^{ARTIST SPOTLIGHT}

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR CONNECTION TO OPTIMISM.

My artwork is my therapy, and it helps me access my optimism every day. I’ve always been a creative person, but I am at a point in my life where I truly appreciate the joy and peace that comes with creating art. Over the past few months, illustrating has been the main way that I process my emotions, and it has yet to fail in making me feel more at ease.

HOW IS THIS REFLECTED IN THE DESIGN YOU CREATED FOR US?

I played around with different concepts of what “Life is Good'' means to me, and while creating this design, I aimed to channel a feeling of serenity. Creating landscape art soothes me because it is freeform and intuitive, and it doesn't need to be overanalyzed. I want the viewer to experience the beauty and simplicity of nature, and hopefully find the same peace in it that I do.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST START CREATING ART? WHAT WAS THE CATALYST?

I have been drawing and painting all my life, but I recently began relying on illustrating as a way to cope with being stuck at home, away from my loved ones, dealing with feelings of uncertainty and fear as a result of COVID.

DO YOU USE ART TO WORK THROUGH CHALLENGES AND/OR SETBACKS? HOW DO YOU DO THAT?

My artwork is what got me through 2020, the weirdest year ever for a lot of people. I started using art as a way to cope with the unprecedented circumstances and state of the world.

HOW DID YOU DEVELOP YOUR UNIQUE PERSONAL STYLE?

Digital illustrating is very new to me. I kept experimenting with different ways of expressing myself until I found a style that really made me proud. I draw faceless people because I want viewers to connect with the figures I draw, regardless of what they look like. I also started drawing landscapes because they are so peaceful, and that’s the feeling that I’m always chasing. All my illustrations feature a sun and a moon because these symbols remind me that above all else, there is hope.

WHAT FEELING DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO HAVE WHEN THEY EXPERIENCE YOUR ART?

I want them to feel the same sense of power and peace that I get from creating it.

DO YOU EVER GET “ARTIST’S BLOCK”? HOW DO YOU REDISCOVER YOUR CREATIVITY WHEN YOU’RE FEELING STUCK?

All the time. I had to learn to accept that feeling blocked is a part of the process and that it's temporary. Whenever I don't feel inspired to create anything, instead of freaking out, I welcome the break and try to do normal everyday things that relax me. In this new normal world, that can mean taking a walk with my husband or getting in our car and going for a drive to look at cool houses.

WHAT’S SOMETHING YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF, YOUR WORK, OR THE WORLD AROUND YOU IN 2020?

I learned that I wish I had relied on my artwork to soothe my heart a lot sooner. I have taken many breaks from art over the years and it took quarantine to make me really embrace it as a daily form of therapy. I’ve learned that by sharing my artwork with my online community, I can connect with people and start conversations that otherwise may never have happened.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO SOMEONE LOOKING TO START THEIR OWN CAREER AS AN ARTIST?

Keep going, try new things, and have fun. Moments of uncertainty and sensitivity will come but fight through them. If what you create means something to you, it’s valid and it’s valuable.

TELL US ABOUT SOMETHING THAT’S INSPIRING YOU RIGHT NOW. 

I am inspired by the wonder and resilience of women of color. We exist in a climate heavy with political divide and it has been so amazing to see strong women like VP Kamala Harris, Stacy Abrams, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez be beacons of change in this country.

FINALLY, FILL IN THE BLANK: Life is Good because…

above all else, we have hope.