Meet Abigail Westhoff

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Abigail Westhoff. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Abigail, 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?

This one’s easy. I take time to take in everything around me, to be mindful, and to be thankful. The natural environment that we’re placed in leaves space for us to admire, to feel, to connect with, and to nurture. My work is inspired by just this- the physical, the spiritual, and the emotional world we find ourselves a part of. So, whenever I feel a block in creativity, I look inwards- what am I feeling? What is hard to put words to? What do I need to let out? I look outside, what am I gravitated towards outside? What colours give me life? What materials and textures make me feel grounded? Not only and I inspired by such things around me, I’m also inspired by those around me. My husband being my biggest inspiration of all. He is a producer and artist and just about the most creative and talented person I know. The beauty of his creativity- in his process and his end result inspire me more than he knows. His work ethic, drive to keep on pushing, keep on creating and to keep on learning is just about the biggest inspiration to be around.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

This is exciting for me because as of this month I have officially launched my business, “Abigail Westhoff Art.” I have loved creating for as long as I can remember, I think this came naturally to me, but I also know I absolutely loved watching my grandparents, who were both artists, paint whenever we were on family holiday with them. We would go away to a remote Scottish island with them, and they would sit by the window and paint any chance they could. They would take us to walk along a beach and collect stones to bring back and paint on beside the fire in the evenings. I loved every second of it. I still get that same joy when I paint on my canvases. Once I start a painting, I get locked in and think about it every second of every day until I finish it. It gives me a buzz, and that’s how I know I’m doing exactly what I’m meant to be doing. And as of this month I am able to not just create, but share my creations with others freely and that just excited me even more. I tend to gravitate more towards the abstract world with my paintings, because one of my favourite things is to see a painting of mine mean something so deeply to someone else for a reason that is so very different from why I painted it. I try to not talk about what the pieces mean to me, and why they were created because I want everyone to experience each piece for themselves, to not figure out what they mean to me, but to figure out what they make you feel, think, experience. When I’m not painting I’m sketching tattoos for those that want commissions, and when I’m not doing either of those things, I am illustrating children’s books that hold a very special place in my heart. This is a fun and beautiful world we live in, and I’m excited to be able to carry creativity and share it with those that matter.

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?

Hmm… I would say that being confident in the knowledge of who I am has been impactful in my journey so far. Having confidence in myself, in what I like and don’t like, in knowing that I don’t need to please anyone but myself has been one of my greatest strengths. It’s not always been that way, so don’t hear what I’m not saying, it’s always a journey as we grow, but being confident that I know myself has helped me hugely because I can’t create and be the best version of myself and the best version of my work if I’m worried about everyone around me, what they think and who I want to present myself as. Knowing who I am and what I feel led to create and not looking past that has been so very good for the soul. Resilience has been another quality that has made me who I am today. Everyone goes through good and bad times and it really is all about how you hold yourself, what you believe, and what you’re telling yourself that will make the biggest difference during those hard moments. I’ve had to be very resilient over the last few years, and with that I’ve learnt to talk about my feelings and experiences, especially when I don’t want to. Talking is the best thing I can do during those times, and would be the one piece of advice I could give you if you find yourself in a valley right now. As for the third, I would say surrounding myself with good people: people that push me forward, lift me up, and challenge me. This makes the world of difference, not just in a creative setting but in daily life.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

There are many impactful things my parents did for me growing up, but what comes to mind is the fact that they always pushed me into the deep end. I was shy and scared of a lot of things growing up, most of all about the unknown. They saw that in me and challenged that, and I hated it in the moment. They pushed me to do hard things, they pushed me to do the things I was specifically terrified about doing. Of course, all lovingly, but they took no push back. I remember having so much anxiety about taking a train for the first time by myself when I was younger. Dad took me to the train station and I begged him to come in with me and help me buy a ticket and get on the right train. He told me exactly where I needed to go but told me this was something I needed to do alone. That moment really impacted me, and I think about it a lot. I’m thankful he made me go in there and buy the ticket alone and find my train alone, because a few short years later I found myself traveling to America alone at 17, with the confidence to do so. This story constantly reminds me that whenever I’m anxious about something new, it always works out in the end and I can 100% do it alone.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://abigailwesthoff.com
• Instagram: abigailwesthoffart