Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elizabeth Lee. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Elizabeth , so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
When I’m driving on the freeway, I look for green. I focus on the trees and nature by the side of the road. If there is none, I look at the vast open sky. Taking in the nature, instead of the traffic, gives me more space to open up. When we are open, relaxed and happy, creativity is fostered. Wonderment seeps in. We reconnect with our innermost wisdom and know, we are not separate from our environment or each other.
This was actually my sister’s habit. She was recovering from multiple surgeries for a chronic illness. While I drove her to the hospital through Los Angeles traffic, I was surprisingly relaxed. All the landscaping looked so green and beautiful in a way I never noticed before, experienced through sister-telepathy. It was so peaceful and uplifting that I adopted it as my own.
To keep creativity alive, we need to connect in with our powerful creative force. We are nature, and nature is inherently creative, chaotic, wild and mysterious. It is not controlled and ordered like a traffic grid. I try to start every morning with a nature walk, even if it’s just through the park. It clears my mind and centers me in my body. It is magic. We need to carve out space for our imagination and dreams.
Breaking your routine can be truly nourishing for your inner artist. It often feels counter productive, because we are so programmed for results. During these non-linear times, we frequently will have the creative breakthroughs. So take time out. Every day, if you can.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a Hapa abstract artist. There is a spiritual, almost shamanistic component to how I work. At times my work can feel fauvist and figurative, but most often it’s driven by the need to express something internal. Nature, and the California coast where I live, are constant sources of inspiration. Water, boats, and other mystical elements from Chinese cosmology, pop art, as well as themes of spirituality, identity and alienation all coalesce in my artwork in various forms. I like to deify the painting process, while maintaining a sense of humor and chronic playfulness. Each piece is infused with a wanton joy.
I was raised in the Midwest, bridging two cultures. At that time, my existence as a biracial person would have illegal in Southern states. I feel racial tensions very acutely, living in-between two worlds, never fully belonging to either. During the pandemic, when race relations were exploding, I felt compelled to respond with art. I created a Hapa Oracle deck called the Inner Light Moon Oracle. It’s based on Chinese 5 Element Theory, the Chinese Zodiac and Asian archetypes and Buddhist symbols. Human pain stems from a disorientation of perspective. My hope is that the deck will bring people back to their Buddha nature, which is love, compassion and connection.
Coming up for 2024, I am currently compiling a series of pandemic pieces into book form. This includes commentary that address language, cultural frameworks, meaning and family. I just hosted a Lunar New Year workshop at Avalon Visions, the oldest spiritual shop in Santa Cruz County. On the dream plane, there’s a graphic novel-like project in development.
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?
Three qualities to hold dear would be: happiness, staying calm, and reorienting constantly to the positive.
Use happiness as your compass. It will not steer you wrong. If you are unhappy, look at what you are chasing. Ask yourself if that is really important to you. If you follow your happiness it will guide you to your destiny.
Staying calm, I had to learn how to do this through tai chi and meditation. We are programmed for anxiety as a survival response. This stress response may be too extreme for our modern world. Realizing that we can be calm is hugely empowering. It will make your life peaceful and benefit others around you as well. It can also improve your performance and concentration.
Reorienting to the positive can be easier said than done. I’ve learned that happiness is a choice. Even when biochemically I might feel negative, low energy, and full of mental pressures, we can always choose a different experience. We can learn to resystemize our ancestral patterns, and bring more positivity to ourselves. When you feel yourself in a downward spiral, course correct.
“Don’t forget your spiritual journey.” This was advice given to me in my late twenties. It is easy to forget. Sometimes it feels like we live in a world of spiritual amnesia. There are so many distractions. But if we lose sight of our inner consciousness, we become empty vessels. Hungry ghosts. Automatons. Don’t fall into spiritual amnesia. Nurture your energy and your spirit every day. We only have the present, and for each moment, live your happiness. Choose happiness. Even if you only have 5 minutes a day, start there. Focus on the positive and it will come to you. In this way, you will create a better life for yourself and the world.
As a bonus knowledge point, I would add: care about life. Care about your work and do your best. Know that you will make mistakes, no matter how hard you try, and that’s essential to learn and grow. Everyone makes mistakes. Forgive yourself and move on. Care and love yourself. Recognize how fortunate you are, for this gift of life. If you can’t do that, learn how. Caring for yourself and for life will settle your heart. When your heart is settled, you can feel safe. When you feel safe, you are free to love, which is why we are here.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I was living in an artist live-work space in San Francisco’s Tenderloin, when a friend turned me onto Julia Cameron’s book “The Artist’s Way”. I passionately completed all the exercises and processes. Magical happenings started occurring. A home opened up for me that was more peaceful, and less expensive! Her book took me on a journey into deep healing. I discovered the many ways I was taught to suppress my personal truths and desires, especially around art and a creative career. I felt less alone in my artistic journey. The book made me realize that my struggles were roadblocks many artists had to face.
I have outgrown many of the books that influenced me in my youth. Julia Cameron’s work remains a classic guide to opening creative channels and honoring your path, as uncertain as it may seem.
It’s important to validate the contribution art makes on the world, especially if you are an artist. That value can feel intangible or invisible. Art asks the deep questions and shakes us out of our habitual patterns. It inspires and uplift us. It shows us what is possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.studiohozuki.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studiohozuki/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StudioHozuki
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@innerlightmoonoracle
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/innerlightmoonoracle/
Image Credits
Kevin Painchaud Elizabeth Lee (Inner Light Moon Oracle photos only)
