2009 is going to be the year when people start to realize that job security isn’t so secure. The negatives to this are obvious, however on the positive side, more people will gain the courage to follow their dreams.

I’d like to start a series on women who have done that. Sometimes all we need is a bit of inspiration to jump start our own creativity.

Darla Dixon is an artist who creates pencil portrait artwork. Here is her story on turning her passion into profit.

Can you tell me about yourself?
I’m a mom of 4 and have worked from home for the past several years as a freelance illustrator and portrait artist.
Most of my work is pencil portrait drawings that are done using a photograph as art reference. I live in Snellville Georgia (Atlanta GA Metro area).

When and why did you start your business?
I kind of fell into it. I always liked to draw, and I read a book on how to draw pencil portraits from photos. My first 2 tries weren’t very good, but I kept at it. I did a portrait of my young niece and shared it with some friends online in 2000. One of them asked me how much I would charge to draw pictures of his sons. I had no idea how much I would/should charge! But that was the start.

If you could go back and do something differently what would you do?
I would hired out the non-drawing work I needed done, like the website, the printing, etc. I still probably do too much of that stuff myself and should outsource more.

What’s your typical day look like?

This will probably disappoint people who might dream of the “glamorous life of an artist!” I’m really just a mom who happens to draw.

I have 4 kids - the youngest is 3 and the oldest are 15 year old twin girls. So my day starts pretty early, and moms will understand this - a shower still feels like a luxury to me. Usually, the first thing I do is get a load of laundry going.

My older kids get themselves off to school, then I get my 5 year old son off to kindergarten, my 3 year old son goes to preschool. I have the morning to work. I don’t like to work on art when the younger kids are around. I’d like them to see me drawing, but on the other hand, you know how young children are - uncovered sneezes and sticky grape jelly hands and artwork don’t mix! So art time stops when I need to pick up my son from preschool.

I like to spend as much time as possible with my kids. It doesn’t help business, but I tell myself that there will be plenty of time to create art when they are older. Although I can’t work on artwork when the young children are around, I can use the computer. I can network and visit on sites like Twitter and Facebook, and I also write for Examiner.com as an Atlanta Artist Examiner. I do writing, as well as affiliate marketing and additional blogs to supplement my income.

Once the kids start coming home, the day pretty much focuses on them. Catching up, helping with homework, cooking, story time, bedtime… then the whole cycle begins again the next day.

Nothing glamorous to see here - there’s no sitting on the veranda in the sunset, sipping on a Merlot. But, maybe someday!

Turning something you love into a business isn’t always easy. From your experience, what is the difference between someone whose business takes off, and someone whose business gets left in the dust?

I think some people - but especially artists - tie their own self worth in so tightly to their art, that they are unable to accept any criticism. They feel that their art is part of their soul - and in a way, that’s true, but their art is also a product. They should work hard on marketing and promoting their art. I think too many people think that their art is enough, and that they will somehow be magically “discovered.” I don’t think anyone should wait. If you have a dream, go for it.

What do you think about the quote “do what you love, and the money will follow?”

I think that’s mostly true. If you are doing what you love, you will have a real passion for sharing it. But it has to be something that other people want. Probably more accurate would be “do what you love, and success will follow,” because success to me isn’t just wealth. My art business helps me stay home with the kids, and having something to do to call my own fulfills me. When people are doing something just to get money, the money’s great but it doesn’t support a long term commitment.

You can see more of Darla’s Work at pencil-portrait-drawing-artist.com