that inspired my whole plant-inspired collection.

What are the challenges you face as an artist and entrepreneur and how do you overcome it?
Most people dream of working for themselves and owning their own business, myself included, but it has its ups and downs. The most difficult challenge I have that I think not a lot of people talk about is how isolating working for yourself could be. Having never had an actual 9-5 job, I underestimated how social connection with others could affect my mental health and how easy it is not having anyone to bounce ideas off could send me down the rabbit hole of self doubts.

I started making small changes to my daily life. I make a habit of getting out of the house every morning and working at coffee shops or outside in the park. I take frequent breaks to walk around and be in nature. I find that scenery change increases my mood and my creativity. In addition, I make use of my social media platforms where I interact with people and other creators. This all sounds really simple but I’m a big believer that making small adjustments can and will lead to big changes.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Currently, I’m living in the suburbs not too far from Minneapolis, MN. I’m a big big fan of coffee and brunch, so I’m for sure going to spend every day of the week hitting all the brunch and coffee spots around the Twin Cities. After that, I’d love to go to local thrift stores, plant stores, local markets, etc. to browse around. I spend most of my week working on screen so I would love to get some hands on experience, signing up for some pottery classes would definitely be on the itinerary. I’ve recently been into rock climbing so I would spend some time doing that. Walking around the lakes or having a picnic day around the lake in the summer would also be a must.

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?
Given how much time I spent drawing as a kid, it’s no brainer that my family and friends are my biggest supporters in my journey to become a full time artist and entrepreneur. It was surprising for them that I didn’t start earlier. Since I opened my business, they have always been supportive and constantly come up with ways to advertise and bring more people to shop. I’m extremely grateful to have them in my life.

One of my top favorite moments was when my non-English speaking mom made me write out sentences and how to pronounce every single word so she could tell her clients and people at her work what I did. Even though, at the time, my business was not at all where I wanted it to be, I could see how proud my mom was of me. That was the moment I knew I made it.

Website: http://fittonia.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fittonia.co/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fittonia.co

Image Credits
Most of the photos were taken by my friend James Wolf, who is a photographer currently based in Nashville, TN.