Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Leigh Poplaski.
Hi Victoria, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I’ve been into art for as long as I can remember. Meanwhile, the extent of my formal art education goes as far as art electives growing up in public school. You name an art elective, I’m sure I’ve taken it! Still unsure of exactly what I wanted to do, I went on to community college to get my Associates in business and continued my business education at Montclair State University. During that time, I always stayed in touch with my creative interests. I’ll never forget in high school, I had a creative arts teacher that I was chatting with during class. She said something along the lines of “I’m not sure what you want your path to be, but whatever it is, please make sure that it’s creative!” So, Ms. Lavin, if you’re reading this, we’re doin it girl!
When the pandemic hit, and we all had nothing but time, I really got back into painting and fell in love with the process. I decided to start sharing my work on social media; and from those that also liked my work, word spread.
VLPOPART LLC was officially founded in October of 2021. Within my first year in business, I’ve worked with many private clients for commissioned pieces, landed on the cover of a local magazine with a 5-page feature, have completed wall murals for local businesses, have painted luxury sports cars, and to close out the year, was involved in a pop-up for Art Basel Miami 2022 where my pieces were displayed throughout.
As a creative, you always dream of making something out of your craft. Actually, having it as your career is nothing short of a dream come true. I count my blessings every day and have every single client and person following my journey to thank. Every sale, like, post, reshare means the world.
Your network is everything. I cannot stress that enough. Put yourself in a room of opportunities and surround yourself with good people that will say your name in that room, and great things will happen. I always say: it’s not competition; it’s collaboration. Bring value to the table that you sit at and let’s work together to make something dope. If you’re honest, true to your work, and give someone a good experience: they’ll be sure to refer you onto the next person that’s there to appreciate it. Use your passion to push you to where you wanna be and then some. Look at every day as an opportunity to work harder.
I’m so psyched to continue to work towards my dreams while doing what I love!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of my challenges was balance. Remaining creative in my work while also creating opportunity and running my business.
As a creative you drive with passion for your craft…the question is: what can you make out of it? Will this be something that I do on the side for my own pleasure, or can I really make a living out of this? That’s where the business instinct kicks in, and you either sink or swim.
So, let’s be real…every day is a challenge when it comes to entrepreneurship! To push yourself further, remain enthusiastic, and continue to think outside the box. No one else is going to do it for you! There are a lot of moving parts, so you very quickly learn to wear whichever hat you need to at that time.
I’m also a perfectionist. With that being said, you could probably guess that I’m my toughest critic. My business is literally me. So, I don’t take that lightly. I’ve learned to lead with my visions and creativity and remember that art doesn’t mean perfection. That’s the beauty of it!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’m a painter. I put a twist on traditional pop art and graffiti street art. I like to marry the more precise techniques with abstract to make it undeniably mine. No two pieces are ever the same. I typically work with acrylic paints through a brush application and spray paints for that fun, imperfect vibe. I’ve definitely narrowed in on my style in the past year. I’ve always wanted someone to look at my pieces and say oh yeah, that’s her!
But, in that same breath, I will say that sometimes it is fun to challenge myself and throw in a curve ball with something that even I wouldn’t expect for me to do. There are always new tools and techniques to discover and I’m definitely looking forward to doing that in this next year.
That’s what’s so fun about this, there’s no rules!
I’d say that I’m most proud of building something out of nothing at a fairly young age and chasing my dreams early on. I’ve got my whole life to do this. I think that’s awesome.
What sets me apart is my ambition. I’ll never say no to a challenge. Even if in the back of my head I’m like holy crap how am I gunna pull that off? I quickly remind myself that nothing is out of my reach. I’ll always figure it out and make it happen to some capacity.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vlpopart.com
- Instagram: @vlpopartofficial
Image Credits
@offwithherlens_photography
@nj_native_photo
@abmarketinggroup
