Meet Nathalie Warriner

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

Hi Nathalie, 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’m not sure we can ever completely “overcome” imposter syndrome.
We can learn to recognize it when it shows up, and be able to continue creating in spite of it.

For me, it arrives as a kind of challenge. It mocks me and invokes doubt.
It asks, “Who do you think you are? Who are you kidding? You’re not a *real* artist.”

I have learned to hear the voice and acknowledge it, not resist it, give it a nod.
But I have also learned that at the deepest core level it’s just a thought,
not Truth with a capital “T.”

And also, doubt is healthy. When I go through a period of artistic insecurity,
it challenges me to shrink or rise, and if I refuse to shrink,
I often find I rise to new levels of achievement and fulfillment.

Learning to view Imposter Syndrome as a kind of ally serves me well.
It invites me to go higher, take bigger risks, create with more authenticity,
and be as bold and courageous as I can possibly be.

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 have always been an artist, but until the last three years, I have never had the courage to be one fully.
Now, I am. And that is the result of all of my planned future blowing up.
It’s the blessing that has come from loss and heartache.

I own an Art House in Mount Pocono, PA that serves as my studio, and is also a classroom where I facilitate the creativity of others.
The Art House (a 3 story, 6 bedroom house built in the early 1900’s) is a curated work of art in and of itself,
a kind of interactive museum that has the ability to both soothe and challenge visitors.
It’s a place of liberated creative expression and whimsy and play.
It gives permission by its very existence. It says, “It’s ok to be radical, to think outside of the box. Anything is possible!”
Constantly evolving, always surprising, The Art House is very much alive.
It’s a beacon. It’s a heartbeat. It’s a lighthouse. (www.poconoarthouse.com)

And much as I want the world to know about The Art House,
I also feel a divine urge to become a more vocal advocate for the art that I create.
Paintings and collage, and most recently, sculpture, come through me, demanding and insistent.
The most authentic forms and figures that appear on my canvases and elsewhere
are not the result of careful study and planning, but bold, intuitive brushstrokes
and a kind of energetic intensity.
They want to exist. They want to be seen.

I am prolific and ever inspired.
Creative ideas keep me awake at night.
Nonetheless, having been conditioned to play small, and not shine too bright,
I have felt a certain shame about my artistic gift.

But no more! This is the year of putting it out there.
Nothing to hide.

It takes heart and willingness to be bold!

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?

The three qualities that serve me best are courage, persistence, and faith.

For anyone newly on their bold journey, I enthusiastically suggest that you, “Feel the fear and do it anyway!”
As a culture, or maybe it’s a human thing, we seem to have a fear of getting it wrong, or, equivalently,
not doing it right.
This belief binds us sure as chains.

We can break free by re-framing our position., by realizing that who we are intrinsically
has nothing to do with our limiting beliefs,
and that the spirit in us that urges us to boldness and risk taking
is there for a reason.
The world needs whatever we feel called to offer.

It may not be for everybody, but it will be for somebody.
We will learn and grow and evolve as we take each bold step, and then the next one.
Keep going, and then, with dogged persistence, keep going!

If we are following our hearts, we can’t do it wrong.
Mis-steps will empower future steps, and we can only learn by doing.
This is what life is for!!

Go for it. Trust the process. Be brazenly yourself.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

I would love to connect with anyone who appreciates original art and is seeking new talent,
has a gallery or a place to showcase and sell art, and/or
has an interest in showing new bold artists as they step onto the visible world stage.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.poconoarthouse.com/
• Instagram: @nathalie_t_warriner
• Facebook: @nathaliewarriner

Image Credits

Sienna Turecamo