We’re looking forward to introducing you to Zoey Zoric. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Zoey, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I have recently moved away from the city and relocated to a more rural area. Living much closer to nature has been extremely joyful! The fresh air, the uninterrupted sky and cloudscapes continue to bring delight and joy! Seeing wildlife and being in this natural habitat alongside all the wildlife is such a dopamine hit! I had heard about the benefits of “forest bathing”, but I didn’t expect it would be so immediate and so profound.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m an oil painter—and a sculpture-curious artist—whose work centers on portraiture, the figure, and the nuances of human experience. In my recent paintings, I explore how our digital lives are influencing connection and perception. I’m drawn to questions like: How can art bring more humanity to the virtual gaze? How might we imbue our digital interactions with empathy and presence?
My curiosity around these themes deepened while teaching during the pandemic. Connecting with students through screens was both inspiring and bittersweet—proof that technology can bridge vast distances, yet also a reminder of what’s lost when physical presence is replaced by pixels. We live in an age of constant connection, but so often it feels strangely isolating.
Right now, I’m allowing my work to percolate and evolve. With the recent move placing me in a dramatically different environment, I’m eager to see how this new landscape—both physical and emotional—will shape my next body of work. It feels like an exciting threshold, where reflection and experimentation are guiding me toward what comes next.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I will flip this question, because I felt like the world told me, from the beginning, I should be quiet and keep my head down! I was an extreme introvert. I worked very carefully to be invisible, to be small, to go unnoticed. For some reason, this is what I thought was expected of me. I was always rebellious to some extent, but this contradicted my wanting to be left alone and unbothered. I didn’t realize how much more fun there was to be had when engaging with others, sharing and challenging ideas. It took me some time to realize how true the cliche “a problem shared is a problem halved, and a joy shared is a joy doubled”.
Becoming an artist was key to revealing to myself what I could be, and what a privilege it is to do so.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Leave your introvert ways behind. They will only hold you back. It’s not as risky or dangerous as you think to actually open up to others. It’s not as risky as you think to make mistakes. Dare to dare. Just go and see what happens. It’s ok. It will only get better.
(ultimately, I wouldn’t have listened though!)
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. Is the public version of you the real you?
Oh this is a great question! If you’ve talked to me at a public exhibition, I have my artist clarity and purpose! It’s very easy to speak about my work and connect with others. I do love those experiences. They are most often quite pure moments, centered around The Work.
When I teach, I am often more audacious and bold to keep engagement levels up! I do bring empathy to the class, of course, but I like to keep energy levels up, keep things positive. I aim to keep the doors of possibility wide open!
And then there is my social media me. Usually when I’m posting, it is in the morning, right after coffee, and everything is still very quiet. I’ve been told I have a very calming sultry voice in my videos. It just happens because of the relaxed morning time!
Sometimes I wish I could bring a wild fictional character to be the public version of me, but that would be far too exhausting!
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. How do you know when you’re out of your depth?
This is tricky question, I’m a firm believer in setting up for success, so I would never willingly sign up for something that I am not reasonably capable of seeing through to completion. That said, I am also a firm believer in opportunities to surprise oneself! There is so much possibility in setting out beyond a fictional comfort zone! I might be testing the levels of my depths! But I love trying new things and discovering new amazing joys! When I was presented the opportunity to teach, I very nearly declined because I thought I would be WAY out of my depth. I could never have imagined how inspiring and rewarding teaching would be. And I very nearly missed out on so very much because I was afraid of failure and that I was going to be out of my depth! The scary risk really paid off.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://zoeyzoric.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoeyzoric
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoeyzoric/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@chaseTheMuse
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