MY WATERCOLOR CITY
Image by Kendall Sanner
We are so excited to be back!
As we're fast approaching the holidays, we're happy to dive a little deeper with the Makers + Creators you're supporting when you shop local. Currently, we’re gearing up for our biggest and most highly anticipated event of the year in Downtown Abilene known as our #peoplepartycraftfair Holiday Market Nov 9th, however, we love that our network of Makers + Creators includes creatives from all across Central & West Texas!
As you may have heard, we are beyond excited to have Kendall Sanner join our team as our Strategic Marketing & Events Coordinator for ATX. Kendall loves writing, painting, baking, playing guitar, and really anything within the arts! She’s also in the process of figuring out how to write her own book and cook book! She loves, loves, loves culture and people. In fact, one of her favorite things is meeting new people, listening to their story, connecting with them, and encouraging them in their journey forward! How perfect is that? That said, we are overjoyed to showcase Austin, Tx based artist Anna Muñiz for our next featured Maker. We’ve enjoyed getting to work with Anna at a couple of our ATX pop-ups, but Kendall had the pleasure of sitting down with her to learn more about her journey, so without further I’ll let Kendall take it from here!
XOXO,
Jen
Hey readers! This is Kendall (you can call me Kenny) I know I am just text to you but I’m hoping we can meet face-to-face soon! This week I sat down with Anna Muniz who owns her own business at 26! She has such a gentle heart yet strong passion for art and we are all for it! You go, girl! As you read, you’ll see some of our commentary in italics, this is just us diving a little deeper into some really relevant stuff that Anna touches on. Drop a comment below about what you think of the new voice!
Ciao for now,
Kenny
Tell me a little about yourself!
My name is Anna Muñiz, I’m 26 years old, I have a dog named Finn, and I love to tell stories of Austin through watercolors. I’m from south Texas, a city called Harlingen but moved to Austin for college and have been here since!
When, how, and why did you start Watercoloratx?
I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2015 with a degree in Urban Studies, I spent a summer in the real world and thought, “I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Do any of us really know?
I decided to go to Austin Community College and get another degree in Graphic Design, which was a two year program. During my time there, I was with my boyfriend one day and I said to him, “I’m going to learn how to watercolor and I’m going to do it every day for a year because I need something to focus on. Something that’s no stress.”
Image by Kendall Sanner
Now, for you the reader! Does this idea sound appealing? The idea of something stress-free that you can put your mind too? Go do it! Maybe it’s learning a language... playing an instrument... or running a 10K! Whatever it may be, nothing’s holding you back, you were made to create! Don’t let fear hinder you. Look at Anna and how a skill she picked up has changed her life!
He didn’t think I could last the whole year but I was determined. I went and bought a pad of paper and some cheap watercolors and I just started to draw buildings because I love architecture. I set aside 30 mins everyday to draw -- and they are so bad. I look back and think, [Insert disgusted face] “I did that? It’s so bad!”
We’ve all gotta start somewhere!
A couple of months in I started to post them on Instagram because they were ”okay”. Soon someone reached out to me and said they wanted me to be at their event. My initial reaction was, “Oh wow! That’s amazing!” While I was at the event a gallery owner came up to me and told me she wanted to put my stuff in her store and I said, “Really?”
Why do we do this? Doubt ourselves. That needs to stop. Let’s collectively agree on believing in our worth and skills because it’s such a waste of time asking ourselves, “Am I good enough?” Because the answer is always YES!
This slowly turned into people wanting prints and placing orders. In 2017, I graduated from ACC and my parents told me, “This could be a business!” I had a portfolio website from my graphic design degree, which I switched over to a shop, and now I own a business!
What is the heart behind your business?
I really love making a watercolor of a building or something that’s special to Austin. When someone buys a print or they contact me for a custom order I love hearing stories of the places I watercolor. For instance people will tell me, “When I was younger I used to go to this restaurant every weekend with my friends,” or, “This is where my husband and I got engaged!”
Oh the nostalgia of a favorite restaurant, memory, or place. We’ve all got those memories stored away. It leaves us in awe of how a memory can be transferred into a beautiful piece of art.
Unfortunately, some of the places I've done watercolors have already gone out of business but it makes it that much more personal for someone because they have their very own watercolor of a memory.
Do you have a favorite thing to watercolor? Portraits, buildings, pets, etc?
Buildings are easier most of the time, but I love portraits because there is so much emotion behind the people in it. There are challenges to both types, of course. Sometimes buildings are plain and difficult to make stand out on paper. On the other hand, portraits can be so intricate and detailed depending on what people are wearing, but it’s all worth it to see the finished product. I have recently been doing a lot of prints for weddings, which I love.
Image by Kendall Sanner
What has been your biggest challenge?
I would say learning how to grow my business. People will ask me for things that I’ve not done before and I get stumped. As a small business owner, people typically assume I have a small team of people working with me but it’s only me. I’ve had to learn how to respond with, “I don’t have that right now, but I can get back to you,” and then ask other people for help.
Is it just us or is it always a bit challenging to ask for help? Well, at some point or another, we all needed some help and will continue to do so. When someone asks for help they are showing strength, humility, and vulnerability. A few things we could use some more of around here.
I work from home and sometimes I can get in such a bubble. I have to remind myself to reach out to other people for help when I’m stuck.
“I NEED TO REMEMBER TO REACH OUT TO OTHER PEOPLE FOR HELP WHEN I’M STUCK”
How do you find work-life balance?
Since I run my business from home, I’m able to pick my hours. I have a few firm boundaries, like the post office ships out until 5 p.m. and print shops are only open during the week. It’s taken a while to get the balance just right, because sometimes people don’t understand that my house is my office and my home. People will ask, “Since you’re home, can you do this?” I’ve learned to set boundaries so my time is used wisely. The capacity I can carry is another boundary. I used to do a new watercolor for Instagram everyday, which I had to learn was okay for me to remove from my to-do list.
This is another thing we need to chat about real quick. Working from a place of rest verses resting from a place of work. We were created to work from our rest not vice versa, needing to rest or take a break is healthy. So go take a nap… or a walk… or both!
What has been the most helpful tool for marketing your business?
Meeting with other entrepreneurs, even if it’s not an art related. I get to learn about the mistakes, likes, and dislikes from their journey. Another important tool is Instagram. This is where 50% or more of my business is generated and a lot of small businesses reach out to me on IG to connect and collab.
Any advice for someone thinking about starting their own business?
You don’t have to say yes to every opportunity because it’s a trap. Especially when you’re just starting out. Do what you know, therefore, you can make it stronger. That will attract people. If you’re doing 100 different things at once, you can’t get anything done. When you begin to build your brand and people reach out and tell you what you should be doing or suggesting ideas, you have to stay true to your vision.
“YOU HAVE TO STAY TRUE TO YOUR VISION”
Image by Kendall Sanner
What do you do on your days off?
I like running, reading the classics, and drinking coffee. My favorite coffees right now are any fall flavored ones, and as much as I enjoy reading the classics, I tend to fall back on my favorites -- Jane Austin and Harry Potter. I also love coffee shops with big windows and good coffee.
Be sure to check out her website.
