Meet Anna Slusser

We recently connected with Anna Slusser and have shared our conversation below.

Anna, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

As a nurse I have had the humbling experience of interacting with many people during different phases of the human lifespan. To this day this is an immediate shock to the system as a reminder that life is fleeting. I have seen many people hold on tightly, and a fear of not living fully while they could. Being confronted with your own mortality is both depressing and incredibly motivating.

As an artist this inspires me everyday to get up and put the time in, to dedicate my energy to something I genuinely love doing. It allows me to express the nuances in both our physical world and a reflection of the interior world we all carry. The exploration of this, in this medium is very dear to me. In this way painting for me becomes less work and more of an experience, an integral way to process life.Though some days are harder to start than others, I am always happy when I do. Even “bad,” days are building towards something.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Though I am currently a nurse, by the time you are reading this I won’t be! I’m taking a bit of a random job that will allow me to really focus on painting, it’s going to be a big change. I’ve recently been really delving into my style and going back to basics, and I’d like to really push myself further with every painting. I’m planning on applying to residencies and I’d really love to be a bit nomadic for a while. My only intention is to inspire others to live fully, both in my art and the way I live my own.

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?

The three most impactful qualities that have been most impactful on my journey are empathy, curiosity, and courage. These are all “soft skills,” but I feel help with both life and art. Empathy is thought of for strangers but it’s also incredibly important for yourself. Listening, learning and putting yourself in situations to gain a new perspective can help build this (a good one is listening to your grandparents or older adult tell stories). Curiosity for me, is both listening and acting on those soft, quiet impulses that come to us suddenly. It’s learning how to listen, through meditation, and discernment, and acting on them. Something as simple as taking a different path home, or exploring a new hobby can gain you valuable insight. Finally courage, is not always the easiest to develop but it is one of the most important. A lot of times it is just biting the bullet and understanding that if you never do it it’ll never be done. Putting yourself out in the world is terrifying but it is worse to look back and wish that you had.

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

I am somewhat of an introverted person and feel often, if not daily overwhelmed by the mundanity of life. Some key strategies for me are to come back to breath or meditation (I use the Open app). Movement is helpful, especially outside and being exposed to nature is something I practice daily. In moments of high stress I will sometimes record a voice note and speak my frustrations aloud (most of the time you just want to be heard with no judgement). Having a support system of people you can turn to can be difficult but as a reminder people do love you! And always meeting myself with kindness and compassion, it is a gift to be able to feel the things we do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.annalauree.com
• Instagram: Izalauree