We recently connected with Emily Alley and have shared our conversation below.
Emily , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I always knew at a young age that art was the one thing I was drawn to. In elementary school I attended Saturday morning art classes at the University of Illinois and to this day still remember what I learned and created. When I entered high school I had an amazing teacher who opened my eyes to various media and gave me the opportunity to explore the ideas I had- no matter how bizarre. In college, I had a different experience. Thats when my confidence was shattered by a drawing teacher who told me I would never amount to anything in art. I finished my associates in art at Parkland Community College and when I enrolled at Illinois State University- I got my bachelor’s Art History instead of Painting and Drawing because I believed I wasn’t good enough to create, but still wanted to be in the field. Two years after graduating I decided my love for creating was so much a part of who I was and all I wanted to do is spread that love and joy to others. Purpose number one: become an art teacher. I went back to Illinois State University, got my second bachelors in Art Education and was a k-12 art teacher- I spent an amazing 15 years in the public school systems in central Illinois and Las Vegas.
October 18, 2020 while walking my dogs I was assaulted and suffered a traumatic brain injury. The brain injury caused me to have a neurodivergent disability and I had to leave my career as an art teacher. I moved from Las Vegas to Asheville, NC- a town known for its art and music scene. Purpose 2: It was at this time I knew I was still on this earth for one reason- to create art. It was while I was in Asheville creating, being in galleries, and go to various art shows and festivals I realized every time I create a piece I’m actually making it for one specific person. That person will find the piece they were meant to have at some point. Even if it’s years later.
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?
Working as an art teacher was a blast because I was able to create my own curriculum. So I taught a variety of classes- drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, fiber arts (my personal favorite). So I was constantly creating in multiple media all the time. While I loved some over others they all were such a blast in was hard to focus as a professional artist because I just wanted to do everything!!! There was never a day that I didn’t create something. Art was in my soul and it kept me going. After my brain injury, I was in the hospital for about a month and my mom bought me an iPad so I could still create- in came digital drawing and painting.
When I moved to Asheville, I was primarily selling my digital paintings, but began focusing more on creating vintage inspired felt deer. I’m also a lover and collector of old dolls, and took photos of them. Which also was a big hit in Asheville. The deer is my spirit animal. These became quite popular so I expanded on that and started making them with two heads. That became even more popular because Asheville was weird just like me. At that time my focus went to working primarily with my first love- fiber arts. Crocheting, needle felting, sewing and embroidery. It was at this time I realized my goal was to figure out how to combine what I do into mixed media creations.
I’m a swing dancer as well, and I was the organizer of Swing Asheville. We had a weekly dance at this amazing venue called Fleetwoods in West Asheville. It was a bar, music venue, vintage clothing store and wedding chapel. Amazing. One night I was setting up for the dance and noticed this beautiful large patch hanging alone and unattached to a piece of clothing. It was of the bride of Frankenstein and absolutely fabulous. I knew exactly what I was going to do with it. And at that time the lightbulb went off and I finally figured it out!! I would take that patch, crochet it into a sweater and sculpt/paint a button for it. Once that was completed- I decided to begin printing my digital paintings on fabric and crochet them into sweaters. Along with this, I decided to crochet bodies for the broken dolls I had- something I’ve done before but not really focused on. I am the Fiber Phoenix.
After Hurricane Helene- I had to relocate due to my disability and not being able to live around so much heartache, devastation and the inability to get the medical attention I needed when necessary. I now live near Holden Beach. Once my body heals from what I’ve been through during the past month, the creating will continue. So keep an eye on my instagram and Facebook for updates.
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?
I’m not sure I would call these skills more like qualities- but confidence, optimism and perseverance are the most important traits I have as an artist and a human being. My disability has taught me that. Being a survivor of an assault and now the devastation of a hurricane that was life altering, I’m thankful I work on those. They make me a stronger person. Never give up, even when you feel like the universe is beating you down at every turn you make. Pick yourself up and move forward. You have every right to be angry about events in your life, but you have to acknowledge that anger, let it wash through you and keep moving forward.
Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?
I am thankful to have a huge wall of support behind me helping me navigate through each day not only dealing with my disability, but also supporting me in my artistic endeavors. My partner, Leviticus and my mom are the two in my life that are my biggest supporters. They give me so much love, strength, confidence, and drive to push myself in any direction I want to go artistically with also understanding and helping me understand my limitations. That helps me keep balanced.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thefiberphoenix.bigcartel.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefiberphoenix/
Image Credits
Images taken by Emily Alley
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
