We recently connected with Alex Duncan and have shared our conversation below.
Alex, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
Developing resilience was never optional for me. My mother had always been a relatively high-functioning alcoholic for the majority of my childhood, but when my parents divorced she spiraled. She began drinking heavily and eventually developed an addiction to crack, I quickly had to become the adult of the house while hiding my home life from friends, teachers, even my dad. If anyone found out the conditions I was living in, I would have been taken away from her. I should have been taken away from her, but then who would make sure there was something other than alcohol in the fridge, that the dogs got fed, that she didn’t overdosed in the middle of the night? I couldn’t let that happen, so I endured. During the day, I went to school and for 8 hours I got to pretend that I was fine, but at night I had to return to what had essentially devolved into crack den. When her friends, for lack of a better word, made me feel unsafe, I would lock myself in my room and create a world where I did feel safe. I would read, write, make art, anything I could to do to escape into myself. At 17 I went no-contact my mom and it remained that way until 10 years later when she got sober. Even though I wish my childhood had been more stable, I don’t know how I would have survived some of the things life has thrown at my if I hadn’t developed my resilience from all those years under pressure.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m a multidisciplinary artist focused mainly on digital collage, but I also integrate fiber art and painting into my practice. I believe escapism plays a vital role in leading a full life, my mental health certainly depends on it, so my work uses dreamy visuals of the past and present to tell a story viewers can get lost in. I’m inspired by tender moments between mother and child, couples in love, beautiful, far away places, and all the things that make living worthwhile. The goal of my work is to offer a soft landing space for the viewer to either set aside or process whatever is happening in their lives.
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?
It may sound crazy, but I owe a lot to my impulsivity. It’s allowed me to take a “leap of faith” approach to life, and most of the time it works out great. I haven’t gotten myself into anything I couldn’t get of yet, so I’m calling it a win. Adaptability is important for everyone, but especially those of us who like to be a bit more impulsive. My ability to adapt to different situations is what keeps me going in the aftermath of going with my gut (making impulsive decisions), and it’s what allows me thrive in times of change without being scared. I know that, come what may, I’ll always be able to get through it and I may just end up thriving in ways I never could’ve predicted. Most importantly, I think. is patience. It’s not something that comes naturally to me, but I’ve been working on it . Patience isn’t an innate virtue, it’s a skill that has to be cultivated. When you’re building anything you have to be patient and attentive if you want to see results.
That’s probably the best advice I could give to artists that are just starting out in the art market: be patient and keep going. I’ve spoken to too many people about how they wanted to be an artist, or they use to create but gave it up, and it’s honestly heartbreaking. If you quit today, you may never know what opportunity could’ve come tomorrow that would launch you to the next level in your career.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I would love to work with designers who are into fun, colorful interiors. Minimalist, institutional beige is on it’s way out, mark my words. I want to work with people who are passionate about transforming spaces into something special. It would also be cool to collaborate with more traditional artists and merge analog and digital, which is something I want to explore more. Anyone wanting to work with me can reach me at [email protected].
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alexduncanart.com
- Instagram: @alexdunkieart
Image Credits
Jackie Marie Photography
Alex Duncan
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