We recently connected with Elizabeth Decker and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Elizabeth, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
I have to give my mother 98% credit for my optimism. I operated in the 2-5 % range and I worked hard to achieve that percentage: Therapy, meditation, yoga, healthy relationships, lifestyle changes…you name it, I tried it. I used to tell my mother when she rolled her eyes and said, Wizzy, you need to look at the positive side of things and I would shoot back and say something like…I do but I’m also a realist. She’d just shake her head and laugh, which would only frustrate me more. It wasn’t until the end of my mother’s life that I finally understood that she really does look at the world through rose-colored glasses and what a gift to not be burdened with negativity or depression, which is a place I operated from for the majority of my life. My mother, always empathetic, couldn’t relate nor could I relate to her constant sunny disposition. However, she was my biggest cheerleader no matter what I did, she showered me with praise and compliments. It didn’t matter what new idea I came up with for a show, a new series of work, another book, whether I submitted to an art residency or gallery…(many which I didn’t get into), she never doubted my ability to succeed. Towards the end of Covid in the Spring of 2021, I decided to sell my house and everything in it and go off into the world without a plan; to have new experiences, meet new people and be open to any opportunity that would cross my path. I wanted to be free and in the back of my mind, I wanted to be reintroduced to me. The me without the duffle bag of stress I had been carrying around for the last few decades. She thought this was a fantastic idea! So off I went and she never missed a post, always saying something positive. I can’t say it was easy at first…being out in the world alone but it was my mother’s love and constant affirmations that I was having an extraordinary life that kept me moving forward. The bonus beauty of how I set up my new life is that when my mother was diagnosed with Stage 4 Cancer, I was able to spend many months with her. Just the two of us doing girlie things, laughing, seeing movies, going out to eat, sharing stories. What struck me the most was her infectious optimism. She made the conscious choice in the face of an incurable disease to LIVE, and she did right up until the end. Something happened in the final moments of her life, as I held her hand and kissed her cheek, she left but not without gifting me her rose-colored glasses- eternal optimism. A wordless exchange that changed my outlook on life.
2.5 years later, I’m still on the road, having experiences and curious where/when I will find “my place” to create a home. Sure, I have moments of doubt and some gloomy days but then I hear my mother’s voice, Wizzy, don’t give up. Keep going.
I smile and say, Thank you mama. Thank you for always being with me and thank you for your rose-colored glasses.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I’m a painter and a lazy writer. I have a lot of ideas, some which I execute, some that I don’t but I’ve been able to let go of my obsession with how things are going to turn out and instead focus on the “allowing” part of my life. Allowing what comes naturally in the time in which it does. No pressure. No specific time line. No attachment. It’s part of the Trust-Fall experiment I’ve created over the past 2.5 years.
For the past two decades I’ve been focused on building my career and reputation as a painter and I personally feel my work has evolved and grown and I have evolved and grown. My work as an abstract psychological portrait artist – as identified by my LA gallery rep., Petra Wright- is work that directly mirrors my life story; whatever I may be moving through at the time but always allowing the space to pivot and change.
Painting for me began and still is a form of therapy. A way in which I can communicate how I’m being effected by my internal self-world and the external word. A Mediation. A Meditation. A Dance. A Purge. A Cleanse. A beginning, middle and end to a story. When I first begin a painting, I have a feeling and a blurry idea of what it is I want to say, so I begin with a color and loose bold strokes and go from there. It almost always becomes a face or a figure. When the painting begins to reveal itself to me, I move in to enhance and/or reshape certain characteristics like eyes and lips. Over the years I’ve moved from mid-size canvases to large un-stretched pieces rolled out on the floor and sometimes I trace myself and other times I just pour paint and see where it leads me. I’m excited about the process of not knowing and the discovery when it all comes together. Often times, it’s a complete surprise.
I’ve been working in the vibrant art community of Austin, TX for 13 years and credit all that time as a big personal growth period both professionally and personally. I met a lot of great people who have encouraged and helped me to develop my style but more importantly, to not give up. Being a big supporter of art as a therapeutic tool, it was in Austin I created and directed a writing and art program for teens, Women and Veterans: Create Your Story with Powerful Words and Bold Colors. I believe self expression of personal story through writing and art not only helps us connect and understand ourselves but also helps us understand and connect with others. It’s about sharing our stories and opening up a conversation that connects us as human beings and as an artist, I think that is my biggest goal. To connect. Maybe my story isn’t your story but we share the emotion of being human and I think that’s something that’s been getting a little foggy with social media, texting, AI, etc. Sometimes we just need to sit down in front of a piece of art, go out and listen to live music, have an in-person- personal conversation…be present. That’s why I love the workshops I direct because it puts people in a room together having a creative, emotional experience and invites them to open up and share. It’s gift.
As I mentioned earlier, I sold everything 2.5 years ago so my studio life has changed a bit because I’ve been travelling the world. I don’t paint as big on a regular basis but instead I make notes in a journal or sketch book from what I’m experiencing in different countries and I can say the vibe of a city or remote island is definitely reflected in my work. Sometimes I’m invited to stay a few moths in a place and when that happens I can create a body of work based on my travel experiences. Most recently, I returned to Austin where a friend offered me a place to stay, another friend offered me a studio to paint and another friend organized an exhibition. All a giant success that lead me to Barcelona, Spain for another opening then on to Bali, where I had an epiphany for a new body of work incorporating the Five Senses and Four Elements. I’m really excited to begin this new project so I may be looking for a place to work for the next five months!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I did not go to school for art but I can say that the three most impactful areas as far as my development as an artist and human have been: Therapy. Moving to a place of stillness and observation. Trust.
In addition, travel has played a key role in the last few years and I believe that no matter what your journey is, you need to go out and have experiences in real time. Invite some fiends over for a meal and cook. Go out and listen to live music. Dance. If you’re convinced you aren’t an artist, that shouldn’t keep you from creating. Play. Don’t over think it.
The best life lesson (s) I’ve been introduced to within the last month happened during my visit to Bali. I spent some time at the Bali Meditation Center with the Teaching Buddhist Monks who were visiting from Thailand.
1. Experience life with the curiosity of a seven year old.
2. Know how to give without expectations. Give encouraging advice to yourself and to others.
3. Give support to others without expecting anything in return.
4. Give safety and security.
Sebie-sebie (Relax and take it easy)
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
My confidence as a person in the last 12 months has probably been the biggest area of growth and I can directly link this to my decision to let go of everything I knew to be safe and go out into the world without a plan and trust that the universe has my back. Sometimes you need to get out of the box, move beyond the borders of safety we generally are conforatable living within and expand. Expand your ideas. Expand your experiences. Trust.
Travel has made my world bigger. Richer. As a result, I’ve not only met new people but Ive made friends and created opportunities I would not have had sitting at home.
I realize not everyone can do what I have done and I don’t think you need to. It can be as simple as exploring a new neighbourhood, making a new friend or taking a class.
I think meditation is an important tool as well. It helps you align with yourself. Mellows out your central nervous system and for a person who has trouble sitting quietly while trying to zap the traffic of stories moving through my brain, I try not to put too much pressure on “doing it right”. Just get quiet. Breathe. Lie down if it helps. Like the monks say…there is no wrong way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elizabethdeckerproductions.blogspot.com
- Instagram: IG@elidecker (art page) [email protected] (my travel page)
- Facebook: Elizabeth Decker
- Linkedin: elizabeth-decker-60799413
Image Credits
Headshot of me Photo Credit : Ricardo Acevedo IG@acevedoricardo2016
