Meet Tess Israelson

We were lucky to catch up with Tess Israelson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tess, 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?

Challenge is the core of building resilience and strength. We don’t know what we can overcome until we are faced with a challenge and move through it.

As an artist working with clay, I am constantly pushing the medium and building in new ways. I have also had many challenges in my personal life that I have had to overcome. Clay is a great metaphor for life’s challenges. Because sometimes your ideas work and sometimes things blow up. (Literally-check out my TikTok videos) But even when things don’t go as planned, I persevere.

Studying energy work and meditation gave me tools to move through life more seamlessly and to set boundaries. In order to heal, we must eliminate the belief systems and people in our lives that no longer serve our highest light. When we are in alignment, we are limitless. The only thing stopping you is you.

I have had to start over a lot in my life. I start over every day when I wake up and I choose to be present. Just keep going. Being able to learn from and move through challenges, is the core of resilience.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a ceramic sculptor specializing in figurative botanical art. My inspiration comes from traveling and being in nature. When I am deep in the forest, I feel the most peace.

My grandparents on my father’s side immigrated from Sweden. My mother’s side is blended Latino/indigenous from New Mexico. Growing up with a multi-cultural experience shaped me and inspired me to travel the world.

In my early career, I focused on showing in art galleries. The past few years I’ve shifted focus to outdoor booth shows. This has allowed me to showcase a wider selection of work, reach thousands of viewers in person and connect on a deeper level with my collectors.

As an introvert, showing art in booth shows was out of my comfort zone because it requires consistent interaction with the public. But after years of experience, I now look forward to speaking with my audience in person about my work and sharing moments with them.

It is beautiful to see their eyes light up when they find a sculpture they resonate with. The love that my audience shows for my work is very generous. It is truly humbling when your gift affects others in a positive way and I am forever grateful for that.

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?

1. Invest in energy work, therapy or meditation. Don’t try to do it on your own. Find a teacher or practitioner (who you resonate with) to help you. We all need guides who can see beyond our circumstances. Work on healing whatever blockages are in your way and become your authentic self. There is no one else like you, and when you are real, you are limitless.

2. Be willing to move within fear. Do things even though it’s scary. Take risks. Go bigger than you think you can. Situations perceived as failures or loss are actually neutral. They serve as teaching moments. “Failing” is better than doing nothing.

3. Make your work in series. There’s nothing better to develop your skill. Focus on one thing, master it and then try a different style or focus. Your art develops a muscle memory, your style becomes more apparent and you will naturally develop and evolve.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?

The energy of what’s happening in the world and in our direct lives can be exhausting. I have two opposing strategies I use that are equally helpful depending on what I need.

First, I decide if I’d rather be alone or in good company.

When I want to be alone (which is usually my first choice), I isolate in my studio. I do light yoga, meditations or mirror work. I listen to music, I cry, dance and smash some clay around. When I’m feeling particularly frustrated, it is usually because I need to be alone and make art. Even if you are not an artist, playing with paint or clay is therapeutic. You don’t have to like what you make, show it to anyone or even keep it, the point is to extract your feelings so they don’t stay bottled up inside.

Second, If I’m feeling more extroverted, I seek out my soulmates and get them to go outside with me. Picnics are my thing. I’ve been fortunate to find people on this planet who I really love and who can see me. My goal in life is to be chill somewhere with my favorite people, dance, cuddle, hug some trees, explore nature and play with my friends.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://TessArtStudios.com
• Instagram: Tess_is
• Facebook: TessArtStudios
• Other: TikTok: TessArtStudiosLive