Vendor Spotlight-Chelsea O. Cosplay Artist, Etc.
Chelsea started drawing in 6th grade. Between then and now, she earned a bachelor’s degree in visual art studies with a minor in professional development. She taught art for middle school which led to her becoming the district’s leader in visual arts. In May 2020 she made the leap to creating art full time. She’s found success in this because she keeps a lot of legs underneath the table-an expression I’ve heard quite a bit in the past few years.
The idea is, the secret to success in freelance is keeping several streams of income going at one time. This way, if one stream lessens-or even disappears -you have several other streams feeding into your overall income. In addition to her booth at Fanboys Marketplace in Denton, she has an online store, a monthly print club subscription, she attends conventions, offers commission and makes herself available for the occasional mural or special project. The Dr. Who Tardis mural that’s painted on the door at the Fanboys’ Hurst location is Chelsea’s very own handiwork.
On Chelsea’s website, she titles herself as a “Cosplay Portrait Artist.” I asked why she chose that title instead of calling herself a “freelance artist” or something akin to that. “My specialty is cosplay portraits,” she said. “that’s more of a niche I fell into.” That’s not to say it’s the only thing she’s done, more it’s the thing she focuses on and enjoys.
Making art your full time career isn’t always just about the art. It’s being the owner of a small business and small business owners wear lots of hats. Chelsea mentioned this during our conversation. It’s answering emails, networking, maintaining different revenue streams, staying on top of her subscriptions and her commissions lists. She does this while also maintaining that ever elusive work-life balance: being there for her husband and her friends, taking care of herself physically, eating right and staying active. It’s a lot. But it can be its own reward.
When you visit Fanboys in Denton, be sure to stop by Chelsea’s booth. If you’re not looking for art prints, she’s got bookmarks, stickers, notebooks and notepads to choose from. Also, check out her website where you can buy prints, commission artwork and sign up for her print club and her email list. She’s on all the socials as well: Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook.
