We recently connected with Aidan Smith and have shared our conversation below.
Aidan, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
Generosity is typically given to help one’s reputation or out of expectation that you’ll receive something back, but my generosity comes from a time of being without. Because of my upbringing, going through challenges and life struggles it humbled me to appreciate what I have and what was given to me. I learned very quickly that if I wanted something in life I had to work for it and with the effort I was putting in my family and peers gave their generosity in different forms. Growing up I always loved art, but truth be told I’m not sure where my fascination with it came from solely. What kept me in pursuit of wanting to stick with it and continue to better myself was the amount of compliments I received backed by teachers that genuinely cared. I remember my sister being into art before I was and she was being taught in an after school class for a competition. I was on my phone didn’t really care to be included but the teacher asked me to put the phone down and pick up a pencil and so I did. As I continued drawing he complimented my work and added correction that drove me to want to learn more and better my gift which i flourished in overtime. In high school, my art teacher Mrs. Graham saw the drive I had and started giving me further constructive feedback and even gave me a book and brushes for me to take home. The generosity I was given through time, materials and they saw something in me that i didn’t see in myself. When someone gives to me generously it only inspires me to do the same wether that’s with time, money, advice or an act of service. This not only aided my generosity but humbled me to appreciate what I have and progress to something better.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I think the most exciting thing about what I do is being able to create whatever I want and see the reaction of others that appreciate it. Seeing the reactions of my clients after they receive their commission or after I’ve produced another personal project is just the cherry on top for me. It invokes a feeling that I need to keep going, keep creating and keep surprising myself with new challenges. Lately I’ve been working on portrait work because I love producing them but I’m hoping to start working on more personal works with more of my style. I’m still in the works of trying to figure out what my brand looks like fully, but I know that I want be a freelance versatile go to artist that can produce works with my flare and my style. I’m currently working on developing a site to be able to more accessible and to sell products of my work that are more affordable. I also am excited for an upcoming show later this year that I’m fully able to share the details on, but can say that you don’t want to miss it. I hope to be able to flourish, connect and reach more with my work.
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?
For anyone that is looking at starting or thinking about getting into art in any capacity I think you should just start. If all you have is interest then I promise with persistence and patience you’ll develop the passion for it. It’s crazy that art is so unique and different, but yet it’s objective and something that you can continue to improve on. If your trying to better the quality of your craft one thing I’d say is that you have to be be open to constructive feedback. No artist wants to hear constructive feedback or someone make negative comments about their work just because the ‘blood, sweat, and tears” time and endless effort that was put in to developing a beautiful art piece. But when it comes to making art it will always be subjective to feedback weather that’s negative or positive and your willingness and eagerness will determine if you continue regardless of what’s being said. You also have to learn to be patient not just with people that may not fully understand the level of art you produced but you have to be patient when your creating it. One life lesson I learned that plays a strong part in my work is that nothing in life is instant meaning if you want to develop a masterpiece, wether that’s art, house or even make a song you have to willing to face challenges and persevere through them. That is why patience is essential to the quality of work you produce. Your willingness to learn from unexpected challenges and mistakes will also determine the outcome of your work. Every time I paint and run into something looking off I always try harder and that’s a vital factor in what allows you to advance as an artist or really any form of work. That continued effort will always pay off because in the end it shows forth in your work and you’ll pride in it. You also must be confident and take pride in your work because if you don’t love it neither will your audience. There’s nothing selfish or wrong with self gratification and satisfaction but if it outweighs constructive criticism that is when it becomes destructive. That being said I think just getting started with art and focusing on your craft everything else will fall into alignment on its on.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
One of my biggest attributes is that I’m a people person, I love to connect with others, enjoy going out and getting to know others and how they think. With being a creative, connection with other creatives/creators i feel is vital in developing an image for yourself, building real relationships with people that will guide you in different directions and also most importantly support you in whatever stage of your creative walk. I think when you get around other artists you feed off their energy too because of shared experiences and also shared obstacles you’ve both faced. They understand you better than anyone and also allow you to be your most comfortable, confident and raw self when it comes to your work. I only want to surround myself with creatives that are eager to meet and feed off each other because truth be told we’re in this together and I know it’s cliché to say but in reality i looked to other creatives to learn from when I was confused or having ‘art block”. I also love supporting others online and in person because it’s always good to have people to relate to and share experiences with. Truth be told meeting the people behind their work makes it that much more exciting for me which is why I love my work and others that share the same passion.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Aidanjaice
- Facebook: Aidan Smith
- Other: TikTok : aidanjaice Website in the works !
Image Credits
Group photo contains: 5 fellow artists and the host of the art event Nic Trent Morgan Langley Sarah Mcinroe Charles Arnold Bridget Stiles The rest are of me and my work
