Meet Marisa Weyeneth | Artist & Mom

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

Hi Marisa, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The business side of things came a bit by accident! I started making artwork for people because I have always had a passion for art, and truly enjoy creating things. Friends and family started showing interest in purchasing my pieces, and I was inspired and excited by that.

Having just had our second child, I was loving motherhood, but also craving some me time. Creating pieces for people filled that void and also provided some extra spending money. As time went on, I saw the demand for custom artwork, and decided to explore that further. Getting to create while bringing people joy felt amazing, and getting compensated for it was an added bonus!

With encouragement from loved ones, I decided to start lil & e (named after my children). At the time it was my side hustle, as I was an educator for my full time job. I worked very hard for three years balancing motherhood, my career, and my small business, trying to get a feel for where it could take me. It was clear as time went on, as opportunities with my art came up, and as my client base grew, that making art for people was my passion.

With the support of my husband and family, and after years of building up my business, we decided to take the leap and go all in! I left education, and am now a fulltime artist. Feeling the joy it brings me and my customers and seeing the flexibility it allows for our family, it’s clear that this is what I am meant to do right now.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I aim to spread joy and positivity with my art – I hope that is it uplifting and encouraging to those around me. I try to accomplish that with the colors and composition of pieces I make, and the heart behind it.

I first started offering custom artwork, where people could commission me to create whatever they had dreamt up! Some of these things include family portraits, home portraits, pet portraits, nursery art, the options were endless!

Over time, I felt like I needed more of a balance of commissions and creating art that felt inspiring to me. I really enjoyed painting pieces specifically for clients, but also needed to set aside time to create for enjoyment purposes. Creating pieces for people was very time consuming, and time was something I didn’t have. I overdid it and started to become a bit burnt out. I invested in a professional scanner and decided to paint and sell what I wanted to create in addition to the custom work I offered. I started creating and releasing different collections, centered around things that inspired me.

This balance of custom work and selling my artwork felt great, and I have continued with that model! At first, the print side of my business was slow, I was known for my custom work and that is what people wanted. But over time, that changed. I started showing more of my personality and the process of painting on social media, and people started feeling a greater connection to me, as I did to them.

People following along with my journey were more invested in what I was creating, and felt the emotions that went with each collection, each piece – and that is what art is all about. It was so rewarding. I put more energy into that and into my Etsy, and the print side of my business grew.

Figuring out what works and what doesn’t work is ongoing, but I am happy with where I am currently at with the balance of my business! Getting to create watercolor pieces specifically for people but also getting to create what I want is wonderful. Trial and error is always a challenge, but it is necessary to grow and to find yourself in what you are doing!

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?
Oooo such a fun thing to think about! I love and appreciate our local coffee shops so much, and frequent them once (sometimes twice, oops!) a day – so that would definitely be in the itinerary! Then we would get pedicures because that is always wonderful and relaxing, and a great time to talk! I love making things, so we would go paint pottery or make candles at the spots downtown, then walk around and people watch – always entertaining. Shopping is a must – I’m always on the hunt for something cozy and comfy. We have some amazing restaurants around – so we would have to grab pizza or burgers with a perfect margarita to end our day! Ok…I’m ready to go do all this right now! 🙂

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My friends and family have had a huge part in my confidence to start my own business. They saw my excitement about creating, and encouraged me to see where that could go! They have been along with me every step of the way, and I appreciate that so much!

We also have an amazing group of small business owners here in Central, Illinois. They were not only incredible role models, but also very supportive of my journey. So many of them offered help and assistance and opportunities to get my name out there to grow. I can honestly say without the help and support of those small business friends, I would not be where I am today with lil & e!

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/LilandEWatercolors

Instagram: @lil.and.e

Facebook: Lil & E

Image Credits
Rachel Gierich Kylie Law Photography