 WCDA member Maureen Walton, a mural artist in rural Ontario, understands starting over. After the end of her marriage, faced with age discrimination and a need to survive, Walton took a chance and returned to her first love—painting—to create a life she could feel passionate about.
When asked how much money she had to invest in her business, Walton’s reply is a hearty chuckle. “I worked as a professional commercial artist and animator before my marriage. And I gave up my career to stay at home with my kids,” says Walton. When her marriage ended, she was left with almost nothing.
“I don’t regret it [staying at home with her kids] for a moment,” says the artist. “But I wish I hadn’t waited so long to return to the workforce.”
It’s who you know
When Walton and her children moved from the family home to Toronto, a neighbour gave her mural artist Ian Leventhal’s phone number. “She knew how much I loved painting and thought that he would be a good person to meet.”
At the time, Walton was more concerned about putting food on the table than pursuing the “ebb and flow” income of fine art. But the industry she used to work in had changed dramatically. “I did take some retraining programs. I knew my skills were there but perhaps with the combination of age discrimination and the current content [of children’s animation at the time], my heart wasn’t 100% there anymore.”
 Walton couldn’t see herself being part of that industry again, so she called Leventhal.
After she presented her portfolio, the successful artist took her on as an intern. For six months, Walton worked on projects for corporate and retail clients, including some of the delightful murals featured in Second Cup locations in Toronto. Her internship ended when she became what Leventhal referred to as, in a friendly way, “one of his competitors.”
Breaking out on her own
Armed with a hearty recommendation and a few interior design clients, Walton refers to the early stages of her business as a real struggle. “It really was terrifying and I did experience my first panic attack,” she admits. “But I knew this was what I was supposed to do, so I just had to keep being persistent and it would eventually fall together.”
That positive attitude made all the difference and word of mouth soon began to spread. While she tried running ads to promote her business, the majority of her new clients came by referral.
Business slowly began to improve along with her personal life, and three years ago she was able to move with her children back to their family home. Walton recalls, “I thought, how was I going to support myself with murals in the country when it was hard enough in the city?” And that’s when the work from regional schools started coming in—word had spread.
Now Walton’s business has grown to include schools, public buildings as well as corporate spaces. Her favourite projects are when she works side-by-side with schoolchildren, decorating hallways with images that are meaningful to them. “It’s incredibly rewarding. Murals have really become my dream, my love, my gift,” she says with so much satisfaction that it makes one envious.
The business of creativity
“Most art students [back then] were taught that artists are no good at business and it’s almost a heroic thing to be a starving artist. And I’m going to try and dispel that myth singlehandedly,” Walton says with a chuckle. Here are a few of the lessons—which can be applied to any business—she’s learned along the way:
Pay yourself properly
Calculating the appropriate amount of time and cost of materials is essential to ensure that, whether painting a mural or providing accounting services, you are able to pay yourself a decent wage. And the number of hours worked needs to include client meetings, preparation and the time to complete the project including, if necessary, cleaning up the brushes.
Collaborate at all levels
Running your own business doesn’t mean that you need to do everything by yourself. While artists who create for the sheer love of it normally work on their own, entrepreneurs who want to make a living must learn the art of collaboration. Whether it’s working a client’s ideas into a project or negotiating with suppliers, the best way to develop good working relationships is ensuring that all parties benefit.
 Think ahead
Walton, who is pushing 60, isn’t sure how many years she has left to climb and hang off ladders, so she created Wyldwood Sojourn. It’s a studio run out of her Lonsdale home where guests can enjoy nature’s bounty and explore the revitalizing practices of yoga, art and storytelling. It’s a venture she hopes will evolve so that she may depend on it in the future.
Enjoy your work
Despite the rough times on her journey, Walton is “thrilled with the way it’s turned out. Because if that hadn’t have happened, I wouldn’t have pursued murals.” When asked which mural is her absolute favourite, she confesses that all pieces hold a place in her heart. She says, “People are enjoying them every day. I couldn’t be happier.”
To learn more about Wyldwood Sojourn, click here.
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