We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Dina Wakley a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Dina, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
By not being competitive. I make art for me. If others enjoy it, great. In the end, though, it is a personal process that ebbs and flows, and it is okay with me if I am not good at it. I will keep trying, keep growing. I am an ever-evolving artist, and that won’t change.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I teach art anyone can do. Truly. We start by art journaling. Art journaling might end up ugly, but is NEVER wrong because it comes from the soul. The more you move your hands, the more you grow and improve as an artist. Quality art comes from quantity of art made. After my students feel comfortable with the art of expressing themselves, we explore abstract painting, basic drawing, collage, all based on composition and color principles. I like to break down why and how I do what I do, so that it is duplicatable.
I am on the road teaching quite often, and promoting my product line with Ranger Ink. It is called Dina Wakley MEdia and includes paints, brushes, journals, stamps, stencils, and other art supplies that I design. I also have many online classes available on my website and hosted in private Facebook groups. I have a $5 per month membership program on Facebook where I go live once a week from my studio and we laugh, bond, and watch me create in real time.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
1. Always being curious and willing to try something new.
2. Being dependable…showing up, doing the work, meeting deadlines.
3. Not being hard on myself when I fail.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
The Confident Creative by Cat Bennett. One of my favorite quotes from the book is, ““We can draw occasionally for pleasure, but the results are always equal to our devotion. A daily commitment of time yields greater gifts that spotty stabs at drawing….Some of us will draw just when we feel like it. That’s okay, but remember the equal and opposite reaction. The force with which we commit ourselves is the same force with which results come back.”
I adore the line, “the results are always equal to our devotion.” I think devotion is how we spend our time. If you are truly devoted to something, you spend time on it. Art is a devotion.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.dinawakley.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/dinawakley
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/artofdinawakley
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@artofdinawakley
