We recently connected with Michelle Doll and have shared our conversation below.
Michelle, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
I’ve always been obsessed with losing myself in the world of drawing and painting. It’s always been a natural act of play for me. To lock in and escape into a realm of raw imagination while executing my vision and practicing my technique, I feel like I’m able to express my true self. As I got older, I started creating art that expressed experiences of sadness and trauma, which, at first felt cathartic, turned into a repetitive meditation on suffering and pain. Over time I began to feel like those negative experiences were magnified and more present than ever by repeating them in my work. Soon thereafter, I shifted and refocused my feelings and intentions on the dreams that I wanted to experience in my life. What does safety, love, and connection feel like? How can I experience tenderness and comfort? How could I not only visualize this, but experience those sensations through the act of painting? Through this process of aspiring to manifest these desires into action I began to feel a magical energy. My work then became a creative meditation, and, in that way, I began to discover a new purpose and a new spiritual connection to my studio process.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I was born and raised in North Canton Ohio. When I was young, I entertained myself with crayons and paper. I suppose even back then I had already begun to develop an obsession with drawing and painting. After High School In pursued a BFA in Painting at KSU, and then moved to NYC as a single Mother to receive my MFA at NYAA in Painting.
My work is inspired by intimate moments of frozen time. They are the stories of real families and loved ones, most of whom I personally know. Sometimes I am commissioned by strangers who then become close friends through the process. As these relationships unfold, I am gifted with special access to the intimate details of these special everyday lives. I document those moments and use those images to create compositions that reflect my connection. In a sense, I am living vicariously. When I’m painting these special moments, I am sometimes the mother, and I am sometimes the child as much as I am the observer. In these composed worlds of intimacy and tenderness, my purpose is to capture the fleeting, bittersweet moments that we all aspire towards, desperately try to hold on to and sometimes take for granted.
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?
1. My relationships to my family, friends and community of people have been my greatest source of inspiration and support.
2. My commitment to my own inner personal growth, which has evolved over the years. It now consists of my daily practice of yoga, meditation, writing, art making and cultivating love. I no longer desire to be driven by external approval. Accolades and success are great but I’d rather my success be fulfilled through personal relationships or my own sense of self-empowerment.
3. My commit to a lifetime of growing as an artist. Always keep an open mind and allow yourself to learn from your mistakes or missteps. Everyone has their own experiences. Both success and failure will shape your reality. I try my best to see through the lens of others when I can. Without that, how else could you ever come to appreciate other people’s unique points of view. Sometimes it feels like everyone wants everyone else to think like them, but I think it’s important to appreciate people for what they are instead of what you want them to be. Hopefully, on some level, I hope my work helps to express that ideal.
Looking back over the past 12 months or so, what do you think has been your biggest area of improvement or growth?
These last 12 months I’ve been really focused incorporating other creative practices into my work such as journaling and painting and drawing from life on a regular basis. I feel like these creative practices have allowed me to feel more clear minded and have reinvigorated my personal studio work. Through journaling, ideas are flowing and I have a deeper understanding about the work I’m making. And painting and drawing from life feels thrilling in its immediacy and rewarding in the time spent with others in a group gathering.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.michelledoll.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellelynndoll/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellelynndoll
Image Credits
Sophia Conger
