Meet Amy Watt

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amy Watt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Amy, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
This is going to sound absolutely silly and ironic, but I feel like I’ve overcome imposter syndrome while telling myself that I don’t have to overcome it. With that, I just continually push myself to keep creating. There will be moments with every art piece I create where I tell myself “this isn’t going to be good, or “this isn’t good enough” but I push past it until I get to the finished result. My process can include a lot of anger, sadness, frustration, and really low-self worth. This stems from an abusive childhood in which I never knew I was worthy of love. So now, as an artist, there are moments when I falter. But when I finish a piece and I see how it changes someone else’s world, something I created, I feel like a worthy, magical being. Not an imposter at all.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I’m an artist living in Peoria, Arizona, who focuses on acrylic paintings and stone art. I do commissions that include pet portraits, as well as memorial stones, anniversary stones and more. I love creating vibrant art, with beautiful color and unique dots in every piece. The dots I add symbolize how we are all connected. I especially love painting animals and lately have been trying to do more pet portraits in hopes that one day I can do pet portraits full-time. I’ve also been putting more effort into creating prints of every piece to reach more people who love my art. I know sometimes original art can be out of some people’s budgets, so my prints are a wonderful option as well. Prints can be found on my website, www.amywattfineart.com and originals are usually posted on my Instagram @amylynne117. The most exciting part of my art process is creating something and it leads to a connection with someone who loves the art. It’s something that I feel so blessed to experience because I can create something from my soul, and it goes on to touch someone’s heart and then they are able to cherish it. The talent may be a gift, but the gift I receive from others is greater and has impacted my life in such a profound way.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think the 3 qualities that were most impactful for me in my creative process were resiliency, faith, and forgiveness. I feel resiliency is so important because there are times that many of us feel “not good enough” and maybe compare to others and feel like we can’t be who we want to be. When those feelings came about, I stayed resilient and focused on each work of art, one creation at a time. I’d stay enmeshed in the joy it brought me when I dismissed those negative thoughts and feelings. Staying resilient and staying in “my joy” really has allowed me to keep creating art. I think faith as well, because there is some part of me that must keep believing that what I do will matter to someone. The point of creating the art isn’t just for myself, but to send love to another, uniquely packaged as a piece of art. Each art piece is made with love, so I really must have faith that my higher power will bring me to the person that needs the art. I would also say forgiveness has been crucial in my process because I have spent a lot of time struggling to do my art. To be open and honest, I have struggled with mental health and so there have been stages of my creative process where I have felt unable to create. Where I’ve been too afraid, or too anxious or worried about another area of my life. Forgiveness to myself has allowed me to keep moving forward with my art, no matter the pain I’ve been through. Art has allowed me to heal. Art has allowed me to create more love in my life, for myself and others. My advice to others to develop or improve upon these areas is just to learn what works for you and to keep moving forward. Keep loving yourself, keep forgiving yourself, keep believing in yourself. You may have different qualities that push you forward, but the key is to keep on pushing towards your goals.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I would love to collaborate with others. I am open to collaborating with other artists or really anyone who may have a fun idea for my art. I’ve lately been daydreaming about doing a mural but haven’t found the opportunity just yet. If you do want to connect please feel free to message me via my website at www.amywattfineart.com or through Instagram @amylynne117.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Photos in the desert taken by Chelsea McCormick

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