Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lauren Coll. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Lauren, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I get my resilience from knowing that nothing is set in stone. To get back up when life gets tough is tough. But to understand that in most cases you can overcome obstacles if you keep trying, is to know your power. Sometimes, things will go your way. Other times, they won’t. It’s when things don’t work that you have to try another route. You have to remain resourceful. Keep trying different avenues to get to where you want to go. Also, something to keep in mind is that resilience may not come immediately after a really hard blow. You may feel weak, tired, or overwhelmed. After a difficult period, the best thing is to give yourself time to gather your strength and to not make any important decisions. Chill and get your bearings. Take a break. But at some point, you have to push on, or you get stuck and getting stuck is no way to live. Resilience gives you the ability to get back into the flow of life and to continue.
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 visual artist. I work in different media because I like the flexibility. I work in graphite, acrylic, watercolor, and gouache. I also shoot photography and produce digital art. Working separately and in a combination of these media, I produce visual works that I hope resonate with my audience. It’s that connection that means the most to me in the pieces that I produce. If something in my art appeals to or connects with my audience, I have been successful. Each medium in which I work allows me to express different aspects of my creativity. I find that very exciting. The ability to manipulate more traditional forms of art digitally opens a world of possibilities that was not available previously. I am even curious about collaborating with AI which I may do in the future. But for now, it’s all me.
I am very excited to be launching a line of limited edition prints featuring Florida images. I was born and raised in South Florida. These works stem from photographs that I have taken in my home state. They include images of Key West, Coconut Grove, Sanibel Island, Palm Beach, Hollywood Beach, Miami Beach, and Key Biscayne. There is much beauty in my area. There are also a lot of funky motels and colorful people that visit and reside here. Together, these images present a part of what life is like in South Florida. These pieces are created differently than what I usually do, which is to work in traditional media such as graphite, watercolor and acrylic. In creating these prints, I have had a chance to expand on my love of photography. I use photography as a means to capture something important to me: a sense of place, beauty, discovery, or emotion. Typically, I translate the images into drawings or paintings, but this new series lets me work directly with the photographic medium and to be creative with it. It has been a blast and I am very happy with the work.
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?
The three qualities that have been most impactful in my journey as an artist are love of the work; knowledge on how to produce it and market it; and discipline to get things done. If you don’t love what you are doing, it becomes a grind. There is ultimately little motivation to continue doing it, especially if you are not getting the results that you want. So you have to really love the work. It’s like any relationship. It’s that love that keeps you going back when there are challenges. Knowledge of your discipline and how to market it are key. You want to be able to execute what you have in mind and that takes training. Past that, you have to be able to reach out to people to show them your work. Marketing is the most challenging aspect of being an artist because we all want to be in the studio producing and being creative. But to share your work with your audience, you have to get it out there. It’s the second part of the journey. Marketing allows you to connect and share your vision with the world. The final element is discipline. Discipline is another characteristic that keeps you going when life gets hard. You have to stick to it to get the work done. For anyone starting out, the best advice I would give is to not get disheartened. No matter what, just keep going. You have to keep pushing on despite what people say and keep an open mind. Take what they say under advisement. At times, there are some good nuggets of information that can help your work or career.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents were both lawyers and valued education, discipline, and a sense of responsibility. Although I was born in Florida, I was the product of an exile. I know what it is to have to work with few resources, other than yourself. My parents wanted their kids to be able to fend for themselves and to not to rely on them or anyone else. They taught my sister and me to be disciplined and responsible. They taught us to be independent thinkers and to not go with the crowd. That gave me great creative freedom. By not falling into trends and falling prey to peer pressure, I was taught to express myself. That naturally translates into the world of art. By today’s standards, my parents were tough, but this toughness has served me throughout my life. I have been given the skills to handle issues as they arise and to think outside of the box.Those lessons were invaluable.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.305artbox.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/coll_miami/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lcollstudio/
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/lauren-coll-44aa23195
- Other: www.305art.com
Image Credits
Lauren Coll
