This month's How We Feast feature is feeling a little extra special because as fate would have it, while this feature was already long in the works, I got to meet Valerie @valeriemckeehan in person over 4th of July weekend. Valerie and her sweet family happened to be in Franklin, TN the same day I was doing a pop up shop at my favorite local bakery. We don't often get to meet our Instagram friends in real life but when things are so divinely orchestrated like this, you know they were meant to be!
I met Valerie a few years ago through Instagram and am endlessly inspired by her creativity, artistic talent and the fact that she is the founder of an international brand. Have I mentioned that she does all of this while being the mother of two little girls? She is not only passionate about creating but about sharing the creative journey with others. The whole journey. The good, the best, the bad & the ugly which is so refreshing in a flawlessly filtered world. I am beyond impressed with all she does but before I spoil too much, I'll let Valerie tell you her story:
For as long as I can remember, all I’ve wanted to do is create art. This creative journey led me to discover the magical medium of soft pastel and landscape painting during the global pandemic. I was smitten. I have a soft spot for lavender everything, back country roads, vintage china, David Austin roses, and getting my hands dirty in the garden as much as in soft pastel dust.
Over the past ten years, I’ve built my professional art career as the Founder and Artist behind the international brand Lily & Val. I’ve had the privilege of being featured throughout the press including Better Homes & Gardens, Martha Stewart Living, Good Housekeeping, Food Network, and Good Morning America with corporate clients such as TLC, Starbucks, Macy’s, Anthropologie, and Flow Magazine.
When I’m not in my studio, I live a creative life with my two daughters and husband in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Will you share with me your journey into entrepreneurship & how you came to be where you are today?
I have been an entrepreneur for over 15 years, which is hard to believe. After college, I started working in advertising for a radio station where I ended up meeting my husband! Together, he and I opened a marketing agency and left our jobs at the station (oh to be young, optimistic, and unafraid)! Social media for business was just becoming a thing and we sort of fell into focusing on that. We were young newlyweds and the business was quite stressful for us. I absolutely loved the creative outlet I had while planning our wedding and I was seeking another. After dabbling in quite a few art projects, one day I decided to make a chalkboard, which I hand-lettered and hung in our kitchen. My husband posted a photo of my sign to Facebook and after hearing such encouragement, I opened an Etsy store, named Lily & Val, selling my hand-painted chalkboards. What was meant to be a hobby, exploded beyond what I could have imagined! It led to writing a book, licensing my artwork across the globe, and manufacturing products that appeared in thousands of brick-and-mortar stores. I quickly left our agency to focus on this new business and my husband wasn't far behind!
As the business grew, I experienced many ups and downs, failures and successes, and personal growth. Being alive means we change! In 2020, during the global pandemic, I felt another urge for a new form of creativity. I felt burnt out and creatively zapped from the pressure of my business. Because of my background in chalk art, my mother-in-law suggested I might enjoy soft pastels. She was right! I was instantly smitten with their pure, vibrant pigments and tactile nature. I discovered painting landscapes and it felt like a piece of my heart that I didn't even know was missing, was suddenly found. Since then, I've been on a new path of creating fine art and courses from a place that feels authentically me. I have found so much joy in this!
Did you have any formal training or education in the areas that encompass your business or are you self taught?
My background is in marketing, which is the only formal training I have! The rest is all self-taught. I've dabbled in artistic endeavors my whole life.
You seem to be very focused on the creative journey and sharing all facets of that with others. I also admire the way you seem to continually evolve. What does your own creative process look like and how does that contribute to your self evolution?
I appreciate that! I think social media can portray a version of creativity that isn't true to the actual process. We see the end result, the polished version, but don't often see the messy middle and what it's like to evolve and try new things. It's far from polished! When Lily & Val came into the mainstream, mass retail world something shifted for me. It stopped being this sweet creation from my heart and became pressure-filled. I had many voices from buyers and manufacturers to publishers and agents telling me what kind of art I should be creating with such a heavy focus on trends. I slowly lost myself. I struggled with feelings of fear, overwhelm, and burnout. I had to regroup and tap back into my own sense of creative self. Today my creative process looks and feels a lot differently. I give myself much more grace and allow myself to explore. I used to think "who has time to explore creatively?" I had so many deadlines piling up! But I realized it's in the exploring and the seemingly "wasted time" where the magic lies! It had to take truly slowing down and sitting in some uncomfortable realities to make me realize there was another way to have a creative business and it could be true to me and my personality. My self-evolution continues from a place of that authenticity. I felt the contrast firsthand between being misaligned versus being in the flow and that helps guide me through my decisions.
You recently started a podcast called "Dear Creative Soul" (which I adore!). With so much heart clearly visible in all you do, what was the heart behind this?
"Dear Creative Soul" is a love letter. It's a verbal letter of encouragement to my fellow creatives- the ones who are on this journey of putting their heart and soul into the world. It takes such courage! The creative's path can be romanticized, but the internal hurdles of perfectionism, fear, comparison, failure, and the like are obstacles we must face and overcome! I believe the task of putting beauty into this world is not one of frivolity but of necessity! We need beauty. We live for beauty! If I can help fellow creatives to see their importance and the unique stamp they have to offer the world, and as a result, there is more beauty coming into the world, then I have succeeded. The older I get, the more I realize this is my purpose.
What is your favorite way to feast?
My absolute favorite days are Saturdays, especially in the Summer. We go to the farmers market in the morning and choose the ingredients for that evening's meal. My husband is the true chef of the family and he always prepares something creative and delicious! For me, I like to stick to the more aesthetic side of the dinner preparing salads and, of course, setting the table. Saturdays are our night for beautiful dishes, candles, and the works! The day is truly dedicated to this moment when we can all sit down and feast together.
all photos courtesy of @valeriemckeehan