Elise Peterson
Los Angeles, CA USA
"When you tell yourself that you already exist in a space of abundance and prosperity, nothing but abundance and prosperity will come to you."
Career Roadmap
Elise's work combines: Art, Design, and Communicating / Sharing Stories
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
Networking is invaluable in this field. If you're able to, move to a city where you can actually network well and get your work out there.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be a Visual Artist, Writer & Podcast Host:
Bachelor's Degree: Human Development and Family Studies, General
Certification: Graphic Design
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
I grew up in Washington, D.C., and went to college there—I went to school for four years but didn’t actually graduate because I had a hard time staying focused.
2.
When I entered the workforce, I worked a bunch of creative jobs, including a vegan sous chef and a vintage clothing buyer.
3.
I moved to New York on a whim—I was a culture writer for a website but was working for free, so I was struggling financially and ended up taking work as a nanny.
4.
One of the women I nannied for became my mentor and encouraged me to utilize my full potential and study graphic design at Parsons School of Design.
5.
Art school was very expensive, so I ended up leaving and taking a job as a school secretary.
6.
I was unhappy at my job and knew I was meant to do something more creative, so I quit and started my own website and began selling my own artwork.
7.
In addition to selling my work, I started saying yes to all creative opportunities presented to me, including illustrating a children’s book!
8.
I became a mom, moved to Los Angeles, and continue to tell stories through multiple creative mediums, including my podcast “Cool Moms.”
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Family:
You should choose a path with more financial security.
How I responded:
I did hear concern from my family that I should choose a career path with more guaranteed financial security. However, I knew that my purpose was always greater than settling for a job just for money. So I trusted the voice within. It was not easy, but necessary.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
I went to college but didn't graduate because I had a hard time focusing. I also went to design school but it was very expensive so I left that too. It was a struggle but I was determined to still accomplish my goals and be successful as a creative.
I've struggled a lot financially throughout my journey. I'm actually still working on it! My advice is that it's important to be up for juggling multiple projects, be self-motivated, and have multiple streams of income.