We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shelby Fleming a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shelby, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
I think everything around us and our experiences shape how we create. The more we expose ourselves to, the more material we have to pull from. As a mixed media multidisciplinary artist, I think it’s important to be open to learning new things, going on long hikes, and doing movie marathons. There is no telling when inspiration will hit you or how you will be inspired to create but your mind needs data to pull from in order to create. The people and communities I surround myself with also give me creative energy and inspires me to continue creating. Applying for shows and opportunities allows me to reach a new group of people and create goals or benchmarks for my creative practice. I also attend creative drawing outings, community forms, and try to create my own opportunities for creatives through a monthly craft night in our studio space.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I grew up surrounded by corn and horseradish fields in the bluffs of Collinsville, Illinois 20 minutes east of Saint Louis. I was definitely influenced by the many galleries, museums, and art community that Saint Louis had to offer. Growing up I had always wanted to be an artist. It wasn’t until I attended Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville that I found my passion for sculpture and teaching. After receiving my Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, I was accepted into graduate school at the University of Arkansas School of Art in North West Arkansas (NWA). During my time in NWA I took advantage of the many grant opportunities that the university and larger region offered; to curate a number of shows, present my work at the International Sculpture Conference, and attend artist residencies at Vermont Studio Center, Chautauqua School of Art, and Chateau Orquevaux, France in 2024. I still live and work in NWA and continue to be amazed by the humble art community we have here. There are amazing opportunities around every corner to display artwork and local funding opportunities make large projects and installations like mine a reality. My studio is nestled on top of one of the largest peeks in Fayetteville, Arkansas on the campus of Mount Sequoyah. The space is inspiring but, the community is what makes it unique. I am joined by over 100 artists who make up the Mount Sequoyah art community and with its newly opened ceramic studio our community continues to expand. My art practice is cross disciplinary, with a focus on sculpture, installation, performance art, and fashion design. Whether it is abstract or representational, my work revolves around the human body’s fragility and resilience as it faces internal, external, or psychological factors. My latest body of work is titled “Bold and Brittle” where I explore the fragility of the human body while being bold in the manner it is displayed. I am currently working on creating plaster armor for the NWA Wowza Ball on Feb 10. The wearable artwork is ironic in that armor should be protective but in this case since it is made of plaster it is delicate and instead gives me the opportunity to express the unseen complication of the body.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
I wish these three qualities came in a handbook at the start of my career, they were things I acquired over time and through years of experience. They also require practice and being patient with yourself.
1) Be your authentic self. A portrait painting sells at an art show for $10,000, great! but that’s not what I do. Do not try to be something you are not, it’s disingenuous and does your own identity and artwork a disservice. You are at your best when you are embracing your passion.
2) Be unapologetically BOLD. Do not be afraid to try new things. Happy accidents are sometimes the best ways to develop new mark making techniques in the studio. But maybe you decided to take a larger leap and become a full-time artist. Just make sure you are mentally prepared to put in the work!
3) Take time to appreciate yourself. This is your project, your artwork. You did that! Appreciate and admire your accomplishments. Let other people know about your accomplishments, it’s not bragging! No one will ever know about how bada** you are unless you tell them all the cool things you are up to.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
I decided to start off 2024 by being my authentic self and being unapologetically bold by launching my own independent art consulting and fabrication company. Clients can request the following services: 3D printing, 3D modeling, Laser project creation, Laser files, CNC Files, and machine maintenance for lasers, 3D, and Resin printers. So far it has been a huge success and I hope to keep this momentum by started an eCommerce and project request form on my website shelbylynnefleming.com
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shelbylynnefleming.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shelbylynnefleming
