Catherine Rains

Collage artist and painter, Catherine Rains, grew up believing she “didn’t have a creative bone in her body.” She didn’t begin making art until she was 33 and then only as a relief from the stress of a very demanding job. Now, two decades later, Catherine has built a strong online following, an extensive portfolio, and her work has been shown in galleries, art shows, and is in private collections around the country. This is the story of Catherine’s journey: from making art while working to becoming a full-time artist, to getting breast cancer, then divorced, returning back to work, and eventually becoming, once again, a full-time artist.

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I took a wild leap of faith with no portfolio. I knew what I needed to do to create a business out of it but I didn’t have a plan. I just jumped and did it.

I took a wild leap of faith with no portfolio. I knew what I needed to do to create a business out of it but I didn’t have a plan. I just jumped and did it.

Some things we talk about…

  • The 3 core things to focus on when building an art business
  • Her daily routine: how she made art every day while working full-time
  • The exact phrase Catherine used to manifest her dream job
  • Building up an art career while navigating breast cancer and divorce and
  • The most important strategy for making money when starting out

The process of creating a collage was very much a childlike process. It wasn’t forced. And it ended up really speaking to me, guiding me to the next small step I needed to take. Granted, it wasn’t to be an artist. It was just, “What do I need to do to heal my soul?”

“You are meant to be right here because that is where you are. You have lived your entire life to be right here. This moment is your destiny.”

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daphne cohn