In conversation with Mississauga artist and entrepreneur, Marianne Morris.

1. What exactly does your business do?
I am an artist who paints abstracts and landscapes. I sell my original paintings and prints on paper, canvas and metal.

2. What inspired you to start your business?
I have been painting for many years now, and I first started selling them to clear out some space so I could paint more.

3. How has your business adapted to the new world?
I opened an online shop a couple years ago, but with shows taking up my time I hadn't really put any effort into marketing. Since Covid I have been focusing on making my online presence known.

4. What are you most proud of from a business perspective?
My work has improved a lot over the years, transitioning from a more traditional painter to an abstract one. In the end, it really is about the work for me.

5. What's been the largest obstacle to overcome and how did you do it?
Transitioning from face to face to online has been a bit tricky. I feel like I have adapted to the online marketplace fairly well, and have been getting more comfortable with live streaming and seeing myself on camera. It's been an adjustment going from being the hidden creator to someone showing off what I do.

6. What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs?
Don't wait until your product is perfect to launch... things can be tweaked as you go along. It takes a long time to get going, and the sooner you get started the better.

7. What message do you have for the community as we continue to navigate the global pandemic?
Be kind to each other. You never know what someone else is going through. And wear a mask when appropriate.

mariannemorrisart.com