Meet Lili Arnold

We were lucky to catch up with Lili Arnold recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Lili , really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?

Finding my purpose has actually been a journey of my purpose finding me. I spent many of my early adult years trying to fit a mold of what others expected of me, to choose a more stable career, to convince myself of what I “should” be. After the growing feeling of inauthenticity became too heavy to shoulder every day, I began to explore my truest creative self. This began by way of experimentation and exploration with different mediums and subjects. Though I didn’t have the freedom to dive in full-time (still had to make a living!), I was able to begin satisfying the creative spark that continued to grow as I kept moving through my “weekend art projects”. When I finally brought out an old box of my printmaking supplies from childhood and college, I started to feel something different, something more profound. I connected with the process more than I ever had before; the tactile and meditative feel of carving, the repetitive yet always magical moments of pulling a print from the block, the ability to share my latest piece with friends, family, and eventually an audience that would help me to begin an art business one print at a time.

I didn’t expect my love for printmaking would become my full-time career. It’s been an absolute blessing and I don’t take it for granted a single day of my life. I realize being an artist and being self-employed has less stability and guarantee than a traditional “job” but as I continue to follow my instincts and reach deep into the sea of ideas swirling around I find that there is power in authenticity and in taking chances on myself and my ideas.

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?

I am a printmaker, more specifically I make hand-carved block prints in the “jigsaw” style. I am almost entirely inspired by the spectacular flora that I find out in the world. My style of working was born out of a conundrum; I wanted to make pieces with a variety of colors, but I didn’t know how to work with multiple layers in order to achieve that. So instead, I cut my blocks up into “puzzles” and inked the pieces separately, later assembling them together, then pulling the print in one go. What I love most about this style of printing is the problem solving that goes into planning a composition and how the different colors and shapes will interact as a complete piece. I do have a few fails here and there, but even those blunders become a learning experience that makes me better at what I do. In addition to making block prints, I also design textiles including bandanas, tea towels, and tote bags. Most of these designs are done digitally which allows for more variety in my day to day tasks as well as expanding my offerings to a wider audience who can experience a more functional piece of art. This fall I will be unveiling a new organic cotton tea towel design (the theme is “forest flora”) and a couple other new surprises!

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

I would say the most important skill in my journey has been learning from my mistakes. It’s so easy to get down on ourselves when we don’t get something right. If we reframe our hiccups as an experience for reflection and growth we can only do better the next time and appreciate our wins that much more.

Another insight that helped my on my journey was to be vulnerable. I really put myself out there, especially in the beginning. Whether it was asking a fellow artist a question, or contacting a local store to set up a meeting to see my work, or putting my work on display in front of people I didn’t know…it all led to a stronger sense of confidence and purpose. I led with the mindset of being ok with rejection or criticism because I loved what I was doing. I surely had my moments of feeling like an imposter or questioning my choices, but in the long term I stayed true to what I felt was authentic to me as an artist and as a person.

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 are both artists, so growing up with people who pursued an “alternative” career allowed me to see a path for myself in that field as well. They have supported my decisions throughout this journey even if the future was unclear. They trusted in my abilities to create from the heart as well as make a living for myself, whatever form that took throughout the years. Now that I am a parent myself, I can see both sides of the coin and I know more than ever that I want to support the passions that arise in these young minds. If a child or adult is able to spend their time doing something they love, they will contribute joy and growth to their own lives and also the collective world.

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