How do you reconcile the tension between raw innate creativity and the discipline required to master your craft?

All of my work starts with an unnamable feeling but in order to communicate it, requires form. A form has its limits. To say the thing I want to say I have to accept the fact that I won’t be able to say it in its totality within one attempt. No one painting can express everything. 

In order to say the thing more clearly, I keep painting. The act of painting regularly requires discipline, and the ability to show up even when you don’t feel like it. The spark gets a piece started but the discipline is what brings the vision to life. 

Identify five habits or concerns you are trying to let go of in your practice.

✧I have to mindfully practice an emptying out of surrounding distraction - both mental and external. 
✧I have moments where I can feel the desire to hurry through a piece overtake me. I try to remind myself it’s best to move slow in order to move fast. 
✧That the joy IS the work. Every day in the studio (no matter how frustrating) is still a good day.
✧When I feel restless I have to be gentle with myself - the work will answer the questions. Cut into the present and the future leaks out. 
✧Pace yourself. Remember each painting can only be so much. It can’t be and say everything. A painting is a fragment not a total sum of what you think and feel.

Does spirituality or a connection to something larger to yourself influence your creative process?

I feel like engaging in the act of creating puts you into contact with a larger energy. I like to think of artists as a mouthpiece but not as a source.  As an artist I believe the role is to be open to messages from the exterior world.

Religious imagery does impact my work as well. I was born and raised Catholic as a child and despite no longer practicing the symbology is still something I find myself attracted to.

What do you think is the most meaningful role an artist plays in society today?

I’m of the mind that every work of art is a clearing but not an answer. I think the job of an artist is to bring about moments of clarity. To point to things and say “look!” to the culture they exist within. 

Is art created for the artist, the audience, or somewhere in between?

For me it was something that started for myself, and it bloomed into a way I feel I can communicate and connect with people. It started as an emotional outlet for me when I was a child. As I’ve gotten older I still feel it’s the best way I can express myself outside of language. Making work alone can feel isolating at times, and being able to share it and get feedback that the work resonates with people feels affirming, but isn’t the sole reason for creating. However I think the artist and viewer need one another. I think art is a kind of energy exchange between the maker and the audience.

Do you have any rituals or habits that help you enter a creative state of flow?

When I get into the studio I like to put my apron on, sit down, and look at my work for a bit before I get started painting. Sometimes I’ll write down my thoughts of what I want to accomplish by the end of that session. Having a goal helps me stay focused.

I put on music that I can zone out to, and try to focus on the project at hand. Sometimes that doesn’t always work and I get mentally restless, my mind is distracted, so calling a friend and talking while I work on a painting can help a lot. It keeps me engaged and occupied and allows me to not overthink my work too much. When I’m done with a session I usually like walking to home or work, it gives me time to reflect on the painting I worked on and think about what I want to do next.  

What are five things you do to overcome creative blocks or feelings of discouragement?

✧Go on a walk. Walking helps me work through ideas, clear my mind, and may even allow me to come into contact with moments of life that will answer a question I have within a painting.

✧Read. Focused engagement on one topic or story inspires and expands my perspective. Poetry gives me ideas for painting titles.

✧Write. Sometimes writing it out is how I get it out of my system. It’s a way to lay my thoughts out in front of me for evaluation and reflection. Sometimes I see connecting themes which lead to new ideas being born. 

✧Doodle. I have a sketchbook where I create private exploratory work. My approach is to say YES to every idea that comes to mind while working on an image. No concern with refining the result. 

✧Revisiting media I liked as a child. Sometimes I go back to it to serve as a reminder of who I am at my heart, and what I like aesthetically and narratively.