Lorraine Bubar’s Stories, Lessons & Insights

Lorraine Bubar shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Lorraine, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Coffee first! I am a dedicated runner, so I like to get up very early and get out the door for a morning run. Along the way I am on the lookout for my morning “awe moment,” which can be the sky, a flower, a bird…. But, before I get to my run I need to have my cup of coffee and read a few pages of whatever library book I am reading. So, now you know I love morning coffee, running, nature, reading, and libraries.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a painter and I “paint with paper.” I had a realization that there are so many cultures around the world that have a form of papercutting. I decided to cut my work out of paper to connect with this cultural heritage, done many different ways but always as an artform that is created by hand, My papercutting also honors the heritage of handmade paper making found in many countries, including Nepal, Japan, and Thailand. The imagery I include in my work illustrates the fragile and unique environments found around the world and places that I have traveled to and explored. My colorful paper pieces are cut with an xacto knife and include the plants, animals, and insects that are threatened in this changing world.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who taught you the most about work?
My first career out of college was working in the Animation Industry, working for small production companies that made television commercials. Each 15 or 30 second commercial was creating a film with a unique art style and message that had to be conveyed. We worked as a team with very tight deadlines, so I learned to be a team player, to work hard, to accept criticism, and to learn by making mistakes, Animation was a very labor intensive artform and I still work at that detailed, slow, patient pace. I learned from every person on those film projects.

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
I run marathons and the last six miles is never easy. What I have learned, through that suffering and joy, is that I can get through very hard challenges. I can “hit the wall” and come out the other side. Experiencing things being very hard and then putting your mind to overcoming the challenge and then seeing the accomplishment from the other side is empowering. I apply that self-awareness to all of my life experiences now. I know what it feels like for things to be very hard and what it takes to push to get over the hurdle or obstacle and not give up.

I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What’s a cultural value you protect at all costs?
Community. It is extremely important to help each other, including family, friends, neighbors, and our larger environments. We need to fight to keep the environments we live in safe healthy so that everyone in our communities stay healthy. There are many ways that people are isolated and lonely, whether from aging alone or working virtually. Finding and forming community is harder than ever. There so many challenges in this world today and we all need to make the commitment to help, whether it is financially or physically or emotionally.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. What will you regret not doing? 
I will regret not getting to as many of this planet’s natural formations as I could. I am filled with gratitude that I have been able to travel and hike in beautiful places, including Antarctica and the Galapagos and many of our National Parks. I have been fortunate to be the Artist in Residence in numerous National Parks including Denali in Alaska, Acadia in Maine, Big Bend in Texas, Zion in Utah, and the Redwoods National and State Parks. Each has had its own unique geological beauty, color palette, and species that I captured in my art. In these residencies, I have been immersed for two weeks or more to give me the chance to explore numerous trails and absorb as much as possible. I am grateful that I have developed an art style that has lead me to these opportunities and also has worked well to capture what makes each place so unique. But, my bucket list of places I hope to get to does not get any shorter. I love my days that start off with awe moments. I hope to have many more of those kinds of days and will regret there may not be enough.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lorrainebubar.com
• Instagram: lorrainebubarartist
• Facebook: lorrainebubarartist