We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ana Stapleton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ana below.
Ana, 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 tend towards the creative by nature. My favorite toys growing up were Lincoln Logs, the spirograph, and my prized 64 count Crayola box with a built in sharpener. I spent hours in my grandma’s sewing closet, digging through fabric, trim, and buttons I’d then use to embellish the Barbie townhouse I kept redecorating, I was always looking for ways to make something “new” from collected bits and scraps.
After an unfortunate detour through law school, I pivoted back into the creative through a serendipitous opportunity to work in the art department of a feature film. Making movies is infinitely creative, it’s a convergence of multiple art forms: writing, production design, props, wardrobe, construction, art direction, acting, choreography, music, and editing. It requires creative problem solving and collaboration at every level. The twelve plus years I worked on films grew my natural bent towards the creative into a deep foundational mindset of looking at almost everything through a creative lens. My younger self that loved making things felt at home there AND learned the nuts and bolts of using imagination to create worlds that don’t exist.. If we needed a 20 foot lime green turtle for the scene and couldn’t find one, we’d make it.
That era of my career fostered my belief that daily life is full of opportunities for discovery and creative expression if you’re open to it. I keep my creativity alive by actively looking through that lens as I move through the world. Not every day is a creative, of course. There’s plenty of tedium in the everyday, but I try to keep my eyes open for the small delights and odd details that might lead somewhere interesting. I also make a point of integrating creative experiences into my life. I follow art accounts that will keep me inspired, take art workshops, dance in my kitchen, and, of course, watch lots of movies.
A few years ago, I decided to commit to a daily art practice full time, which was a giant leap of faith. I rented a studio space, and showed up at the canvas even when I didn’t feel like it. That consistency has helped keep my creativity alive. Knowing that I’ll make bad art or just ok art and still showing up allows for the evolution of the work. Because there is magic that comes from the mistakes and the missteps. My paintings have been in more “f’ugly” stages than I can count, but eventually I end up with a body of work that represents my true voice. I recently had my very first art show, and was pleasantly surprised by how well it went. I can say that making art begets making more art, full stop. If i don’t try to create, there is no chance for creativity to breathe and unfold. So, I’ll keep my eyes open for delight, and I’ll keep showing up. That’s the formula for me.
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 Mexican born artist and writer living in Austin, Texas. I recently took a leap of faith and committed myself to painting full time and growing an art business. Austin is full of creative success stories, and the perfect city in which to make the leap. I’ve been interviewed for a few art podcasts since, and hosted my first art show in April. It was a blast, and most of my paintings sold, so that gives me confidence that people are interested in what I have to offer. I paint with joy, curiosity, and a sense of humor, and I think a lot of people can connect with that. I bring my Mexican/Texas border roots to the canvas, and play with the cultural contrasts I observe there and in the lived female experience. I also paint about being mediocre at, but obsessed with, the game of tennis. It’s exciting to launch my business in the robust environment of social media and technology, which allows so much freedom, growth and community for emerging artists, in a way that the traditional gallery system couldn’t. I’m currently working on a series of paintings about luck, and planning another art show for November.
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?
My creative career spans the worlds of art, film, hospitality, and design. Looking back on it all, the three qualities or skills that have been most impactful for me personally are: First, showing up with an open heart and the willingness to be flexible and pivot with the flow of the what the job requires. Second, enthusiasm for the opportunity in front of me, even when things get boring or dull, and maintaining an attitude of optimism. Every single job I’ve had has prepared me in some way for the next one, so I try to focus on staying excited and grateful for that growth. Third, thinking creatively, as a general outlook. The movie business was full of surprises, odd requests, and seemingly impossible scenarios. Could we turn the bowling alley into a church in two days, or vice versa? YES, we could. Could I find ten taxi-dermied squirrels in positions of death for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre prequel? YES, I could. Even before Google, with only the yellow pages at my disposal, I tracked down a teenager who’d won a squirrel shooting contest (or was it taxidermy?) and made it happen. I found myself in the middle of a dusty field outside Elgin, talking with the one toothed owner of a defunct slaughter house, hoping to buy rusty meathooks for a horror film, or negotiating with a BMW dealer for a shiny S5 convertible loaner for the spy movie. The details were different, but they were all based in the question, can we make this bonkers, far fetched thing happen? And the answer was invariably YES.
My advice for those starting out is to first ask themselves WHY they are doing the thing they’re doing, what is the end goal? If they start to get really clear about their North star or even just their next best place to land, it makes everything more intentional. But also, to balance this exercise of forward thinking with a commitment to staying present, to looking for the small wins along the way, and finding gratitude for the daily growth. And to tune into their gut instinct. If something feels super wrong or off about the situation, to really trust that and reality test it. My gut instinct from the very first day of law school was “get out, this is awful, do NOT follow this path”. Because I wasn’t in danger, I chose to complete that education, to have it as a tool, but I knew. And as soon as I could, I pivoted. But the first movie job I got was because I did have a law degree, so there you have it!
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
As an emerging artist, the challenge I face is how to strategically grow my business in the current atmosphere of social media marketing. While it is a huge win that artists are more able than ever to sell their work online and outside the traditional gallery system, it is still daunting to embark on this new adventure with so many options and short attention spans. I recently had my first art show and was floored at the layers of platforms I needed to lean to have a successful and professional show. I’d barely finished teaching myself how to build my website and online shop through Square Space, when I realized I needed an email marketing platform for my newsletter, plus a creator account on Instagram, just to start. For the show, I also needed to teach myself how to use Artwork Archive for inventory and labelling, and then Square Up to process payments. The learning curve was steep, and I’m still climbing. I’m currently learning the finer points of using reels, trending audio, and even Pinterest as a marketing tool. My show was a success, thank goodness, but now I am wondering what’s the next right step. The challenge is to not only have a strong and clear vision for my business but also how to get there, when there are so many different perspectives on how to proceed.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.anastapleton.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anastapletonart/
- Facebook: Ana Martinez Stapleton
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