We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Polly Seip. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Polly below.
Polly, 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?
That’s a good question! For me, I think the key factor in keeping my ‘creativity alive’ is to play and have side projects that allow me to do something different from the usual grind. I’ve been an oil painter with a primary focus of maritime art for a majority of my career. Then the COVID lockdown days came along and shifted a lot of things for many artists, including myself. At the time of lockdown, my maritime works were large-scale with higher price tags, but no one was buying them. It also happened to be that I was already facing a burnout with my maritime works and a growing desire of not wanting to become pigeonholed. It was a blessing in disguise. I adapted. I played. My painting world opened up. I worked smaller and expanded my subjects, which caught my interest, such as night scenes, urban scenes, nature scenes, animals, still life, interiors, etc. Come to think of it, I haven’t produced any large-scale maritime work since those lockdown days. I also allow myself to play with other mediums as well, such as acrylic, watercolor, and watercolor markers, pen and ink, pop-ups, paper collage, felt ornaments, abstract works with cardboard, photographing sugar soap bubbles, etc. So, yeah, pulling yourself away from the usual grind, from time to time and doing something different can encourage growth, new insights and direction, and a newfound creative flow.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Well, hi!! I am Polly. I am an artist, an oil painter mainly, and I live in Connecticut. Though I am originally from Pittsburgh, PA. What brought me here to Connecticut was a pursuit for a classical art education at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in Old Lyme. Which was highly recommended to me as a budding artist by the now-late John Stobart, a renowned and well-celebrated maritime artist. Stobart was my idol at the time. So in 1996, I packed up my hopes and dreams, moved to Connecticut to attend the Academy. I received my BFA in Painting in 2000. In between an array of odd jobs (grounds keeps, house painter, assistant carpenter), I have been painting and pursuing my career as an artist/oil painter ever since. My gallery representation started shortly after I graduated with a blend of knowing some people, being sought after, and a cold-call approach. I’ve learned it is so important to maintain a good working professional relationship with galleries as best as one can because there’s nothing scarier than losing gallery representation.
It is winter right now, and it is the time when things naturally slow down and become quiet. At present, I don’t have anything on the horizon. However, that doesn’t stop me from quietly building an inventory for the future. Since it is winter, I am excited to get to indulge in one of my side projects that’s strictly cold-weather contingent: frozen soap bubbles. It’s a side project/hobby I’ve been doing since Jan 2018. It is a fun project that has helped me appreciate the season of winter on a greater level. I maintain an IG account for this project known as @bubbling_with_joy. And so far it’s been a good season.
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?
So much of being an artist is being hands-on, wearing multiple hats, and being self-reliant. We acquire a plethora of skills and knowledge along the way. My parents taught my sister and me to be self-reliant. Our Dad, especially, raised us to be like ‘boys’, in that not to be afraid to use tools that are needed to make, fix, or repair things. So I grew up being equipped with an attitude of ‘I am capable’, which has given me confidence.
Probably one of the most impactful and unnoticed skills I developed, on my own accord, during my college years was basic woodworking skills and not being afraid to use the bigger power tools. I have always made my own panels and frames in an effort to be cost-effective because I’ve never lived beyond my means. In turn, it has allowed me to work with unconventional sizes and formats, and develop skills that can be applied elsewhere in life.
As for giving advice, well, I am coming at you with some regurgitated clichés and platitudes, but it’s all true; keep creating, don’t give up, keep believing in yourself, work with the best materials, get yourself a mentor, surround yourself with smart, talented, and creative people you respect, have something to aim for—a show, a competition, or a project of some kind, be kind to yourself when things don’t go your way, keep cool when things do go your way. When it comes to criticism, always consider the source; are they someone you respect and value? And remember, don’t take it personally; a solid critique is always objective, constructive, and beneficial.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
The number one obstacle I am facing right now is some self-doubt and imposter syndrome. The reason for this current headspace is because art sales have been down for some time, and it’s starting to affect my levels of confidence. And, two projects I was recently working to secure have fallen through, which has me questioning my sensibilities and worth. So I am finding myself trying to follow my own advice: by being kind to myself since things haven’t gone my way, and to remember life is full of ‘you win some, you lose some,’ and either way, you keep moving forward!!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/polly_seip
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/pollyseipartist
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