Combining Art & Ranching
Hayley Skinner, Skinner Ranch Mama, is a true creative that can preserve any special ranch moment with her sketches. She has been a creative for her entire life and combined that with ranching when she started dating her now husband at the age of 21.
Hayley says, “I’ve been creating art since I was able to hold a crayon. My siblings are quite a bit older than me and were very involved in sports. I brought a backpack to all of their games with sketchbooks and coloring books and whatever giant pack of crayons or colored pencils I was obsessed with at the time.” All her time spent coloring has sure paid off too, literally! Hayley made her first sale at the age of 8 when she colored a picture of their campsite and Cabelas ended up sending her $50 when it was all said and done. She started selling art again in college and has since transitioned to selling not only custom drawings, but also custom apparel and digital design work.
As far as Hayley’s involvement in ranching goes, she married a 4th generation Angus Seedstock producer and is involved in the operation through helping out when needed, being the much needed record keeper, running errands and of course doing her part on those long days of working cattle.
So how does @skinnerranchmama and ranch work tie together? Hayley says it works out really well because she has the flexibility to be her own boss and keep a flexible schedule. She can work around her kids’ schedules and still help her husband when needed too! She describes this business as “the best adventure for our family.”
What’s your why is an important thing to ask yourself when you take on a hobby or business venture. Hayley says, “Creating art has always been a release for me. It’s something that I truly enjoy and doesn’t feel like “work”. Visually expressing an idea or feeling is freeing to me. I especially love creating sentimental drawings for people that help them remember special moments in their life.”
Hayley is a true example of what it looks like to live out your passion now! Her advice for up-and-coming creatives is as follows. “I would tell up-coming artists to start now before you’re ready and don’t put your passions on the back burner for too long. I put art on the back burner and told myself that when my kids were grown up I would start to create again, but the problem with that is that art and creating is my passion. My business is fulfilling and an outlet for me. It’s something I truly enjoy doing and have the freedom to pursue different creative outlets within it. You’re going to make mistakes and it takes a while to find your groove when you’re creating as a business. It isn’t going to be perfect and there are so many different ways to do the same things. Just start and pursue things that make you happy.”
Be sure to give Hayley, @skinnerranchmama, a follow on social media and use this as your reminder to start living out your passion today!
