Anna Sokol

When I went to college, I knew teaching art was my path. My brothers and I were surrounded by creativity because our mother was an art teacher. About eight years into my art career, my mom reminded me that at the tender age of 12, I indeed started Art with Anna. I gathered neighborhood kids on my back deck and, for $5, led them in an afternoon of arts & crafts. I had no idea this would begin my longtime devotion to art education.

After graduating from Capital University with a bachelor’s degree in P-12 Art Education, I was eager to use my degree. During the next three years post-graduation, I did everything possible to land a teaching job without success.

I was desperate to teach art, so I made my own position. I found a basement to rent - dusted off my art supplies and set up a studio for Summer Art Camps. While substitute teaching, running camps and classes in the evenings and weekends, I also continued my serving job at the local Italian restaurant, Giuseppe’s. As it turns out, this was where I was building my business. Then, I finally did get that sliver of art teaching in the schools; it was a 1/4-time position. Therefore, I continued all my other jobs. And just that year, my position was RIF-ed after the levy failed in that district.

Fast forward a few years of trying to make non-artistic jobs work and steppingstones that aided to my learning, though they did not make me happy. I remember the day I became brave enough to go all in. It was 2012, four years after I began my business (2008-2012 was named Children’s Art Studio), and I received an inquiry to teach art to a preschool class during the day for several weeks. Typically, I would tell the client I could only work weekends or evenings due to my full-time work schedule. Instead, this time, I said to the potential new client, "give me two weeks." I posted my notice at the coupon website where I was employed and never looked back.

In 2014, I moved out of the basement to a bright and beautiful location just north of my old space and rebranded again, this time, Art with Anna.

March 2020 changed everything (for everyone). After reading Glennon Doyle's book, Untamed, it was clear that I no longer wanted the immense space in which I was a tenant. The pandemic was the pause + reflection I didn't know I needed. After that, an excavator was in my backyard, and a perfect 500-square-foot art studio was nestled between my garage and boys' playset.

February 2023 came yet another evolution of Art with Anna. After beginning to focus on my painting career rather than teaching, I took a solo art retreat trip to Arizona. It proved to be a success in reinventing my artist determination. On my way back, I got an email inviting me to participate in The Columbus Art Festival’s Emerging Artist Program. This is by far, one of the biggest transitions I have taken in my entrepreneurial journey. Accepting the opportunity meant that I needed to focus entirely on CAF - which meant canceling all of my current art classes. It wasn’t easy and still feels like guilt, but the passion and energy in my soul convinces me to keep going and keep moving forward toward my goals. Please visit me in Columbus, Ohio on June 9-11 at booth T123, I’ll need extra hugs that weekend.

Cheers to always growing.