creative highlight
MEMBER from our community
SAMANTHA MATHEW
Hello! My name is Samantha, and I’m an architect by day and an artist by night (though I wouldn’t mind having more daylight when I paint, ha-ha!). I live in Austin with my amazing husband and two precious little girls. Painting is therapeutic to my soul and draws me closer to God, the Creator of all things beautiful.
Instagram: @samanthamathew.studio
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SamanthaMathewStudio
Instagram: @samanthamathew.studio
Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SamanthaMathewStudio
Can you tell us about your introduction to art? How did you know you had a creative gift?
I’ve always loved to sketch, paint and dabble in anything creative and am extremely passionate about design! I did not have any formal training as an artist, except for the routine art class in school. But I looked forward to those classes and they taught me the basics in various sketching and painting techniques. I also used to hold onto picture books with pretty illustrations in it, and would try and paint them when I had the time. I realized early on that God had blessed me with a creative gene as I received plenty of affirmation from my art teachers, friends and family. My art teacher was highly invested in anything I produced, displaying them in his room, around the school and at art exhibitions.
Did you ever think you’d be selling your art, or teaching art?
Only in my dreams, ha-ha! I only ever thought of art as a hobby, but I knew I’d love to work in a creative profession and so I went to architecture school and pursued my goals of becoming a licensed architect. I hardly picked up a paint brush for anything unrelated to school or work for nearly 10 years.
When my husband and I moved into our first apartment as newlyweds, I was very excited to do some decorating and make it feel more like home. I began looking for meaningful art for our stark lifeless walls. Not finding what we wanted in our budget, I decided to paint a few myself and THAT rekindled the old lost passion once again! I did a couple for our own home, and then happily jumped at opportunities to do a few more for family and friends who were thrilled and encouraged me to consider selling in the future. I brushed it off then, as I had my plate full with a full time job, home and serving in my local church.
I was on maternity leave when the pandemic began. My kids who were barely 3 and a few months old needed me and I ended up extending my break for another year. Though I was blessed to have this opportunity to spend so much time with them, I was in desperate need of a creative outlet - something to occupy myself with on a flexible schedule - and I found therapy behind the easel again.
I’ve always loved to sketch, paint and dabble in anything creative and am extremely passionate about design! I did not have any formal training as an artist, except for the routine art class in school. But I looked forward to those classes and they taught me the basics in various sketching and painting techniques. I also used to hold onto picture books with pretty illustrations in it, and would try and paint them when I had the time. I realized early on that God had blessed me with a creative gene as I received plenty of affirmation from my art teachers, friends and family. My art teacher was highly invested in anything I produced, displaying them in his room, around the school and at art exhibitions.
Did you ever think you’d be selling your art, or teaching art?
Only in my dreams, ha-ha! I only ever thought of art as a hobby, but I knew I’d love to work in a creative profession and so I went to architecture school and pursued my goals of becoming a licensed architect. I hardly picked up a paint brush for anything unrelated to school or work for nearly 10 years.
When my husband and I moved into our first apartment as newlyweds, I was very excited to do some decorating and make it feel more like home. I began looking for meaningful art for our stark lifeless walls. Not finding what we wanted in our budget, I decided to paint a few myself and THAT rekindled the old lost passion once again! I did a couple for our own home, and then happily jumped at opportunities to do a few more for family and friends who were thrilled and encouraged me to consider selling in the future. I brushed it off then, as I had my plate full with a full time job, home and serving in my local church.
I was on maternity leave when the pandemic began. My kids who were barely 3 and a few months old needed me and I ended up extending my break for another year. Though I was blessed to have this opportunity to spend so much time with them, I was in desperate need of a creative outlet - something to occupy myself with on a flexible schedule - and I found therapy behind the easel again.
How do you encounter the Lord in your creativity?
It’s hard not to be filled with wonder and awe every time I encounter the beauty and absolute perfection of God’s creation in nature. He is the greatest artist there is, and I realize that any ounce of creativity I have in me is a gracious gift from Him. The reality of this truth strikes me every time I try to capture on paper in my imperfect way, snippets of His awesome work and it draws my heart closer to Him. Sometimes during my quiet time with God and His word, I note down verses that encourage me and use that as themes for future pieces. I also like listening to music, inspirational podcasts or the audio Bible through the Dwell app while I paint. It helps in de-stressing and sets me in the right frame of mind to be creative. Many times, the lyrics of a song, a verse or something else I hear aligns perfectly with what I’m working on and inspires a message for that piece.
What are your favorite ways to create?
I’ve mostly been working with just charcoal, acrylics and watercolor, but, I would love to experiment with oil, gouache and do more digital art!
Are others in your family creative too?
Oh yes! When I was in school, I would coax my dad and mom to work on my school projects with me because my dad was very good at drawing and my mom at painting. My older sister plays the piano beautifully and has a natural eye for design, and my little sister is very good at baking.
What do you feel God is calling you to in this season with your creativeness?
When I launched my Etsy store earlier this year, I had big plans. I began investing more time than I had, to make sure it would grow and flourish. My husband had started a new and demanding job around the same time that I launched my first collection. My days were a crazy juggling act trying to manage the house, two unpredictable toddlers and keeping up with deadlines that I was responsible for creating myself! But God was gently reminding me through different ways that I needed to slow down...that there is a time and season for everything. After some prayerful consideration and re-evaluation of goals, I am finally comfortable and at peace with this slower pace. I’ve begun to use this season of life to focus more on growing my skills as an artist and taking up commissions when I’m able.
Is it costly to be a creative/maker?
As in most businesses, the initial set up is expensive. Art supplies are not cheap by any means. It is also hard to assign a time value to creativity as some paintings take longer to complete than others though they might be of similar size.
Some practical steps you'd encourage other creatives to take to become productive and learn business skills etc.?
If I need to learn something new, I usually find helpful tutorials online. Google is your friend! I’ve been able to come across some pretty inspiring artists and makers on Instagram who share tips and business advice on their platforms too. Reach out to other creatives in your field and learn from them. Instagram can be a highly useful tool, but you can quickly get sucked into wasting more time than you intended to while on the app. Multitasking has never been my jam, so I like timing my tasks, so I can spend quality time on each one and give it focused attention. I complete them way faster this way too.
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?
As in any field, the only way to get better at something is with practice. Make time to pursue creativity- if it is through sketching or painting, do a little of it every day even if you don’t feel particularly inspired or stimulated. It will not only help you refine your skills, but also help you develop a unique style to your work. Remember that your worth is not in what you produce, but in Jesus your Savior.
Brian S Chan, in his book, The Purple Curtain (which, by the way is such a great read for anyone in the creative industry) says, “ Creativity and a love for beauty are among the ways in which we are like God. The fiber of our souls resonates with aesthetics and artistry where being creative is to experience more fully the richness of being human. There is an artist within each of us that resonates with beauty because of the imago dei. God intended for humans to act creatively, imaginatively and intuitively within a world of beauty. When we name our newborn child, paint on a canvas, experiment with cooking, we tap into a chord of humanity that reflects God’s image.” Such an encouraging thought right? God WANTS you to be creative. Just remember to pray and seek God’s direction in everything... and do it all for His glory!
It’s hard not to be filled with wonder and awe every time I encounter the beauty and absolute perfection of God’s creation in nature. He is the greatest artist there is, and I realize that any ounce of creativity I have in me is a gracious gift from Him. The reality of this truth strikes me every time I try to capture on paper in my imperfect way, snippets of His awesome work and it draws my heart closer to Him. Sometimes during my quiet time with God and His word, I note down verses that encourage me and use that as themes for future pieces. I also like listening to music, inspirational podcasts or the audio Bible through the Dwell app while I paint. It helps in de-stressing and sets me in the right frame of mind to be creative. Many times, the lyrics of a song, a verse or something else I hear aligns perfectly with what I’m working on and inspires a message for that piece.
What are your favorite ways to create?
I’ve mostly been working with just charcoal, acrylics and watercolor, but, I would love to experiment with oil, gouache and do more digital art!
Are others in your family creative too?
Oh yes! When I was in school, I would coax my dad and mom to work on my school projects with me because my dad was very good at drawing and my mom at painting. My older sister plays the piano beautifully and has a natural eye for design, and my little sister is very good at baking.
What do you feel God is calling you to in this season with your creativeness?
When I launched my Etsy store earlier this year, I had big plans. I began investing more time than I had, to make sure it would grow and flourish. My husband had started a new and demanding job around the same time that I launched my first collection. My days were a crazy juggling act trying to manage the house, two unpredictable toddlers and keeping up with deadlines that I was responsible for creating myself! But God was gently reminding me through different ways that I needed to slow down...that there is a time and season for everything. After some prayerful consideration and re-evaluation of goals, I am finally comfortable and at peace with this slower pace. I’ve begun to use this season of life to focus more on growing my skills as an artist and taking up commissions when I’m able.
Is it costly to be a creative/maker?
As in most businesses, the initial set up is expensive. Art supplies are not cheap by any means. It is also hard to assign a time value to creativity as some paintings take longer to complete than others though they might be of similar size.
Some practical steps you'd encourage other creatives to take to become productive and learn business skills etc.?
If I need to learn something new, I usually find helpful tutorials online. Google is your friend! I’ve been able to come across some pretty inspiring artists and makers on Instagram who share tips and business advice on their platforms too. Reach out to other creatives in your field and learn from them. Instagram can be a highly useful tool, but you can quickly get sucked into wasting more time than you intended to while on the app. Multitasking has never been my jam, so I like timing my tasks, so I can spend quality time on each one and give it focused attention. I complete them way faster this way too.
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?
As in any field, the only way to get better at something is with practice. Make time to pursue creativity- if it is through sketching or painting, do a little of it every day even if you don’t feel particularly inspired or stimulated. It will not only help you refine your skills, but also help you develop a unique style to your work. Remember that your worth is not in what you produce, but in Jesus your Savior.
Brian S Chan, in his book, The Purple Curtain (which, by the way is such a great read for anyone in the creative industry) says, “ Creativity and a love for beauty are among the ways in which we are like God. The fiber of our souls resonates with aesthetics and artistry where being creative is to experience more fully the richness of being human. There is an artist within each of us that resonates with beauty because of the imago dei. God intended for humans to act creatively, imaginatively and intuitively within a world of beauty. When we name our newborn child, paint on a canvas, experiment with cooking, we tap into a chord of humanity that reflects God’s image.” Such an encouraging thought right? God WANTS you to be creative. Just remember to pray and seek God’s direction in everything... and do it all for His glory!