1 rich Libsyn https://www.libsyn.com 90 600 Rachel Castaneda, a muralist, lettering artist, illustrator, businesswoman, and mother of three. Rachel shares her journey from teaching to becoming a full-time artist, discussing the challenges of balancing her creative career with family life. She talks about her initial struggles, the importance of social media in her success, and how she manages her schedule with the help of family support. Rachel also touches on her experience illustrating children's books and gives advice to aspiring artists. The episode highlights the thriving creative community in Raleigh, North Carolina, and dispels the myth of the starving artist. 01:16 Rachel's Journey to Becoming a Working Creative 03:51 The Influence of Family and Early Life 08:40 Transition from Teaching to Full-Time Artist 12:16 First Mural Experience and Learning Curve 21:37 Building a Business and Client Process 28:44 Pitching Creative Ideas 29:29 Navigating the Creative Process 30:58 Children's Book Illustration Journey 34:51 Balancing Work and Family 37:17 The Business of Murals 50:32 Advice for Aspiring Artists 52:27 Conclusion and Social Media PS: Don’t forget to take advantage of our Burny Wild’s promo code just for our Pencil Pushers fans. More info on the podcast intro.&amp;nbsp; Host: Mike Rosado @ekimodasor &amp;amp; @mrcraleigh Post-Production: Max Trujillo @trujillomedia Sponsors: MRC &amp;amp; Burny Wild’s @mrcraleigh &amp;amp; @burnywilds &amp;nbsp; The Pencil Pushers Podcast http://pencilpusherspodcast.libsyn.com/website <iframe title="Libsyn Player" style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/31902702/height/90/theme/custom/thumbnail/yes/direction/forward/render-playlist/no/custom-color/88AA3C/" height="90" width="600" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe> https://assets.libsyn.com/secure/item/31902702