creative highlight
from our community
CHERIE BURBACH
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Cherie Burbach has painted ever since she was a young child. Art was a safe place for her and a way to work through a turbulent childhood. Growing up in an alcoholic household made things unsteady and frightening, but drawing and writing poetry were how she worked through anything that made her sad or scared. Her story could have remained a cautionary tale, but instead it became a story of redemption. God lifted her from the pain and shame in living with an abusive, alcoholic parent and showed her hope and truth. While those sad years are long gone for Cherie, she continues to talk about her rocky start in life because she wants people to know there is a way out of it.
This desire to offer hope and encouragement is the intention behind her art. She paints with vibrant colors that offer a positive, hopeful message. Sometimes this is done with whimsical animals, girls, or flowers and other times it combines words and poetry. For Cherie, art is all about emotion.
Instagram: @cherieburbach
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CherieBurbach/
Website: https://www.cherieburbach.com/
This desire to offer hope and encouragement is the intention behind her art. She paints with vibrant colors that offer a positive, hopeful message. Sometimes this is done with whimsical animals, girls, or flowers and other times it combines words and poetry. For Cherie, art is all about emotion.
Instagram: @cherieburbach
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CherieBurbach/
Website: https://www.cherieburbach.com/
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Can you tell us about your introduction to art? How did you know you had a creative gift?
I started drawing and painting as a very small child and found comfort in it so I never stopped. I enjoyed creating my own little world through my art. I can remember teachers and others commenting positively on my art and saying I had a creative gift, but it really wasn’t something I thought about from an entrepreneurial standpoint until just a few years ago.
Did you ever think you’d be selling your art, or teaching art?
Nope! I was passionate about art always, but it was really just a hobby. I couldn’t envision my art being in people’s homes or in exhibits. I never thought I could sell it or conduct a class where I showed people how to do my kind of art, with messy layers and ephemera and a variety of pigments. It really was a dream I didn’t know I had until God made it possible.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have in explaining what you do to others who don’t find themselves in a creative background or field? Life family/friends/strangers?
There is a perception when you’re a working artist that you have loads of time to paint, and it’s hard to picture what a typical day might look like to those who aren’t in this line of work. But being an artist means you are running a small business, so the same challenges with managing time exist as when I worked in the corporate world. Luckily, I was used to squeezing in my painting time in between jobs and family and other obligations, because I still have to make time for it even though it’s my full-time gig.
I started drawing and painting as a very small child and found comfort in it so I never stopped. I enjoyed creating my own little world through my art. I can remember teachers and others commenting positively on my art and saying I had a creative gift, but it really wasn’t something I thought about from an entrepreneurial standpoint until just a few years ago.
Did you ever think you’d be selling your art, or teaching art?
Nope! I was passionate about art always, but it was really just a hobby. I couldn’t envision my art being in people’s homes or in exhibits. I never thought I could sell it or conduct a class where I showed people how to do my kind of art, with messy layers and ephemera and a variety of pigments. It really was a dream I didn’t know I had until God made it possible.
What are some of the biggest challenges you have in explaining what you do to others who don’t find themselves in a creative background or field? Life family/friends/strangers?
There is a perception when you’re a working artist that you have loads of time to paint, and it’s hard to picture what a typical day might look like to those who aren’t in this line of work. But being an artist means you are running a small business, so the same challenges with managing time exist as when I worked in the corporate world. Luckily, I was used to squeezing in my painting time in between jobs and family and other obligations, because I still have to make time for it even though it’s my full-time gig.
How do you encounter the Lord in your creativity?
Everything having to do with my creativity is the Lord’s doing, from the inspiration He gives me to the types of words and images I create to the way people respond. I feel like God gives us creativity as a gift for a variety of reasons and then He uses whatever we make for his purposes. It’s a blessing in each stage of the process, from thinking about what you want to paint to creating it to selling it.
He is calling me to make bridges from earth to heaven, like we all are, with my art and my words. I really hear him calling us closer and deeper into his heart, to really know him. He wants to reveal his heart to us. Give us new ideas and revelations. These are exciting times to be alive. While the world is getting darker, His light is shining brighter. The world needs us to shine bright in a bold and fearless way.
How do you juggle your business/family/social time?
I like to work in time blocks, where I’ll spend a certain amount of time scheduling a cluster of social media posts, then I’ll switch to a block of blog posts, contact stores about carrying my art, or then I’ll mark off studio time for a number of hours, etc. I find that I’m more productive when I sit down to answer email or social media a couple times a day rather than having it continually open, for instance.
I do the same thing with friends and family time. I make a point to keep in touch with how loved ones are doing and I look at it as a necessary part of my overall wellbeing. If I begin feeling stressed, I take time to pray about it and God usually directs me to where I need to shift focus.
Any encouraging words, words of wisdom from what you've learned to help other creatives on their journey to being abundant and thriving artists/creatives/makers?
The biggest advice I have is to remember that God gives each of us our own story, so never compare your career or art to someone else’s. Some stories unfold quickly and without too many detours, but if your creative journey is complicated and meandering, that just might be God’s plan! Pay attention to what He’s telling you so your art and writing can be as unique as the story He gave you.
Everything having to do with my creativity is the Lord’s doing, from the inspiration He gives me to the types of words and images I create to the way people respond. I feel like God gives us creativity as a gift for a variety of reasons and then He uses whatever we make for his purposes. It’s a blessing in each stage of the process, from thinking about what you want to paint to creating it to selling it.
He is calling me to make bridges from earth to heaven, like we all are, with my art and my words. I really hear him calling us closer and deeper into his heart, to really know him. He wants to reveal his heart to us. Give us new ideas and revelations. These are exciting times to be alive. While the world is getting darker, His light is shining brighter. The world needs us to shine bright in a bold and fearless way.
How do you juggle your business/family/social time?
I like to work in time blocks, where I’ll spend a certain amount of time scheduling a cluster of social media posts, then I’ll switch to a block of blog posts, contact stores about carrying my art, or then I’ll mark off studio time for a number of hours, etc. I find that I’m more productive when I sit down to answer email or social media a couple times a day rather than having it continually open, for instance.
I do the same thing with friends and family time. I make a point to keep in touch with how loved ones are doing and I look at it as a necessary part of my overall wellbeing. If I begin feeling stressed, I take time to pray about it and God usually directs me to where I need to shift focus.
Any encouraging words, words of wisdom from what you've learned to help other creatives on their journey to being abundant and thriving artists/creatives/makers?
The biggest advice I have is to remember that God gives each of us our own story, so never compare your career or art to someone else’s. Some stories unfold quickly and without too many detours, but if your creative journey is complicated and meandering, that just might be God’s plan! Pay attention to what He’s telling you so your art and writing can be as unique as the story He gave you.