Meet Annie Thompson

We recently connected with Annie Thompson and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Annie, thank you so much for making time for us today. Let’s jump right into a question so many in our community are looking for answers to – how to overcome creativity blocks, writer’s block, etc. We’d love to hear your thoughts or any advice you might have.

Creativity blocks are unavoidable. Let’s start there. I have found that the best, or only, way available to me is to work amid a block. Often, you will formulate ideas that excite you and ignite your efforts to bring them to life. Have you ever experienced working on an idea like this and when it’s completed, you realize it was a bad or unworthy idea to begin with? It goes the opposite way for creative blocks. You may have nothing of substance or value to offer, but when you work through the fumes of uncertainty, you grab the chance to create something you hadn’t anticipated; something truly surprising and exciting; something better than you. Most of the time, when I feel I have nothing to paint, I have to prepare myself to keep working off of mundane or even embarrassing ideas; I have to keep digging and putting in the work in the hopes that I may strike gold eventually. I have a better chance of finding my creativity and reverence for painting with this method than I do by turning off the studio light and walking away. Of course, you have to self-monitor yourself and give grace when you truly take a break to recharge. But, I always feel better walking home late at night knowing I made something truly abysmal than nothing at all.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am an artist who was born and raised in Florida, and who currently resides in Philadelphia, PA where I received my MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). I am a representational oil painter dedicated to perceptual painting and self-portraiture, driven by observation, introspection, and a sense of the theatrical. In my studio practice, I utilize traditional painting techniques to depict self-portraits and object arrangements in the studio’s interior that relate inanimate objects to the self. I am excited to be included in three upcoming exhibitions, those being “Convergence of Cares” with artists Catherine Haverkamp and Sarah Joy Dunlap at Side Street Gallery on Sept. 6th, the 160th Small Oils Exhibition at the Philadelphia Sketch Club on Sept. 8th, and the WAC 2024 Faculty Exhibition at the Wayne Art Center (WAC) on Sept. 22nd.

Beyond my efforts as a working artist, I am also an educator. I spent much time during my studies at PAFA as a teaching assistant in various high school and undergraduate programs. As a recent graduate, I am venturing out to find new opportunities to mentor students in the classroom. This includes joining the faculty at WAC to teach a teen and adult drawing and painting course this upcoming fall. I have found that uplifting students in the classroom to be fulfilling for me, where I can both foster their interests and skill sets as visual artists and learn myself. I am continually blown away by the hunger and determined attitude of my previous students to learn how to draw and paint. I find that both the teacher and the student inspire one another to rise to the occasion.

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?

What I can speak to from my own experience, specifically as a painter, is this: surround yourself with peers and mentors who are supportive, forthcoming, and share similar sensibilities; put in the work to develop the foundational knowledge and skill-sets necessary in your field of work or interests, while giving yourself grace as it takes time to attain your goals (every milestone, even small, is worth celebrating!); and be true to yourself, as understanding who you are and what you desire allows you to make important decisions as time goes on. This is all very ambiguous and generic, but these lessons have been particularly important for me to learn along the way. As a painter, I’ve worked hard (through socializing and even moving far away from home) to build an enriching art community and find key mentors to attain knowledge and resources that would not have been available. I’ve needed to be patient with the process of becoming a painter, both in craftsmanship and profession, realizing that no matter how “well” I paint or how often I get to paint or how much I make monetarily from painting, each step in this journey should be enjoyed and that I always have more to learn. In my painting process, it has also allowed me to investigate my specific interests and explore my taste. I’m still discovering what I like, but the more artists I learn about and the more work I’m exposed to, the more I get the opportunity to find out what gets me excited. 

Oh, also failure and rejection are inevitable. It always hurts but it’s important. Push through. 
 

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?

Currently, I am looking for opportunities to teach in higher education and art centers. It’s a difficult time for aspiring art educators, especially in a city like Philadelphia, where art schools are rapidly closing. I one day would love to teach in an undergraduate art program, but I’m finding roundabout ways to get there. I have several art mentors who are well-established in the area who are providing me with sound advice while trying to navigate the world of higher education, which I am extremely grateful for. As of this current moment, I have set my sights on teaching in various art centers to establish myself as an arts educator and gain vital classroom experience.

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