Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Susanna Leite Cromwell of Ha’iku, Maui

Susanna Leite Cromwell shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Susanna Leite, really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
The alarm goes off 6 am. My husband and I decide who’s on wake-up-four-kids-and-get-them-dressed-duty, and who’s on breakfast-and-make-lunches-duty.

I have to be in the car by 7:15 to get our four kids to three different schools in two towns on time, sometimes we need two cars to make that happen.

I’m home by 8:45, I’ll make an americano with cream with my espresso maker, ideally find an encouraging bible verse for the day, and ideally eat some protein to go with my coffee.

I try to get into my art studio by 10 and I’ll have until 2ish to get as much work done as possible before it’s time to get kids. Often a lot of this time goes to emails and the business side of being a professional artist, If there are any gallery shows or major deadlines I might start work again after dinner and work in the night.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Susanna Lima Nobre Leite Cromwell. The journey between my first and last name is my Cape Verdean lineage. My parents moved to America the year before I was born. Their journeys took them from Cape Verde, Africa , to Argentina, Brazil, and then Brockton Massachusetts where I grew up for my pre-adult life. Portuguese was my first language , I then learning English when I started school, and because of my family background I also speak Cape-Verdean Creole and Spanish, My food and music and culture growing up had a lot of these influences as well. but for all of my memory, art was also a primary language.

My highly degreed parents encouraged a degree in a “stable field” so I picked social work, but they always supported my love for art as well. They gave me a heavy duty easel for my room and I started working at the Fuller Art Museum in Brockton ( now Fuller Craft Museum) from the age of 14 and through high school.

At age 22 I got married and followed my spouse back to his hometown in Hawaii , I fell in love with the tropical island lifestyle that matched my parents and extended family’s lifestyle pre-immigration. It was here that I felt I could continue traditions of cultivating and living a nature-based island life that my parents and ancestors had before me.

My artwork reflects my love of the plants and marine-life around me. It also reflects my love for folk craft, natural materials, and contemporary expressions of art.

I seek to ever advance in my skills as a botanical artist and linoleum printmaker, but what has set my work apart from other artists is the way I manipulate my hand-printed papers to create tapestries which I lovingly call “Paper Quilts”. I use these Paper Quilts to create places of rest, healing, or inspiration… whatever it is the viewer wether they be commissioning clients or gallery viewers may need in different times.

I start first with sketching elements of nature around me. I then turn my sketches into carved blocks. When it’s time to begin a quilt I decide on an emotion or moment such as “stillness, dusk, daybreak, relief” – this governs my color palette. Once I have a color palette I begin gathering materials to tell a story: Natural papers from all over the world, colored cotton thread and wood tones for the handcrafted frames my husband makes to compliment the visual story.

My hope for my quilts are that they will bring healing through prayerful construction and nature inspired beauty. I believe that the first step in caring for nature is by being fully aware of its presence and splendor so I also hope that my work will build relationships between them and a healthy, cared for planet.

Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
I believe that it is not differences that breaks bonds between people but the belief that those differences define all character and therefore there is no place of understanding to be found.

I see people loose connection, and worse- care for their own family and lifelong friends. When they explain why they say things like : ” its not that I can’t love someone who sees things differently than me, its just that this shows that they are _____ and so their just isn’t a way we can connect.” These divisions often begin online and in gossip where people have one-sided arguments but they result in deep tares in family, community, and souls.

I believe what restores relationships are hearts that are able to listen out of love for all that connects us as humans- we all love, we all feel pain, we all need connection, we all need meaning, and we all desire broken parts in this world to be fixed. When we physically meet eye to eye on these ground of connection rather than avoiding the presence of those who we believe are too different , that is where restoration begins.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
Your worth is not found in your appearance, the silly put-downs other kids and adults use to make fun of you, your weaknesses, how good you are at things, or even your day-to-day changing self-esteem,

You were created with incredible value to this world and even your perceived weaknesses will prove to be your greatest strengths if grasp the beauty of living on purpose.

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 do you believe is true but cannot prove?
I have a deep relationship with Jesus. His teachings power my love for the world around me, my family, my purpose, and myself.

I know people have used his name to hate … this breaks my heart. But for me, daily connection with Jesus in my life gives me strength to love, forgive, serve, and find intrinsic connection with all in this world.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
In the past year I have let the excuse of being too busy stop me from exercising… that’s definitely not going to serve me 7-10 years from now ( so thank you for the reminder:)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.SusannaLCromwell.com
• Instagram: @Susanna_Cromwell_Art

Image Credits
(Portrait wearing pink ) Shannon Wilsey Photography