We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sebastian Sears a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sebastian, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
I always keep my eye on my end goal and visualize how rewarding and amazing the final outcome will be. There are times where I have those unmotivated days/evenings/weekends and question if my creative projects are worth continuing? In the past, I would loose focus and motivation mostly to lack of resources or prioritizing sustainability and I just want to be clear that I have never had a creative project completely set me back since I look at them as a gig vs how I make my income.
I often question my artwork and it’s monetary value in others feedback and pressure of what I “should” be doing and that I am limiting myself for not making what I do my full time lifestyle. Unfortunately our society lacks, and has always lacked, funding and support to bolster creatives and most of us are left to figure out alternatives if we’re not coming from a wealthy background.
Looking at this, I feel that If I were to already have unlimited funds and resources to do my creative work full time, there wouldn’t be that same passion and it would just become routine. I would also lack the empathetic connection and collaborative spirit to most other creatives. The continued fight is what makes doing this kind of work adventurous and fruitful.
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 still figuring out a simpler way to describe the creative work that I do since the last two years or so. Since learning and exploring multiple different mediums, I have mainly come to the conclusion as being a Mixed Media Visual Installation Artist.
Even though I have only had technically one installation piece back in 2019 which involved a monitor showing stop motion on loop encased in a multi-media structure, I have partnered with theater shows to do projected scenery and have had a solo screening of a 15 minute animated film. Most of these were collaborations and only focused on animated projections.
What made the categorization of “Installation Artist” in my title is what I am currently planning and putting together for an opening this January. The show will consist of three wall sized projected animations, hanging 3D works made of cardboard and lights, as well as a 30 minute contemporary performance. This installation, let alone casting, directing, and producing a performance is my most ambitious project ever but I feel confident in my ability with the amount of experience and exposure being a part of past productions and knowing the process as well as made connections in the community.
The show is titled “Liminal Actions & Explorations” with the small performance titled “The Fight for Tiamasa” which is about a fight between two fictional cities and will involve around 10 actors with recorded narration and sound to account for having no lines. The scenery will be projected imagery. It’ll be held at Zo Gallery Studios in Baltimore, MD opening Friday Jan. 19th-Sat. Jan 27th. The performance will be held on both Friday’s and Saturday’s of those weekends.
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?
Curious- If there was an interest in an idea, subject, or a type of medium, I didn’t hesitate to research more on my own or go more ambitious with a project in order to create what I saw in my mind mentally. During my college years, even though looking back I would have done things differently, it was hard to stick to one concentration and switched three different times throughout my six years of undergrad, starting out with graphic design to film and finally finishing out with a BFA in Fine Arts concentrating in drawing. I started learning more about different types of alternative media and “what is considered a drawing.” Towards the end of my last semester, I started pushing the envelope on my drawing projects adding in collage material, cardboard, and even found objects. Don’t be afraid to test your limits. Get those ideas no matter how ridiculous they may seem to the outside world.
Collaborative- Being able to work with other people on live performances or art shows has been an excellent way to make other connections and gain better resources. To me, it also just makes life more fruitful and less monotonous. You experience the good, bad, amazing, and terrible all while working together towards a common goal in the long run. I started out doing whatever I could for volunteer with small theater productions here in Baltimore. Explore events, shows, and establishments of interest and find out how you can help. Smaller creative organizations always could use the extra hands. It’s usually a lot of fun and well worth it.
Determination- Keeping my eye on the end goal and the big picture helps me stay focused on my creative work when I get hit with curveballs and uncertainty which will happen. If I run into an obstacle, I try not to think too hard on it and focus on breaking that down into smaller and more manageable steps while focusing on what I can control in the mean time. Patience and uncertainty have always been a huge weakness of mine and it has gotten the best of me in certain cases that have set me back. I remind myself of how much progress I HAVE made and that I will figure this next step out utilizing my resources. Sometimes just changing around a component to adjust is all it takes. Being able to accomplish those obstacles that can freeze you in a bout of anxiety or be discouraging is very rewarding.
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?
Seeing as my artwork has been taking a large scale approach and moving into the performative direction, I would like to collaborate with actors of a diverse background as well as have easier access to larger indoor open spaces and more grant funding. I have a few other installation ideas I would like to put together in the near future and being able to secure places easier.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.illustranettic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/illustranettic.art/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfG2SCuNHm90EBIQzIEo5Ng
