Meet Isabella Saunooke

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Isabella Saunooke. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with isabella below.

Isabella, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.

Maybe I wasn’t born to be an artist because I have always been creating paintings and drawings, but because I have always noticed structures in my life and related them to my inner world. From a very young age, I was interested in my identity related to the identities of those around me. My dad’s cultural background was mysterious to me. I grew up knowing I was Cherokee but did not learn certain details until I was much older. He is an artist, and his tattoos and taste in music set a precedent for me early on.

My childhood backdrop was a small and beautiful town in Western North Carolina. My mom’s side of the family is white and took me to church and encouraged me to attend a Christian school for 10 years. I love being from the South and specifically from Appalachia, however, some aspects of my background were less accessible to me. As a result, my sense of self was tampered with. I thought that if I could not locate myself within my culture or hometown, where else could I go?

In high school, I struggled with my mental health but found solace in creating collages and paintings late at night. Art became a way to communicate with myself by creating characters and new worlds. Outside of my solitude, I did not share art with others. I believed my art practice was just something I did for fun, and not something I could create a career with.

There were several times before leaving NC that I began to question what I truly wanted. I recently found a journal entry where I wrote, “I’m beginning to believe my desires stem from fear.” I slowly realized the choices I was making were because I believed other people would approve of them or want them for me. It was not until the 2020 quarantine, that I had the first real chance in my life to reflect. I was unhappy and made it my goal to apply to art schools in New York. I saw art school as the ticket to finding myself, in many ways. I believed if I could make it there, I would suddenly adopt a new mindset and transform my life. When I moved to Brooklyn and began classes, it took a lot of time for me to adjust. I had never experienced a rigorous art education until this point, and the doubt and fear began to creep in. I began journaling frequently throughout this period of my life.

I had classes that were heavily influential to me. The professors offered a new way of seeing. Between seeing contemporary works of art weekly to challenging preconceived notions of art, it felt like fresh air in my lungs, and in my soul. I felt validated yet challenged in my personal art practice, and it affected the way I began to view my identity and role in life.

My path is not linear but these truths remain: I am a Native woman. I am an artist.

By pushing the limits of what I once believed to be true, and challenging my deeply embedded beliefs about art, I was able to change my mindset of myself. I believe that I can create anything I want. I feel empowered by education, and art, and believe that creation is one of the most powerful forces in this life.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

For work, I am an art teacher for children ages 5-11, and while it can be very challenging, my students inspire me daily to trust myself and show up with curiosity.

My latest body of work in 2024 explored the complexities and mysteries of growing up Native and White. I explored symbols from personal dreams and journal entries. I was focused on how the physical realm entered the psychic realm. This body of work also gave me the space to experiment with materials such as plaster and paper mache, as well as reflect on the importance of water and trees in my spiritual life.

My art is constantly in flux, but as I am in the beginning stages of searching for MFA programs, I am taking the time to research and hone in on a specific project. Lately, I have been interested in deep-diving into some of the media I consumed as a child, and am hoping to incorporate performance more into my practice as well.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I believe that for me to develop confidence, I needed to adopt openmindedness. This sounds like a big task but can be achieved by incorporating mindfulness exercises into your life. It can be so easy for me to slip into old patterns of thinking, jumping to conclusions about myself or others. I believe that finding small moments throughout your day to observe your surroundings can help ground you. I also like to do this by sitting in a room or outside and listening only to the ambient sounds for 10 minutes. It is a helpful reminder of routine, of cycles.

Second, I would say to choose one part of your routine and do it completely differently. This can remind us of what we are in control of, and maybe even inspire us to try new things.

Lastly, I would challenge everyone to have a creative practice of some kind. There are so many ways to be creative, and everyone is in some way. It is your responsibility to find the way you are and to follow it.

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

When I feel overwhelmed, I try to stop what I’m doing and listen. Listen to my body, my environment, and my mind.

When I listen to my body, I need to move by stretching or simply walking to a different place to stand. Other times, I simply need to breathe.

I listen to my environment by listening to small sounds around me. John Cage famously said, “My favorite piece of music is the one we hear all the time if we are quiet.”

I listen to my mind by journaling or saying exactly how I feel out loud. I used to be scared of both of these things, but there are liberating ways to partake in each. Sometimes I largely scribble the words into ugly paper or record the statement on my phone.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @isbrsa, @somepeopleyouneverforget
• Youtube: @isabellas7968