Vanessa Franklin didn’t set out to become an artist. Like many people, creativity existed quietly in the background.
She took art classes at school and enjoyed them, but never saw it as something she could pursue seriously. Instead, she built a career in corporate environments, working in high-pressure roles at companies like Google and Goldman Sachs. It was stable, impressive on paper, and far removed from the life she leads now.
The turning point came in 2023, during the wave of big tech redundancies. Losing her role at Google was confronting, especially while living in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
With no job and no clear next step, she found herself in an unexpected position. Around the same time, she needed a gift for her best friend’s 30th birthday. Having known each other since childhood, it felt important. Her friend had always said she’d love a painting by Vanessa, something she had always brushed off. This time, she didn’t.
That painting, “Girl Date at Hacha”, became the first piece she considers a true starting point. When she shared it online, the response was immediate. People reached out asking if she took commissions, something she had never considered before. She said yes, and that small decision changed everything.
What started as one or two paintings quickly grew into something more. She created an art Instagram account, continued sharing her work, and began building a community around it. What had initially felt like a setback slowly revealed itself as a turning point. Losing her job became the catalyst for creating something entirely her own.
Around this time, she also had her first experience exhibiting her work in London through what she later realised was a vanity gallery. Like many emerging artists, she found herself in a system that overpromised and underdelivered. While the experience was challenging, it gave her something invaluable. Seeing her work displayed on a gallery wall for the first time was a defining moment. It made everything feel real, and pushed her to take her practice more seriously.
Before fully committing to her art, Vanessa made another pivotal decision. After leaving Goldman Sachs, where she experienced a toxic work environment, she chose to relocate to Sydney, Australia. The move was driven by a desire for a different pace of life, one that allowed space to think, breathe, and reset. Surrounded by the beach and a more balanced lifestyle, she decided to give her art a real chance. One year, fully committed, and see what happens.
That doesn’t mean the transition was easy. Imposter syndrome showed up early and often. The first commission from someone she didn’t know was a defining moment. It was the point where it shifted from friends being supportive to strangers genuinely valuing her work. Alongside this, she has navigated ongoing challenges with mental health, burnout, and identity. Balancing a creative practice with the need to maintain financial stability is a constant tension. Like many artists, she still works alongside her art to support herself, often using any spare time to paint, create content, or prioritise her wellbeing. The pressure to always be productive can be overwhelming.
Since committing to her practice, opportunities have unfolded in ways she couldn’t have predicted. Her work has been exhibited across London, Sydney and Greece, alongside a live painting event and her first solo show in March. A defining moment came when Condé Nast reached out to feature her in World of Interiors. At first, she thought it was a scam. It wasn’t. Soon after, she was also featured in British GQ. These milestones felt surreal, but also affirming. They reinforced that the risk she had taken, leaving corporate life, moving countries, and backing herself creatively, was the right one.
Vanessa’s work today reflects her journey. Her paintings explore identity, daily rituals, and contemporary culture through people, objects, and still life.
There’s a looseness and playfulness to her style, but underneath that is something more considered. She is interested in the beauty of everyday moments, the small, often overlooked details that make up our lives. Her work invites people to see themselves in it, to recognise something familiar, and to feel a deeper connection to it.
Beyond her practice, she is also committed to giving back. Each month, she donates 10% of her profits to a rotating charity, something she sees as essential even while still building her own stability.
Now, with an upcoming artist residency in July, Vanessa continues to build a career that feels both uncertain and exciting. She doesn’t claim to have it all figured out. In many ways, she’s still in it, navigating the same doubts and pressures as anyone starting something new. But if there’s one thing she has learned, it’s the importance of backing yourself.
There will always be people more experienced, more established, more “qualified”. But at some point, you have to decide to do it anyway. For Vanessa, that decision has made all the difference.
