- Valentina Sleek is a 28-year-old Trader Joe's artist in Charlotte, North Carolina.
- Sleek works about 38 hours per week as a crew member in the store, with 19 of them dedicated to art.
- "I didn't expect to be working at a grocery store doing art," she told Insider. "I was just trying to get a quick paycheck for a while, and this has become so much more to me."
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation between Valentina Sleek, a 28-year-old Trader Joe's artist in Charlotte, North Carolina. It has been edited for length and clarity.
After dropping out of college where I studied arts briefly for a year, I worked at a tattoo shop as an apprentice for nearly three years. There, I learned calligraphy and other forms of art from my mentor and boss.
I decided to leave the job in 2017, and I was on the lookout for an entry-level job with some stability, flexibility, and easy pay. I applied for an opening I came across at Trader Joe's as a crew member who bags groceries.
At my Trader Joe's interview, my background in arts — which was on my résumé — was brought up
They asked if I would be open to joining the team as an artist, which I accepted. After three months on the job, I officially transitioned onto the art team.
I think one common misconception that people have is that Trader Joe's hires in-house artists solely for their work, and this usually isn't the case. Most times, the duty is assigned to existing employees who have expressed an interest in doing so and have a background in the arts.
I started at $12 an hour, but now I'm making $19. One of the benefits of my job is that as a crew member, I get to be the first to try new products for free during early morning meetings and late night huddles.
My style of art is line works, and I like to use a myriad of colors and acrylics to make a statement
Every day on the job is different. On most days, I'm given a pass display by my superiors. Pass displays are usually filled with information on the new products and patterns that are to be drawn on the board advertising our products.
We're given creative freedom to choose what we want to do with the information, provided that the name, weight, description, and price of the product is on there.
I usually get to choose the colors that I want to go along with the artwork, and I can have as much fun as I want with it and as long as it's legible and appropriate.
I use Costco markers, which are water-based but similar to acrylics. When it's time to wipe off the board to create a new art, I use alcohol to do it.
I spend more than 70 hours every month making art in the store
It usually takes me an average of two to three hours to create a new piece, and I tend to time myself because there's a lot to cover in such a short time. I have a team of five other artists I supervise, and together, we work on shelf signs and fun projects that are tied to seasonal periods.
Like many other artists, I sometimes experience creative blocks. I turn to other crew members for inspiration when this happens. One thing that also helps is that I'm part of an Instagram community of Trader Joe's artists, where we all help each other overcome any struggles we're facing at work.
We don't just work solely on art, but in other parts of the store as well
I work full time as a crew member for an average of 38 hours in a week, with more than 19 of those hours dedicated to drawing. I started my career at a store in West Palm Beach, Florida, but I recently moved with the company to a new store in Charlotte, North Carolina.
One of my favorite pieces to make is the one I drew on the store's bathroom door, where I used plantain chips as an inspiration. It took me more than two nights to work on it, but it garnered a lot of positive reviews from my superiors and customers alike.
Our art gets rotated out regularly, and sometimes, I feel bad when my art has to be taken down
I make sure to take pictures of everything, and this helps me to look back on the art I've done. I have to remind myself that the store art is only temporary. Plus, I own a personal Etsy account where I sell my private artwork. It's been going well so far.
Most people don't realize how much time and effort goes behind every piece of art scattered in little corners of the store. Artists like me have a deep involvement in creating the store's atmosphere. I have even helped cover murals of new stores in different cities.
I sometimes get recognized by my work due to social media
It's surreal when this happens.
I was convinced to create a TikTok account by my friends. They'd seen other artists thriving there and wanted me to join the wave, so I decided to get my name out there and inform the public on what actually goes into the job.
Most of my followers seem to like quick time-lapse videos of my art, and I've gotten recognized by a fellow artist in another store across the country. I thought it was so cool that someone could recognize me and my art, and I get constant messages from people who say that I've inspired them to pursue their art career.
Some of my coworkers have commissioned me for work outside of the job, and I even recently did a calligraphy piece for a customer's wedding. Although I've been in the North Carolina store for just six months, I've made over a hundred pieces already.
I feel like I'm still learning on the job
I'm self-taught for the most part, and I follow advice from veteran artists. As a rough estimate, I'd say that I've done more than 400 pieces of art for Trader Joe's since working with them.
The store is my comfort place to be, as it feels like my own personal art gallery where I get to express myself using art. The overall working environment for me has been fun, as the cheerful art translates to the workers too.
It does get stressful and hectic, especially during the holidays, but I've been able to manage this over the years by properly planning myself out and delegating other duties.
The highlight of my day is usually when customers, particularly children, notice what I do. I came across a child who was fascinated with my Octopus drawing once, and it was incredibly heartwarming.
I'm one of the few workers against unionizing
I have people in my life who have been in unions, and that hasn't worked out for them. I feel like the company has taken care of me since I joined them and that my voice has been heard, but I know that a lot of people don't feel this way.
I don't think my supervisors are excessively strict; I believe they're just the right amount. Even though I might do something else in the future, I like the stability of what I have right now. I plan on being with the company for a while, because there's a lot of art that I still plan to make.
I didn't expect to be working at a grocery store doing art
I was just trying to get a quick paycheck for a while, and this has become so much more to me. Being able to pursue art after dropping out of college and not knowing what I wanted to do in life was a breath of fresh air, and it's a blessing I wouldn't trade for the world.
Trader Joe's has taken care of me, and the fact that they keep investing in original store art is what makes them popular. In some ways, I'm a creative director myself.