Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Pam White. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Pam , appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
Wow, tough question to begin with.
For me, the key to being resilient is to never let self doubt enter my mind. There is so much I want to paint and so many mediums and ideas I’d like to try that I simply don’t have time to question myself. Im only on this earth a short time, I’d like to do as much good with this time as I can.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am an artist, specifically I paint large abstractions of the lowcountry using beeswax and resin as my medium and a torch as my paintbrush. In the simplest description, I paint water using fire. To get to this point in my career, resilience has been a key factor. I’ve never had a mentor or a specific teacher. This medium is more obscure than oils or acrylics therefore I don’t really have an artist group. I’m on my own.
My goal in painting has always been to bring joy. I’m infatuated with water, still or moving… lakes, rivers, oceans. I have grown children and I’m sure someday I’ll have grandchildren and I’m concerned with the cleanliness and stability of our oceans. I try to use my art to bring awareness and money to this specific issue when I can.
I am represented by Grand Bohemian Gallery in Charleston and Juelyre in Mooresville, NC. I’ve painted live at both of these sites because it brings awareness to the arts.
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?
Being a professional full time artist is not for the faint of heart. While I question myself in other areas,, I have a sound vision and direction in the art world. Probably my most important skill is resilience. Curiosity would be my second quality that has helped my art grow. I’m quite sure I have ADD, but I use it as my gift. I live art all day, every day. I’m curious about every aspect of nature that surrounds me.
Lastly, and just as important is organization. I struggle with this. I love seeing other artist studios where everything has a perfect place. My studio is complete chaos 365 days a year. I just can’t seem to get a routine to organization of my supplies. But I AM using organization skills to plan where I’m going. Yes, I have a three month plan. But I also have goals, projects and visions for next year and beyond. I’m also finding it’s so important to organize my paperwork, my accounts, my spreadsheets. This part of my life is a work in progress but it’s a big goal.
I’ve tried to help or mentor other artists I know. I’m always happy to help. I believe the three key points above are very important if you’re considering art as your profession.
In addition the advice I give is:
1. Be original. Don’t copy or be inspired by others art. Find your path.
2. Followers and likes do NOT equate to sales. (Don’t ever pay for followers-those robots are not interested in your art).
3. As much as you can, Keep your art platform separate from your personal platform.
4. What is your number one objective for creating art? Remind yourself of this goal before you enter your studio.
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?
At some point in my career, I’d love to collaborate with just one business whose sole objective is protecting the environment.
Contact Info:
- Website: Pjwhiteart.com
- Instagram: Pamwhite3
- Facebook: Pjwhiteart
Image Credits
John Cranford (just black and white image)
