Meet Susie McColgan

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Susie McColgan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Susie, thank you so much for joining us. You are such a positive person and it’s something we really admire and so we wanted to start by asking you where you think your optimism comes from?

To be honest, I’m not sure.
But what I do know is whenever something happens that didnt go according to my plan I step back, process, figure out if I can do anything to change or help the situation, then I somehow “flip it” into looking at it from an accepting, different point-of-view. Somehow that turns it into something I can see something good or positive about it. I always know I cannot change the past, you just have to make choices about how you’re going to react, or move forward about it. One thing to think about is why waste precious time stewing about something when in that same time you could be in an upbeat, happy and creative place that allows you to bring joy into the world!

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 am a Michigan based artist, growing up enjoying the great lakes and the beautiful vast skies and sunsets. My grandmother gave me her oil paint set when I was nine and I’ve been painting ever since. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a BFA I worked throughout Michigan as an art director producing award winning illustrations and designs. Throughout the commercial work, my painting and portraiture was always my greatest joy and passion which I then dedicated my energies and career to the arts and my painting . Unfortunately in 2019 I had a near-death accident with multiple injuries and surgeries and after a year of recovery, I was able to paint again. During this traumatic experience a new appreciation for life emerged, I am so grateful, my painting has become my highest passion, painting as much as I can, painting from my heart and sharing it with the world!
I work hard, am passionate to create paintings that can help people. I feel the place I take the viewer is multi-dimensional both in touching places in their memories, in their hearts and taking them through a story leading to a safe enjoyable emotional place. My paintings create a healing energy through strategic color and lighting relationships and design, bringing feelings of comfort, warmth, hope and peaceful harmony. I have begun guest podcasting, guest speaking and creating products that inform and show people how they can bring the strategies of Art in Healing into their everyday life and home!

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?

1. Developing my drawing to be as accurate as possible was the most impactful, profound skill I developed in my art journey. I utilize a mathematical measuring of everything through my eye, like a computer plotting on paper what I am seeing before me. This process of creating something I wanted to take with me and remember seemed like magic to me when I was little but that process has been my foundation throughout my art career. This skill provides a solid foundation to then develop your art in any way you wish whether it be representational or abstract or anything!
2. One of my favorite and most valuable mantras is Be Objective. Save the subjective for your expressions of feelings, purposes and intentions. The greatest skill to any creation of art is to allow yourself to analyze your own art. If something doesn’t look right, or looks awkward, or if the color isn’t doing what you want it to, then fix it. Be objective. Cover part up, rotate the canvas, wipe it off, take time to let your mind tell you what would make it right. Don’t let the emotion make you want to give up.
3. Above all, keep believing in yourself. To never give up. Remind yourself to Just Be You.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

“Surround Yourself with Colors that Love Each Other, Transform your Brain & Body in 3 easy steps”

I am looking for ways to share my knowledge about Art in Healing, a scientifically proven approach to help relieve stress, depression and anxiety and help immune systems fight right! With over twenty years expertise with being contracted throughout the state of Michigan’s Hospitals, Healthcare, Corporate and Residential, I want to bring this life-changing approach into everyone’s lives.

I would love to be a podcast guest, a guest speaker (live or virtual), and/or contribute to national magazine publications.

I am also looking for collaborations with retail companies to have my floral paintings created on fabric used for various clothing and accessory designs!

Contact Info:

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