I am so excited to tell my story
Hi,
My name is Crystin and I am a furniture artist. I have been painting furniture for about 4 years. I didn’t go to art school or anything fancy like that but I’ve always been a creative person drawn to artistic endeavors. When I began painting furniture, it was out of necessity in order to furnish our home on a budget but with a cohesive style. I thrifted the furniture that we needed and painted it to match. Back then everything was farmhouse and white so that’s what I painted. I would paint it white and use dark wax to age it and distress it to give it that shabby chic vibe. As I grew bored of white, I started selling the furniture I had painted to create new styles for our home. I began dabbling with color and never turned back. There is something so satisfying in seeing what you create being enjoyed by others. I didn’t realize how furniture would become my canvas to express how I feel and the way I see the world.
I love anything vintage or antique. I’m the total opposite of a minimalist. I love bold, eclectic, ornate, colorful, romantic, dramatic, and anything that draws emotions. I don’t like sterile designs or materials like metal which is just cold and empty to me. I’m a poet at heart so what I love to create always has an intention and meaning deeper than what you see on the surface. I draw inspiration from all sorts of things like textiles, cultures, literature, photos, art, and so much more. I’m more of a hands-on learner so I love just diving into techniques and discovering what I can create using various products.
Everything I do is self-taught. I don’t like following what the status quo is based on other people’s opinions. I’d rather form my own based on my own experience. Often I’ve discovered that what others say doesn’t work, actually does. You never know unless you try it is one of my mantras. I like out-of-the-box thinking. I love creating as many alternatives to ways of doing something as possible. I love having options. I love not knowing the outcome until the last minute and getting that wonderful surprise from the unexpected. I dabble in a lot of things besides furniture like gardening, cooking, baking, calligraphy, writing, poetry, and whatever gives me a sense of adventure at the moment.
I have two children aged 2 and 4. I also have 2 fur babies. My husband is my anchor and rock. Without him, I wouldn’t be able to run my own business and create the furniture that I do. It takes a team to do this and as time goes on, my team keeps growing. I am blessed to have found what gives meaning in my life and be able to do it every day. I know not everyone gets this opportunity so I never take it for granted. I’m very driven and there is no challenge I won’t take on. I am a solution kind of person so if something is hindering me, I find ways to get around it and try to share my successes with others so they can find it too. I believe in supporting the furniture community and making it a thriving world by helping my peers and mentoring beginners in pointing them in the right direction.
I also help others sell furniture that reflects their time, commitment, quality, and skill. I hate seeing others undervalue their worth. You can join my Furniture Sellers Group to find more information. I believe that hard work and perseverance can overcome anything. I can be a workaholic but I’m striving to find that balance between family, self-care, and work. I have many goals, a bucket list a mile long, and a ton of dreams that drive me every day to become a better person, a better friend, a better teacher, a better mother, a better role model in order to contribute positivity to the world. Others remember you for what you’ve done, not what you say. I try to choose the path of integrity and honesty always which means I share all the ups and downs, highs and lows in my life. I’m not your glamorous IG influencer sharing my perfect life, perfect photos, perfect home, or any of those images society compels us to show others so they can dream about having a perfect life. Life is messy. Life is sad. Life is joyful. Life is challenging. Life is love.
I’m multifaceted like all of you are and sometimes I create something moody and dark, other times light and feminine, gritty and raw, or whimsical and fun. It just depends on my mood and what is happening in my heart. I love diversity and seeing all the different styles out there. It takes courage to share yourself publicly in any way whether it’s with art or words. I hope to never stop inspiring, teaching, sharing, and being candid. Furniture has taught me so much about who I am and who I want to be. It has been the biggest blessing in my life and I wonder where I would be if I had never picked up that brush, found that cheap coffee table found my own community, and taken risks. You can live your passion. It’s not easy, it’s not rainbows and butterflies, you fall often but pick yourself back up, and just keep moving forward. Never be complacent. Have an open mind, don’t be afraid of change and you’ll be surprised where life takes you in a few years.
My Artistic Philosophy
Experimentation
I believe that experimentation is crucial to growth. My style is constantly evolving over time as I use different products and mediums. I love learning and am constantly coming up with innovative ideas that are original and creative. Furniture is my canvas of self expression. Anything is possible but you’ll never know unless you try.
Art is Therapy
Having a sense of purpose and something to look forward to is important. Art is therapy and I have heard from many that finding furniture painting has saved their lives. It has definitely saved mine. I suffer from depression and painting furniture gives me an outlet to express how I feel in a healthy way. It helps me process my thoughts and emotions so that I can share them with others. Whether you’ve never been artistic or have been creative your whole life, anyone can enjoy creating. It’s so fulfilling seeing the transformation that you produced. It’s something you created and others can see it and enjoy it. Anyone can learn how to transform a dull piece of furniture into something unique and one of a kind.
