Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Baker.
Hi Chelsea, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Chelsea Baker, I’m from Sacramento California, and my business is called Enlightened Art Studios. I am an artist, and a musician. I paint and play bass guitar.
I started playing bass guitar when I was in high school, started an all-chick rock band with my besties from school. I’ve been playing a total of 24 years now, went on numerous tours like Warped Tour, SXSW (South by Southwest in Austin Texas) Caravan to Cabo (Tour through Mexico) and self-booked tours across the western states. Been in numerous bands. Learned very different genres of music, from hard rock, blues, jazz, reggae, low-fi, all the way to country/americana. I have my own recording studio. I help produce my music when I can. I’ve also recorded solo artists in the past, I’ve recorded music in multiple professional studios throughout California, like Sacramento (Fat Cat Studios) Malibu (Morning View Studios) and numerous studios in Hollywood.
I’ve been sketching since I was a kid and then stopped after high school art classes were done. I wasn’t able to go to art school after high school, as I went full throttle into my music passion. When I took a little break with music in 2012, I found my hidden talent with painting. Shading with color is an entirely different game than with graphite pencils! But I fell in love with creating through colors. When I moved down to San Diego, I was able to learn more and more from some incredible local artists like Jimmy Ovadia (Well-known Live Painter, and Album Artist for Matis Yahu) He taught me different techniques like how to make stencils, paint live, and use spray paint. I also did Album Artwork, and jewelry for my San Diego blues rock band at the time “Broken Stems”
I didn’t start taking it seriously until I moved back to Sacramento in 2017. I took another break in music and started focusing on drawing out tattoo ideas for friends/clients, and I did my first mural for a brewery. I started realizing that I could actually make some money, and get myself out there artistically, so I started participating in local art shows around Sacramento area, met the mayor of Rancho Cordova and hung my art up next to some well-known local artists in the area. Things were going smoothly, I was attending more local art shows, working as a production assistant at big name art events like “RAW artists” and even started teaching paint classes, I actually invested in all of my own materials for doing my own paint/sip classes!
Then… Boom 2020 happened… Covid, lock down, canceled art shows, no more art classes… I basically lost all of my jobs including my bartending job… I was so upset that the art show I had created multiple paintings for was canceled, so I decided to start an online live feed art show, where I painted and sold my art on Facebook and Instagram. I rigged my phone and laptop to do the live feed in my living room at the same time so I could use multiple platforms to reach my community. And wow, it went off with a hit! I was able to send my art in the mail to people and pay my bills during that rough time. I even did virtual paint/sip nights! I also started getting requests to paint clients’ pets, and that was such a success! I had a client pet portrait request list for a total of 2 1/2 years, I was constantly working and making money to pay my bills for almost 3 whole years. Truly a blessing through some very difficult times. During this time, I was also showing my art and live painting at events in downtown Sacramento for almost 2 years, painting multiple murals in Sacramento, and during that time discovered my love for making jewelry.
I recently moved up to Portland Oregon about 3 years ago and was able to dive into the local art and music scene here. I started at a location in Beaverton Oregon, where I was showing my art at Fallbrook Art Gallery and doing my paint and sip classes. Today, I have taken a small break in my music to be a painting instructor with the company “Paint Nite Portland” I also participate in the “Pancakes and Booze” art shows at Hawthorne Theater in Portland OR twice a year.
I appreciate being a part of the local art community and I just love it up here so much! Please check out my art page on Instagram @chelsbake11
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Am I happy as an artist/creative? It really depends on the day, month, year. It’s quite funny to think about. A life of an artist has its ups and downs, the good the bad and the ugly! Majority of artists tend to have a softer, deeper, and darker side when it comes to emotions. And the creativity feeds off of that, that is how artists find their inspiration! Point being some days are tougher than others. I could be high as a kite on the opening night of my big art show, or my big musical debut at House of Blues with my band. The next moment, I could be super low because I didn’t sell one art piece that night, or I messed up and let my band down during our big performance…
Some days I ponder why I decided to be an entrepreneur, and ask myself still to this day, is it worth it? Will I be able to retire? Will I be able to sell my art for more than a few hundred dollars? Will I be able to make enough to stop struggling just to pay the bills? It could drive a person mad! Then I remember, whenever I was put in that situation to make a choice, I always chose art and music, no hesitation.
I can’t get those butterflies in my stomach from having a regular job. I can’t get that body high right before we play on stage from sitting at a desk. I can’t get that overwhelming sense of entrepreneurial accomplishment and feeling of success from making money for others at a big corporation job. That natural high in my mind body and soul from creating art, playing music, and being able to share with others is something I am so grateful to have… Even through the dark days, I always manage to find a way and get back to what I am passionate about. Even when I choose to leave art or music behind and take a break… It always manages to come right back into my life. I could turn a blind eye and go on with my life, rejecting the signs that brought art back into my life, but I believe that these signs in life happen for a reason. My words of meditation about this particular subject are… “When you find your calling in this world, it’s hard to turn your back on it… Don’t kick yourself when your older for not being curious enough to discover what it is you love in this world… Life is too short, choose passion.”
Maybe I’m not making a ton of money, maybe I’m not living in a big house… But that’s ok, I am ok. I would love to buy a house one day, when the time is right My life lesson is patience and be grateful for today.
Maybe I’m living on hope, and maybe I believe in manifesting my own future… And I’m ok with knowing that some days will be harder than others. I’m happy on this rollercoaster, despite going against the norm in society.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am an artist. I create art through painting and music. I am known for painting realism/portraits I take commission requests through email 1111chelsbake@gmail.com or Instagram @chelsbake11. In music, I am known for playing bass guitar over the last 20 years in the following bands: “Boy Indigo” “The Broken Stems” and “Aroarah”. I am most proud of all the visual art, musical experiences, and adventures this passion of mine has brought to me in my 39 years of my life. The memories, and experiences will last forever and I will never forget. I love sharing my stories and my art to my family and peers.
I still have a lot of work to do; it’s really a lifelong journey. My strength and passion and turning my previous failures into accomplishments, are what sets me apart from others. It’s very tough to embrace change, and to keep going even after failure.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Growing up, I was always the “black sheep” in everything I did. I remember my mom would always call me “Stop and smell the roses Chelsea” or “Hurricane Chelsea” I would always wonder off and go on my own adventure or cause absolute chaos in everything I did. I always needed some sort of creative, and imaginative outlet. As a child I would always be caught dancing around my coffee table dressed up in my Halloween costumes while my dad played his organ, or just listening to his records. My older brother and I would always turn on the video camera and record funny music videos with our friends, play video games, or lay down on the floor and draw for hours. I started playing music when I was 12 years old, I actually played the saxophone for a couple years. My dad and I would play duets together, he would play the keyboard, and I would play the saxophone. I was a pretty happy and curious child.
When I grew into my teenage years, a lot of things changed in my life and they were tough. I lost a lot of my happiness and curiosity when I had to turn on my survival mode during these hard times. That was the biggest test in my young life, I chose to go back to music and found happiness again through the art of playing and performing. It brought me so much happiness, and success through my young adult life. It was the one thing that saved me from what could have been a dark time. My passion for music and art was the bright light in my life, and I will always remember and keep my passion close to me, it literally saved me.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @chelsbake11
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chelseabakerEAS
