Today we’d like to introduce you to Camara Goodrich.
Hi Camara, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Although I’ve always been artistic, my journey to becoming a professional artist started in pain—both physical and emotional. After a motorcycle accident left my body literally broken, including shattered lumbars in my back, I found myself in one of the darkest places I’d ever been. My bipolar disorder spiraled into a deep depression, and I was battling an addiction to alcohol that had taken root years earlier after my mother died by suicide. I was completely lost.
Art became my lifeline.
What started as a therapeutic tool to manage pain and emotions quickly turned into something much more meaningful. Not only did creating art help me rebuild my mental and emotional stability, but it also became a major factor in ending my alcohol addiction. It gave me purpose, helped me process trauma, and ultimately helped me rediscover who I am. I say this with no exaggeration—art saved my life.
I started humbly, selling my work at Jamie’s Flea Market in Amherst, Ohio, just hoping to connect with people and maybe make enough for new supplies. Today, I’m proud to say my work has sold internationally, I’ve won awards from galleries and museums, and I’ve built a career that continues to evolve. But what I’m most proud of is that I now get to give back. I mentor numerous emerging and professional artists, and I regularly lead workshops that help people struggling with mental health and addiction discover the healing power of creative expression—just like I did.
Currently, I’m leading a major public art project: the Raymond John Wean Foundation’s 75th Anniversary Mural. I’ve hired a team of four incredibly talented artists—my collective called The Coven—to collaborate on this vision. For me, it’s not just about painting a mural; it’s about building community, uplifting other creatives, and using art as a vehicle for transformation.
This path has been anything but easy, but every part of it—every opportunity, every setback, every breakthrough—has shaped the artist and person I am today.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
On the career side, starting from scratch, literally meant learning everything through trial and error. Rejection, financial instability, and carving out space in an often gatekept art world were all real hurdles. But I stayed true to my vision and never gave up on the idea that my story, and my art, could make an impact.
Along the way, I found ways to make my process more efficient—whether it was organizing my workflow, learning how to price my art confidently, or understanding how to connect with collectors. I realized so many other artists were struggling with the same things, just unsure of where to even begin. So I decided to share what I’ve learned by writing a book, ARTFUL SUCCESS: Mastering the Business of Selling Your Art with Confidence, Resilience, and Creative Therapy, which is now available on Amazon. It’s been incredible to see how it’s helped other artists build momentum in their own careers.
Now, in addition to creating and exhibiting my own work, I get to help mentor and guide other emerging and professional artists—which has been one of the most rewarding parts of my journey.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work is deeply rooted in emotional expression, psychological exploration, and bold, visceral storytelling. I specialize in mixed-media painting, often incorporating texture, symbolism, and movement to create pieces that feel alive—sometimes haunting, sometimes healing, but always honest. My style doesn’t lean toward any one in particular, as I enjoy them all. I often layer my work with meaning and emotional charge. People often tell me my work “feels like something they’ve been through but never had words for.” That’s the greatest compliment I could ask for.
I’m also known for my immersive action art performances, which invite viewers to become part of the creative process. One of my current festival workshops transforms a canvas into a dance floor with blacklight-reactive paint and protective gear for the audience—it’s messy, interactive, and cathartic. These workshops aren’t just about making art—they’re about releasing, reconnecting, and healing.
I’m most proud of the fact that I’ve turned some of the hardest moments in my life into fuel for growth, not just for me, but for others. Whether it’s through my art, classes, workshops at libraries and museums, exhibitions, festivals, fairs, or the artists I mentor, I’m constantly working to help people use creativity as a tool for transformation. I currently lead The Coven, a collective of artists I hire for larger projects, including the Raymond John Wean Foundation’s 75th Anniversary Mural. Projects like that let me build community while making meaningful, public-facing work.
What sets me apart is my raw transparency and my refusal to separate life from art. Everything I create comes from real experience, mental health struggles, trauma, survival, recovery. I don’t shy away from the heavy stuff because I know that’s where the breakthroughs happen. I don’t just create to be seen, I create to help others feel seen.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is to keep God first and that vulnerability is a superpower.
For a long time, I thought I had to hide my struggles, my mental health, my past trauma, my addiction—just to be taken seriously. But the moment I started creating from a place of honesty and transparency, everything changed. That’s when people started connecting with my work on a deeper level, and when I truly started healing myself.
I’ve also learned that success isn’t about where you start—it’s about resilience, resourcefulness, and staying true to your voice. I went from selling art at a flea market to winning awards at museums, mentoring artists, writing a book, and leading public art projects. But none of that would’ve happened if I didn’t learn to trust myself, to keep going even when things felt impossible, and to believe that my story mattered.
Now I carry that lesson into everything I do—my art, my teaching, my collaborations. Vulnerability is what builds bridges. It’s where the magic lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.camcreatesartstudio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/camcreatesartstudio
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/Artful-Success-Mastering-Confidence-Resilience/dp/B0CFZ84JGF/
