We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Mallory Vara a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Mallory, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I believe I found my purpose when I was young. I have always gravitated towards art and creating, more so hands on creativity. Over the years I have developed my style and certain skills that help me stick out among others. Painting to me, is stimulating, it’s therapy, it’s an escape. All art is. This is how I know it is meant for me. There are many routes you can take as an artist, right now I am still finding my way.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I currently am a Graphic Designer/Clothing Decorator for the lacrosse brand “Bardown Lacrosse”. By decorating I mean that I hand press and design the brand’s apparel. I do this in-house using things like heat presses, patches, our HTV cutting machine, and more. In my free time, I have my own brand called “Ethereal”. Ethereal started out as a clothing brand, but is now a personal brand for my art. This includes paintings, prints, customs, and any other inquiries I receive. I believe the word “Ethereal” represents something that is intangible, surreal, so unnatural that is delicate in it’s own beauty. My designs and creations are made to capture the essence of Ethereal. My ultimate goal for the future is to be able to sell my original pieces, whether that be online, in store, gallery’s, anywhere really.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Don’t stop, keep going. That is #1. In the art field, we are our biggest enemies. We hold ourselves back the most, so in order to be successful, do not stop. My second piece of advice would be to just be yourself, don’t try to conform, you will just end up blending in. No one wants to blend in. And lastly, continue your craft, practice everyday, at least one hour a day, you will not regret perfecting your skills.
How would you describe your ideal client?
An ideal client for me would be someone who brings their own ideas to the table (more ideas the better), and with that is able to give me the creative freedom to execute those ideas. They would also give an appropriate amount of time for the scale of the painting. This person would be open minded and patient.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://8ethe8real8.com
- Instagram: Malvarss, 8ethe8real8
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