Faces of Long Island celebrates the uniqueness of everyday Long Islanders. In their own words, they tell us about their life experiences, challenges and triumphs. Newsday launched this social media journey into the human experience to shine a light on the diverse people of this wonderful place we call home.

‘I like to spread positivity and have an impact. The colorful vibes and happy messaging do that.’

Corey Paige, Old Westbury

“I like to say that I specialize in making happy art, and that my work is proven to give an immediate mood-booster, with the goal to brighten up your day. I love when people tell me that my art made them smile or feel better when they were having a bad day.

“I mainly enjoy spreading positivity and having an impact on others. The colorful vibes and happy messaging in my artwork helps me to do that. One project that is a perfect example of this is when I created artwork for exam rooms at a pediatric office. When the children come in for their doctor appointments and see fun imagery on the walls, it makes their doctor’s appointment less scary. I also value giving back and have donated murals to Sunrise Day Camp on Long Island, which is a camp for kids with cancer to attend for free with their siblings. I am also currently working with Cohen Children’s Medical Center to donate a mural for one of their wings.

You figure things out as you go, you don’t have all of the answers at the beginning.

“Social media, specifically Instagram and TikTok, have been such a big help with getting my brand out there. I attribute a lot of the successes I have had over the past few years to putting myself out there on social media. I love connecting with my followers online and in person when I do live events. However, working for yourself can feel lonely at times. That is one of the downsides of working as an artist, but I do think the pros outweigh the cons. I have some great assistants and have always had the support from my family from the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey.

“You figure things out as you go, you don’t have all of the answers at the beginning. It’s a lot of trial and error and a little ‘fake it ’til you make it’. I do feel like I am constantly on and always thinking about work. So, I’m trying to incorporate things in my life for myself that aren’t business related – hobbies like reading and embroidery. I’m working to find more of a balance. But I am very lucky that I love what I do, not everyone can say that confidently.”

Interviewed by Tracey Cheek

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Faces of Long Island is produced by Newsday Consumer Marketing. This content does not involve the reporting and editing staff of Newsday’s Editorial Department.