We recently connected with Christina Conway and have shared our conversation below.
Christina, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
When it comes to imposter syndrome, I would not say that I’ve overcome those thoughts and feelings, but I’ve learned how to live with them and move forward in spite of them. Most artists have felt like an imposter as some point in their career, if not continually. There is not a clear definition of what an artist even is, so it’s easy to see someone else’s work, compare your work, then feel like you are not a “real” or true artist.
Education is another arena in the art world that can make self taught artists feel like imposters. If you have not had formal training to develop the vocabulary and education in art history someone with a Master in Fine Arts has, you can feel like an outsider. Fortunately, vocabulary and history do not make artists. Passion, practice, dedication and creating are what make an artist. Some of our most lauded artists were not formally trained. Vincent Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, and Jean-Michael Basquiat are all considered master artists and none received formal training or an MFA.
The best way to overcome the dreaded imposter syndrome for me has been to show my work. The more I show and sell work and receive feedback, the more I feel like a “real” artist. I am the same artist I was when I was simply toiling away in my garage, but, I hate to admit it, the outside validation has truly given me the reassurance I could not find on my own. I had to push through the imposter feelings, be brave, and take the risk of showing my work to the world. It was so intimidating at first, but has become less terrifying the more vulnerable I allow myself to be. The thoughts and feelings persist but are less noisy the more risks I take.
Joining a critique group has also helped me quiet the imposter voice phenomenally. Hearing what other artists, some with MFA’s and others self taught like myself, have to say about my work has deepened my understanding of my own practice, and calmed my intrusive thoughts of being an imposter. Getting involved in my local art world has really helped me feel a part of the larger artist community and eased my imposter feeling as well.
Something else that has hushed the imposter voice, has been to invest in my practice. By this I mean with my time, space, and money. The more seriously I take my art, I have noticed, the more I feel like a serious artist. Other people take me more seriously as well when I make space for my art practice. When I prioritize my work physically, with my time and efforts, and financially by building a website, and investing in tools and materials, I produce better work, and step out to show my work more confidently.
The art world is a world where everyone is valid and everyone is an imposter. There are no rules and that frees everyone to participate in ways that are real and valid to them. It is a true equalizer. By investing in your work, taking risks, and becoming a part of a greater community, you can help silence the imposter voice as well.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a visual artist working and living in Los Angeles. Through years of practice I’ve developed a unique way of creating with epoxy resin that allows my works to have a more dimensional surface. Layers of resin are poured over several days to allow each layer to cure before adding the next. The tinted resin piles on and make an organic dreamscape of colors and shapes the viewers can find their own world inside of.
More recently I’ve included photo transparencies into my work. The transparencies allow the viewer to see a landscape through closely stacked images of buildings representing the human race to constantly develop land with our structures. Through materials, images, color and craft, these works explore the relationship between nature and humans, and our ever shifting landscapes.
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?
Looking back, I see that my nuclear family were hugely impactful in my journey. Both of my parents were artists and creators, and my brother and I benefited from seeing them practice their art. My older brother was a huge influence on me. I am fortunate that he include me, even though I am his little sister, into his imaginative worlds. He has the most amazing imagination and is a brilliant writer and visual artist as well. He encouraged me to create and use my own imagination. He validated me and lifted me up throughout our childhood.
Taking my families example of creating art, even if it is not your career, even if you have no formal training, even if you are not sharing it with the world, was incredibly normalizing for me. I was raised to believe everyone is creative in their own ways, and to create is not only common, but in fact, necessary.
My advice for anyone else pursuing their craft is to simply continue. Just keep going, keep creating, keep moving forward. You have to put the time in to see results, just like any other practice.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
An ideal client for me is someone who has seen some of my existing work and asks for a commission that is a new challenge. I would love to work with someone who instigates an extension, building onto a route I’m already on with my art. Being pushed to dig deeper into areas I’ve scratched the surface of, whether it’s a request to work on a more grand scale than I have, or to tackle a new material I’m not as comfortable with, I love being moved to expand my practice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.christinaconway.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinaconwayart
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