Meet Hannah Claire

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Hannah Claire. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Hannah below.

Hannah, we are so appreciative of you taking the time to open up about the extremely important, albeit personal, topic of mental health. Can you talk to us about your journey and how you were able to overcome the challenges related to mental issues? For readers, please note this is not medical advice, we are not doctors, you should always consult professionals for advice and that this is merely one person sharing their story and experience.

To be completely truthful with you I was hesitant to talk about my own mental health issues when being interviewed about my art career and artistic journey. Professionally we are always told to put our best foot forward. To present ourselves in the best light. Unfortunately in this society mental health is treated like this huge unspeakable stigma. We are convinced since childhood that we can’t possibly be the best version of ourselves. That we can’t succeed if we have real struggles but the truth is there is no path to success without struggles. So many have carved out an incredible journey for themselves all while dealing with their own mental health problems. Unfortunately we are taught that it’s unfeasible to speak about or be honest about our mental health. This has made us grow to fear uttering out truths and owning our whole selves, especially in the public eye. So we hide those parts away when what this world needs is raw, unrelenting truth. We need to show all the others that it’s ok to struggle. That the real growth is done in getting back up and learning how to move forward. In light of this I am choosing to find my courage to be the voice so many need. If others cannot then I will be the light in the dark, so yes I have struggled greatly in life with my anxiety, depression, and PTSD. In some ways it has been about overcoming my mental health especially in the social aspect of my career. As most artists can vouch, our mental struggles can make us feel like we’re imposters in our own skin. Like we are unworthy of praise and we should belittle our talents. In so many ways, it’s been about embracing my mental health issues. Creating art helped me heal and work through my traumas, but without what I went through mentally I don’t think I would have got where I am or that my art would have reached the potential it has. In other words, yes I have overcome many challenges related to my mental health to get where I am but I will NOT hide those parts of myself. I will stand up showing my whole truth and hopefully that will give a few more genuine souls will find the courage to do the same.

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 am a small time artist from Iowa, although I did spend my teenage years in the PNW. I also spent many childhood summers traveling across the U.S. with my father seeing all kinds of different landscapes and cultures. This exposure to the different aspects of our country, as well as my own personal experiences through life, has helped shape my art style. I currently run my art business HclaireArtz as well as work as a mental health tech trying to make the world a little better each day through my art and my work On that note I should probably give everyone a little synapses of what I like to create. I like to make vibrant works of art using acrylics and watercolors mixing realism with abstract. I normally paint people, animals, plant life, and landscapes but I do occasionally venture into new projects like the glass bottles I’ve been painting and turning into lanterns.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

3 things or skills/qualities that were most impactful in my journey are empathy, determination, and patience. Empathy has allowed me not only to understand things from others point of views, it has allowed me to connect to individuals on a deeper level. Determination, on the other hand, has allowed me to keep striving for my dreams no matter how much opposition or rejection I face. Patience has had huge impact on my journey. Patience has taught me temperance and helped me understand when the opportunities are right for me and when I should kindly step aside and let those more suited shine brightly.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Art has always helped me through things, so when I get overwhelmed I tend to turn to painting or drawing. Art is one of the only things that can pull my focus outside of my own mind. I don’t really have any strategies but my advice would be find what works for you. We are all different, so nobody can just tell you exactly what will work for you. Nobody has the secret to a cure-all no matter what they claim. What works for one may not work for you, so look back and what brings you the most joy. What are you passionate about or go out on a limb and try something completely new.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hclaireartz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hclaireartz
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hclaireartz/