Meet Jim Yale

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jim Yale a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jim , so excited to have you with us today, particularly to get your insight on a topic that comes up constantly in the community – overcoming creativity blocks. Any thoughts you can share with us?

Creative blocks are part of every artist’s path. Whether you’re a writer, painter, dancer, or musician, you will face creative blocks at some point. Learning to work through them can take your creativity to the next level. I recently returned to visual arts after a 30-year hiatus. I wouldn’t call that decades-long break a block, but it took some work to get back into feeling confident in making art again.
The first method I used was keeping a sketchbook. Every morning I’d draw or paint something while sitting at the breakfast table. These kitchen still life sketches kept me focused on craft, and were an easy habit to incorporate into daily practice. Keeping a sketchbook for a visual artist is like keeping a journal for a writer. It doesn’t matter what you’re writing, as long as you’re writing daily.
Another method I use to avoid or embrace creative blocks is changing medium. I’m not an academically trained painter, and I’m not afraid to try different kinds of paint, dry media, or ink. I’ve also spent a lot of time sketching and painting on an iPad as a way to work through ideas. The learning curve with each different medium is a great way to push through a creative standstill. Last summer, I started shooting film photography again after more than 35 years. Not having immediate access to the image brings its own kind of mystery. Analog life in the digital age.

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?

Most of my work in the past few years has been figurative painting. I often work in real time over Zoom with models all over the world. During the pandemic, a whole new industry of online life modeling sprung up. I’ve worked online with models in Europe, South America, North America, Asia, and Australia. Working one-on-one allows me to collaborate with the artists who are modeling for me, and to work with the limitations of a two-dimensional screen, and not against them. There’s an energy that comes from working in real time that I hope shows in my work. Connecting with people halfway around the world has been very gratifying.
I’ve had three solo shows in Chicago since 2024, and my work is in private collections on three continents. In 2024, I moved my studio from my home to a collective art studio in Chicago, and it’s been a great experience. Being surrounded by other working artists really helps fight the isolation that can come from working alone. I welcome private studio visits by appointment, and it’s always a thrill when people find me through social media or referrals. A goal for 2026 is to build and launch my website. Follow me on Instagram for news about that.

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?

Be consistent early on. Daily sketchbook practice is like playing scales for a musician. It’s not always exciting, but it’s necessary to hone your skills. It’s also nice to look back at older work when you have doubts. You’ll see the progress you’ve made.

Get out of your comfort zone. For me, this meant getting in touch with local artists whose work I admired (usually on Instagram), and meeting them in person. One of them became my studio mate for a year, and introduced me to the gallery owner who hosted my first solo gallery show! Things will open up if you follow the leads.

Create for you. Make the art, music, or writing that is true to you. Don’t make it for fame, money, or some other reason. If you are in a creative pursuit for the wrong reasons, you’re probably going to face a lot of disappointment. I’m a much better artist at sixty than I would have been at twenty, because I’m more grounded in myself, and I create work that is personal to me.

If you knew you only had a decade of life left, how would you spend that decade?

I started making art again during the pandemic. Unrelated to the pandemic, I lost my best friend in 2021. A big part of my artistic work to date has been a way of processing grief, and making the most of the time we have. We never know when our time is up. If I knew I only had a decade left, my focus would be to be as kind as possible to everyone I meet. It’s the thing I’m most proud of as a parent. Knowing that my children are kind, and hearing that from other people. Letting people know that they make your life better, or bring joy to your life in whatever way they may, is so important. Don’t postpone joy.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Jim_yale_art
• Other: https://www.almaart.com/jim-yale