Meet Laurie Maves Guglielmi

We were lucky to catch up with Laurie Maves Guglielmi recently and have shared our conversation below.

Laurie Maves, 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 keep my creativity alive in many ways. In the mornings I like to journal briefly (or sometimes extensively) after or during my cup of coffee. I write about what dreams I had if I can remember them and also about what happened the day before. And I try to do this before opening my phone. As each day passes I grow weary of this device that has made my life so simple but seems to have robbed me and many people I know of doing anything besides doom scrolling.
I also am constantly collecting ideas from projects, to journal prompts, to books and authors to read. Some days I just play in my studio – I’ll work with collage or colored pencils. This past spring I tried working with gouache for a couple of months. Most recently I’ve been painting large scale with palette knives and kitchen spatulas. I keep looking for new and different ways to express the ideas and images that pool around inside my brain. And if I’m feeling really stuck, I go for a walk, go to the gym or practice yoga. I don’t feel as if my creativity is ever at risk of “dying” per se. But sometimes I get tired. And when I do, I rest.

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?

My “brand” isn’t really a brand. But my hope is that my art, my art therapy services and now my yoga and meditation classes will help others in whatever ways they can. My hope is that my work is of service to others, whether I provide large scale artwork to provide a statement piece for a home or office, if I provide a class or workshop around art making and creative expression, or if I’m providing an in person or online yoga and meditation class, my aim is to help others heal or to learn how to heal themselves. Sometimes providing large scale artwork can transform a room and provide a focal point for meditative reflection. This is one of my favorite things to do is to work with clients to create an image for their home that will bring stillness and tranquility. But oftentimes I can also do this by holding space for others in classes. However I spend my time working, the most important aspect for me is to identify how best to help others.

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?

I would say the three most important qualities of working in the creative field that I do is that number 1, you have to be open. And to be open I mean, you have to be flexible with your ideas, your timelines, your expectations. Be open to what is possible, be open to your creativity and be open to taking risks. The more you are open the more you can accomplish. Number 2, be willing to fail. I have had so many failure I can’t even count them all. Failed paintings. Failed relationships. Failed classes. Etc. all the failure means to me is that I’m trying things out of my comfort zone. I’m trying things that might be out of my wheelhouse. But each time I try, I get a little closer to learning something new. I get better at learning my limits. I get better at what I already know. Just be willing to put yourself out there, and know that failure is just part of being human. Number 3 – and I always say this in every interview – make work and make a lot of work. Make work in your sleep make work when you wake up. Make good work and bad work and awful work. The beautiful gems show up when you’re least likely looking for them. And the more work you make, the more you learn about yourself. And isn’t that what life is really? Just one big experience of learning about who we are anyway?

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?

When I feel overwhelmed, I either move or I meditate. When I mean move, I mean move my body. When I mean meditate, I just mean, I find stillness. Both of these have helped me in the past year in amazing ways. It seems so simple but for me it’s so true. Feeling overwhelmed only means I’m thinking too hard. Maybe I’m thinking too hard about one issue or many issues. But it’s my brain that’s the cause. So to reduce any feelings of anxiety –
I shift my mindset. I shift my mindset by focusing on a physical act such as waking, swimming, cycling or practicing yoga. When you’re paying attention to moving your body, your mind can’t obsess on its thoughts. Or if I need to be still, I practice being still and training my brain to not be overrun by my thoughts. Yes it is a practice but both of these practices work for me. Maybe they might just work for you too?

Contact Info:

• Website: Https://lauriemavesart.com
• Instagram: Lauriemavesart
• Youtube: LaurieMavesART
• Other: Substack: @lauriemavesart

Image Credits

Laurie Maves ART LLC