Meet Lara Eve Kempke

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lara Eve Kempke a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Lara Eve, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I honestly don’t think I’ve overcome it! It’s still there…but I have learned to turn down the volume on that voice that tells me I don’t know what I’m doing. It took years before I could call myself an artist without feeling like a fraud. I can’t pinpoint a particular moment when that shifted, I think it was a case of “fake it till you make it” until gradually I accepted that as my identity. It’s sort of a feedback loop–I started claiming the identity I wanted even though it didn’t feel like mine yet, which meant I started taking risks and trying to push my skillset, which made me feel more like I was earning that identity, which meant taking MORE risks. And like I said, that voice is still there–but now my artist voice is (usually) louder, so I don’t pay as much attention to the scared little whispers.

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?

I have lots of exciting things going on right now! I’m always exploring new directions, new themes, and new media. I am venturing into new territory with oil paints, and exploring more surreal, somewhat spiritual works; I’ve discovered that my way of dealing with scary world events is to make art that evokes transformation. Animals are always my chosen subjects, and now I’m putting them in unusual settings that combine things like swirling ocean currents and the cosmos. I have this stubborn notion that putting beauty into the world can make at least a tiny difference. I will be showcasing much of this new work in upcoming shows at the Gloria Delson Contemporary Art (GDCA) Gallery in September, and TAG Gallery in October, both in Downtown Los Angeles. My work is also currently being shown in bG Gallery, in Santa Monica.

Speaking of which, the show at the GDCA involves a truly amazing group of women I’ve been privileged to team up with, the Dragonfly Wing Collective: myself, Maribeth McFaul, Linda McClure, and Colleen Flynn. What we say about ourselves is that, like the dragonfly, which is a symbol of transformation, agility, and vision, we celebrate the creative force and strength found in unity. We are four wings in motion, lifting one another through imagination. We present more than four collections of artwork. It is a representational journey of women helping women rise, create, and transform.

We began showing our work together last year in pop-ups in Mission Viejo and Long Beach, and will now be bringing our vision to Los Angeles. Our four styles, although diverse and distinctive, harmonize beautifully with each other to create one blended presentation of art that flows seamlessly. We are so fortunate to now be represented by our fabulous agent, Dale Youngman, who is helping our collective achieve new opportunities and reach a wider audience–beginning in September at the GDCA!

I am also getting back to some of my earlier functional art roots–there’s an octopus bar stool in the works at the moment with eight sculpted arms winding around it. Plus I’m expanding my orchestra of repurposed instruments, tackling more challenging projects. The trombone octopus is soon going to be joined by a clarinet hummingbird, and there’s an accordion in my back stock just waiting for a brilliant idea to strike!

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?

Tenacity is the first one that comes to mind; going after your goal with focus, and not letting naysayers–including the ones in your own head–derail you.

Finding a community was crucial, and incredibly rewarding in so many ways. Creating is so often a solitary pursuit, which can sometimes feel terribly isolating. When I found that first community of artists it opened up a whole new world of opportunities, inspired me to expand my skillset, and gave me friends who know exactly what the journey of being an artist is all about.

Risk taking! Take the big swing! You get told “no” a lot, but every no can teach you something, and you don’t know if you don’t try. And sometimes it’s a “no, but…” where an unexpected path you didn’t even see can open up.

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

Well this happens a LOT! My brain goes into overwhelm mode pretty easily…so first thing I do is make a list to get it out of my head, and to see what actually has to be done. That can do a lot to calm the overwhelm right there. When it feels like I can’t make headway on one thing, sometimes it helps to switch to something else; I get a sense of accomplishment by finishing something else even if it’s small, and give myself some breathing room on the first thing. And sometimes…I need to just walk outside and breathe, feel the wind, look at a tree, watch a bird hop around. Helps get me out of the echo chamber, and gain a little perspective.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.laraevestudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram/LaraEveStudio
• Facebook: www.facebook/lara_eve_studio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lara-kempke-2135a214/