We recently connected with Maggie Lyon and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Maggie, 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?
When I was in art school, I thought that my purpose was to be a professional artist. After I graduated, I was putting all of my effort into being making art full-time, but I wasn’t finding myself completely satisfied. I got a new job as a sales associate at a nonprofit art organization, and in just a couple months I had the incredible opportunity to become the curator. I always thought curating would be something I would enjoy, but that job title seemed way further into the future. Taking on this role was terrifying in the best way possible. I had no idea what I was doing, and I just figured it out one day at a time. Turns out I really enjoyed doing curating, and something started to click. Before this job, I was very focused on myself and my own success. But when I flipped it around and started building up other people’s success, I found myself so much happier. I knew my purpose was to create opportunities and space for artists to show their work.
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?
I’m currently working at Art Direct as their Gallery Director. I am also an artist focused in painting, and I’m working on a couple independent curatorial projects.
My full-time gig at Art Direct has allowed me to grow tremendously in my professional career as an arts administrator. I get to curate artwork for our two locations; one with a larger gallery featuring 30+ Austin artists. We switch up the artwork every 60-90 days, and a featured artist wall that rotates every month. I get to plan events, receptions, artist talks, manage our social media, and so much more. It blows my mind every day that I get to do what I do. Just a few years ago I felt totally isolated from the art world in Austin. It wasn’t until I started putting myself out there more that things started to change. I started asking for opportunities instead of waiting for them to come to me, and I forced myself to go to events alone. Eventually I started meeting people and making connections.
As for my art practice, it’s something I take day-by-day. I don’t get a lot of time to paint, but I really savor the time that I do. There’s been a lot of times where I want to give up on my art, but what keeps me going is the fact that I am my best self when I create. I am a more creative, energetic, and curious person after I spend time in my studio. I’m currently working on a collaboration piece with Kathryn Trively Art that will be featured in August 2023 at Art Direct Gallery. Hint: lots of Barbie
I’m also curating artwork for a music festival “Once Upon A Time In Austin” by Culminating Events on May 27th. We’ll have art installations through out the festival grounds, along with a pop-up shop and original artwork. All of the featured musicians and artists are based out of Austin.
I tend to keep pretty busy, constantly surrounding myself with art and creative people. I’m excited to continue this journey of being an artist and creating opportunities for artists.
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?
Making genuine connections has had the biggest impact in my journey. Everything that has happened to me, is linked to someone I met along the way. For a long time, I was trying to do everything on my own. But sometimes you need to swallow your pride, phone a friend, and see what happens. Don’t be afraid to ask for opportunities, or create your own. I started meeting people by going to events alone. If you’re reading this and are crumbling at the thought of talking to people, trust me, I get it. I’m a classic introvert. I always tell myself that as long I make one meaningful conversation or connection at that event, then it was a success and I allow myself to go home.
Another quality that has made a big impact on my journey is being adaptable. Life is going to come at you fast, and it’s not going to go as planned. If you can find the strength in yourself to stand back up after being kicked down and change your mindset to fit the new circumstances, then you’re golden.
The last piece of knowledge I’d like to pass on is having the strength to stand up for yourself. This is something that I still have to work on every day. My personality has always been very agreeable, I don’t like conflict, and I’m usually the peacemaker. I think these are all great qualities to have and I am proud to say that’s who I am, but I have to make sure that I’m not being taken advantage of or walked over. I’ve started to learn to speak my mind over the last few years, and it’s changed my life for the better. Sometimes this means you have to walk away from a situation, but good things will always find its way to you.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
I’ve never shared this publicly, but this time last year was one of the most difficult times in my life. My health had started to deteriorate and I didn’t know why. When I finally went to the doctor, my blood tests showed that I was very deficient in Vitamin B12 causing anemia. I started taking daily shots of Vitamin B12, but it took months for any of my symptoms to go away. I had paresthesia from my toes to my neck 24 hours a day, I was constantly fatigued, had no appetite, cramps and muscle twitches in my legs, and so on. All of these symptoms caused extreme anxiety, resulting in the worst panic attack I’ve had to date. I decided to quit my job and leave Austin to stay with my parents. I’m sharing this story because I thought my time in Austin was over. I thought that taking a hiatus for my health was going to ruin everything I had been working for, and all of the people I made connections with would forget about me.
But I slowly started to get my health back. I moved myself back to Austin, and started the job search. I’m not gonna lie, it was bleak. It wasn’t until a couple months later that I decided to swallow my pride and start asking people I knew in the art world if they had any leads. Turns out they did, and everything started to fall back into place. These past 12 months have been a journey that I never imagined myself to be on. I have a job that truly makes an impact, I’ve met so many incredible people, and have been given opportunities that may have not happened if I did not get sick. Every day I wake up and choose to be bigger than my anxiety, and I’ve learned that I am more resilient that I ever knew I was. I’ve learned that it’s so important to take care of your mental and physical health. I’ve learned that it’s okay to take a hiatus from life. Everyone will be there when you get back.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.maggie-lyon.com
- Instagram: @maggielyonart
- Facebook: @maggielyonart
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-lyon-3a9725149/
Image Credits
Personal photo – Michael Thomasson Images 1, 7 – Michael Thomasson Images 3,4,6, – Snaps By A Girl
