We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nina Wood. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nina below.
Nina, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
My self-discipline is driven by a desire for accomplishment and my need for certainty. Sometimes, that can be challenging to maintain, but having a schedule helps me to progress and make good decisions. I find I have the most discipline when it comes to exercise, work, and meeting deadlines. It’s important to me to feel proud of my work, especially if it is going to be seen by others, and sometimes, this requires more time than I anticipated, so I try to maintain flexibility in my approach. Being a Mother has strengthened my motivation to present myself as a self-disciplined woman. I strive to be a strong role model for my children by demonstrating how perseverance and hard work can help to achieve dreams and goals at any age. Knowing that I’m giving my best work and effort makes me feel good without regret.
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?
Even though for the past 17 years, I have worked as an art educator in the public school system in New York, currently, I am most focused on my career as an artist. In the past, my attention was mostly on my job as an educator, but since my children have grown up, it has opened up more time and space for me to work on my art. This is an exciting time and a time of frustration and pull. I feel a strong pull to make art full-time, and simultaneously I know I will continue teaching until I am eligible for retirement- there is that need for certainty!
Working two-dimensionally, I make watercolor figurative paintings that express protection, escape, rest, and gratitude associated with memories and the limitations of the mother/artist experience. Womanhood and motherhood are what I know and experience, and I want to create art from my heart that enriches my well-being and hopefully connects to the well-being of others. An artist mother’s life is unique and diverse in how we navigate between the roles and how that affects our creative process, our time, and our inspiration for making art. I realize that the content of my work may not be appreciated by everyone, or popular, but for now, I will continue on this path.
Recently, I was invited into a small collective of artist mothers located in New York City called the Mother Creatrix Collective. We support each other, share ideas and problems, exhibit together, and encourage all of our endeavors. The collective has greatly enriched my life and my art practice. I am excited about our future together and grateful for being a part of this small community.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Okay, so some things that have impacted my journey so far have included perseverance, asking for help when needed, finding what nurtures my creative practice most, and making time to do it. Looking back, I can recall using all three of these skills. For example, at the beginning of my teaching career, when my three children were little, my position was eliminated in two different school districts. It was a scary time for me, being the primary financial and emotional support for my children and their needs. I worked hard at finding another placement for the following school years by searching for positions day and night, reaching out to those who could help, and maintaining a positive attitude as best as I could despite fear. Luckily, I found a job after each cut, and after ten years of teaching, I found a district where I have relative permanence and seniority. Perseverance is also a great skill for anyone in creative work. Creativity involves a beginning, where things are typically somewhat exciting, a middle, where sometimes things fall apart and start to look terrible, and then we reach a result we are either proud of or not! And then we start the process all over again, despite the results. When things don’t go well, I turn to drawing, which has always been my first love and what nurtures my art practice the most. It brings me rejuvenation, confidence, and peace.
As far as advice to help those early on in their journey, I think I would advise the same as I do for my children and say that you don’t have to do it alone. When you need help, ask for it and find people who share similar values and support your goals. Keep those people close, and most of all, do what you love.
What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?
Working full-time as an art teacher while prioritizing my art practice has been a big area of growth and achievement for me. When I set goals in my art practice, I am more committed to reaching them than I have been in the recent past. Learning to say “no” to events, open calls for art, or hosting when these things will interfere with that progress is something I have begun to do and am still working on. At this stage in my life, I am giving myself the grace to acknowledge that it is okay to say no (with love) because I can’t do it all.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ninawood.net/
- Instagram: ninawood_artworks https://www.instagram.com/ninawood_artworks/
- Linkedin: Nina Wood https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-wood-4325a51a/
- Other: Mother Creatrix Collective https://www.mothercreatrixcollective.com/
Image Credits
Michael Vassallo
