Learning How to Keep Making Art is Crucial
The greatest skill that an artist can develop — learning how to consistently practice & make work. I’m not even kidding! As artists, we face an enormous amount of obstacles that prevent us from making art. Slow progress, little time, poor resources, chronic health conditions, and turbulent mental energy are just a handful that I had to personally tackle. The hardest part is building up the habit of making work. Small, but frequent commitments are your best friend in the beginning. If you can offer up 15 minutes each and every day despite having the “don’t wants”, you’ll be surprised how often those 15 minutes turn into an hour or so once warmed up. You got this!
Consistent Practice & Life Experiences have Evolved My Artwork
2015 | 19 Years Old
Key life moments:
- Moved out of my childhood home in Kaplan, Louisiana into an apartment in Lafayette, Louisiana.
- Attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
- Switched majors from Music Education to Visual Arts.
2016 | 20 Years Old
Key life moments:
- Attended instructed figure drawing classes with Camille Banuchi at Achilles Print Studio.
- First group exhibition during Lafayette’s 2nd Saturday Artwalk at Gallery 333.
- Starts working primarily in India Ink & Pen.
- Decided to quit attending traditional school, and continue down the path of being a self-taught artist.
- Completed first Inktober.
2017 | 21 Years Old
Key life moments:
- Moved back to my hometown Kaplan, Louisiana.
- Entered a severe dissociative episode.
- Traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico to explore one of the largest concentrations of artists in the United States.
- Decided to pursue a career in psychology with a focus in neuroscience.
- Started attending Arizona State University’s online psychology undergraduate program.
- Still making work in-between working as a barista and full-time student.
2018 | 22 Years Old
Key life moments:
- Received my first set of commissions.
- Chronic joint pain starts interfering with day-to-day life.
- Yellow & geometric inkworks become a cohesive pattern.
2019 | 23 Years Old
Key life moments:
- Biggest commission year to date.
- Sold first original piece.
- Painted 3′ by 4′ “Garden of the Gods” a commissioned landscape.
- Visited Colorado Springs & saw Garden of the Gods landmark in person.
2020 | 24 Years Old
Key life moments:
- Covid pandemic begins.
- Graduates from Arizona State University with a Bachelors of Science in Psychology.
- Quits barista job, and remained unemployed through the majority of the year.
- Being unable to find a job related to my degree, returning to retail work in the late fall.
2021 | 25 Years Old
Key life moments:
- Entered roll of manager in my retail work for the first time.
- Diagnosed with Covid-19 in the late fall which exaggerates previous health problems related to joint pain and chronic fatigue.
- Unable to perform my roll as manager post-Covid, and steps down.
2022 | 26 Years Old
Key life moments:
- Finishes “Recovery” the first of my inspired acrylic paintings.
- Exhibits at a group show for the first time since 2016 at the Hallway Gallery on Garfield Street.
- Transitions from retail to full time freelancing work.
- Begins planning work for solo exhibition titled “The Human Condition”
- Sells original work during the Art Spark 12×12 Online Auction.
- Acceptance into first Juried Exhibition.
2023 | 27 Years Old
Check back in — the story is still being written! 🙂