Hello, my name is Laura and I am a mixed media artist based in Austin, TX. I love to play around and experiment in my art journals, and also enjoy dabbling in abstract, collage, and floral artworks. My favorite thing about art is that there are no rules - the only requirement is that whatever you create makes you happy! My main goal when I began sharing my art was to show people that you don't have to be classified as an artist to pick up a paintbrush. Your art doesn't have to be perfect, or even 'good' - it's the act of creating that matters. 

I am married to a wonderful husband, who is the person who first nudged me down my artistic path about 10 years ago (although he probably didn't realize how much money I would spend on art supplies!).  I am also the mother to two teenage boys, and a full-time Sonographer.

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What does Art is Magic mean to you?

The phrase itself represents the idea that art is magical. It does so many things for the one creating as well as the one viewing. For the creator, it is an outlet, a stress reliever, a therapist, a communication tool; for the viewer, it evokes emotion and connection. It is magical and reaches everyone.

Tell us about your journey to become an artist? 

I have always had a desire to create, stretching way back to when I was a kid. I wanted to paint, draw, write, sing, and do anything and everything creative. But I have also been a huge self critic, even when I was that young kid. I always thought everyone else’s art was better than mine, so I never really committed to anything. 

Fast forward to adulthood, and I had no hobbies or outlets to call my own, I was in school and working, had two kids, and I was super stressed. So, my husband suggested that I find a hobby that could also be a stress-reliever. I did some research and landed on art journaling. It was art for you, not for anyone else if you didn’t want to share it, and the best part was - it didn’t have to be a masterpiece! It could be whatever, look like whatever, and it was still art and beneficial. That whole idea changed my life. 

It has been 10 years since then, and art has become an integral part of my life. It helps me manage stress, and it has been an important part of boosting my self esteem and self worth. I have grown a lot over these years not only as an artist, but as a person, and I am still growing. 

What sort of creative walls do you hit? 

Sometimes, I just don’t feel like creating. Other times, I hit a wall because I want to create EVERYTHING and I just don’t know where to start. That’s the hardest wall for me to get past because of that overwhelming feeling that causes me to just sit at my art table and stare at all my supplies, almost like I’m paralyzed. 

What do you do to move through them? 

I like to make lists, so when I have all these ideas rattling around in my brain of these different things I want to do or try, I will write them down. This gets the ideas a little more organized and helps me breathe a little. Now I have a list that is easier to tackle, and when I do something, I can cross it off and feel accomplished. During this process, I will often get side tracked by what I am doing, and end up realizing that maybe I don’t need to try this other thing right this moment, and I will leave it on my list to try in the future as whatever I'm doing now has my full attention.