I am a mixed media artist. I mostly paint figures, animals and symbols, and I build small clay sculptures. The main ingredients that make up my creative process are intention, intuition and imagination.

Creativity is a means for me to explore and express my inner world. I believe the beauty of art lies in the process of listening to the sacred voice of the heart space, and allowing the energy within to lead the creative flow moment to moment. My paintings have been a guiding force in my life, allowing me to see the magic and synchronicities that I might otherwise miss.

I live in North Carolina, USA with my husband and our son. We are big animal lovers and have 2 dogs, a cat, and a few fish. I work as a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist in the early intervention setting. When I'm not working or painting, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, watching movies, and getting out into nature.

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Hollys's Workshop on Art is Magic:
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What does Art is Magic mean to you?

Art is a vessel that allows me to dialogue with the energy of the universe and the spiritual world. It inspires wonder and gives me a means of exploring the unknown or the small, but meaningful details in life that can be often missed. Creating art helps me find my way into a meditative state where I can create much needed space and stillness for myself. These guiding and transformative powers of the creative process are why I consider art to be a form of magic.

Tell us about your journey to become an artist

Since I was a young child, I have always leaned on creativity as a means of exploring my inner self and interpreting the world around me. I have had many creative hobbies over the years. As an adult, I have written children's stories and been published in a children’s magazine. I spent several years building my photography skills, and I continue to sell stock photography images. I've also viewed decorating my home as part of my creative outlet, as I'm always on the hunt for storied treasures in thrift and antique stores. So, creativity has long been a meaningful aspect of my life. However, I did not begin to call myself an artist until the last couple of years.

In the past, I had typically painted landscapes or still life, and I did so from references. That way of painting (focusing heavily on technical skills and having a predetermined end result I was trying to achieve) caused me a lot of frustration and struggle. I didn't understand why doing something creative would be making me so stressed out. Now, there is nothing wrong with creating in that way, but it wasn’t a good fit for me personally.

At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, I decided I really wanted to invest time and effort digging deeper into a creative practice that felt more fulfilling and less of a struggle for me. It was then that I learned about intuitive art making. That really resonated and clicked with me. Intuitive art has given me a wonderful way of feeling more connected to myself and more connected to the energy around me. This way of creating also allowed me to feel that I embodied what it is to be an artist.

But don't get wrong. I can still absolutely have times when I feel frustrated while I'm painting. After all, struggle is a very natural part of birthing something new into the world. But when I am creating with intention, intuition and imagination, I experience an overall sense of peace and contentment with the path that I'm currently on as an artist. I look forward to continuing my journey as I make space for the creative unknown.

What does your creative practice look like?

My creative practice ebbs and flows. I have times where I rest and observe more. During these times, I read books about creativity, I practice yoga and meditation more consistently, I explore other artists' works for inspiration, I keep my hand moving by scribbling and doodling, I spend more time in nature, and I try to notice the details in everyday life. I consider all of these things very valuable and meaningful parts of my creative practice, even though I am not necessarily spending lots of time creating finished products. I need these down times to refill the well.

Other times, I paint quite frequently. Each painting is different. Some paintings pull themselves together within a couple of days. Some paintings take time to unfold over a couple of weeks. And some paintings, I put to the side for several months with the intention to return to later when the time feels right.

What sort of creative walls do you hit?

Sometimes I feel quite unmotivated and it's hard to get started. During those times, I paint in short spurts. I'll paint for 20 minutes, then take a break to do something else for a few minutes, come back to the painting for a bit, and so forth. Easing in and not putting the pressure on myself that I need to paint for hours at the time and I need to churn out a finished piece usually helps me get into the flow. And I often end up getting excited about and getting further along into a painting than I would have initially expected, given how unmotivated I may have started out feeling.
At other times, if I just can't get into the flow, I give myself permission to accept feeling unmotivated. And I know that my mood and feelings and desire to create can and will shift. I know that if I keep showing up, just as I am, the muse will return.