Meet Marcus Dawson

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marcus Dawson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Marcus, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I want to first say that imposter syndrome is a real thing, but it doesn’t have to be your identity. I am a self-taught collage artist. I have to be honest in saying that there have been moments in the past when I have doubted myself because I didn’t have certain credentials. Times when I allowed my mind to build a narrative about my ability that was far from the truth. I had to have an honesty conversation with myself and realize that my Art mattered. I truly believe that every artist has a unique fingerprint that cannot be duplicated. What I bring to collage art is uniquely my own and someone, somewhere will resonate with my work deeply. I truly believe that my tribe will always find me and be impacted by the work I create. When I came to that realization, my outlook forever changed. I was no longer creating from a place of trying to get approval, rather I was creating from a place of already being enough.

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 North Carolina collage artist whose mission is to spread love and light through analog hand-crafted collages. What started off as a self-care practice, became my passion for creating unique art with paper that included bright colors and vibrant visual storytelling. I often incorporate images of people of color among whimsical landscapes dotted with colorful flowers, rolling hills, and the heavens above. My work is an extension of who I am. It is a peek behind the curtain of my family, my aspirations, and my inner life. The work I create is scared and my prayer is that it is healing to the viewer.

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?

Being an artist takes resiliency. There will be many times that you will be told no and not considered for certain opportunities. In those times instead of feeling rejected I have learned to take the tools I have and build! If I’m not invited to the table, I build my own. If a chair isn’t provided, I construct one. I truly believe what God has for me is for me and no one can stop that. I am convinced that the no I receive today is just setting me up for the right yes tomorrow.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

The biggest area of growth I have seen in myself is my ability to rest and pace myself. When I first started creating art, I felt I had to work fast and get tons of art pieces out at once. I found that working in that fast pace didn’t allow the ideas and vision I had to mature. I’ve learned that taking my time with the work and sitting with an idea until its ready, is vital to the art making process. These days I’m working slower but the quality of my work has elevated to places id never dreamt of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marcusdspeaksart.weebly.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcusdspeaks/
• Other: https://pencilbooth.com/marcusdspeaksart
  https://www.blackonblackproject.com/blooming-in-plain-sight