Meet CurlyShirley

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

CurlyShirley, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
Learning to be effective/successful when I am the only one that looks like me has not been an easy task. I would say it is an on-going one. Through exploring my thoughts and feelings around being different I was able to not only address aspects of myself I was lacking, but also aspects that I have aced. When I started looking at the my experiences as key moments in my life where I was able to discover strength, I came to the conclusion that there only being one of me is success in itself. My lived experiences are valuable and bring something to the table that cannot be replicated.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
My name is Samantha, but I am more commonly known as CurlyShirley from CurlyShirleyArt. I am a visual artist who uses art as a means to transmute emotions (particularly grief) and experiences into a form of expression and bring healing to both myself and others. This began as me doing paintings and drawings in my room to escape grief/confusion. Once I noticed my artwork touched others and got their attention I decided to create CurlyShirleyArt, using my mum’s name as a basis since it was the driving force behind it all. My mom passed away when I was a toddler and the grief I’ve experienced has been interesting. It pops up at the weirdest of times, and sometimes would add a dark cloud over experiences that should be full of joy for a girl growing into a woman. I would also say it has motivated me to look at the lens of motherhood and the power of community as my experience of exploring womanhood derived from sisterhood, friendship, and my relationship with other female figures in my life, such as aunties, teachers, cousins as well as forcing me to have a stronger relationship with myself and trust/believe that I can still show up as a good person regardless of my circumstances.
I began to realize that although there was an aspect of grief involved there was also love. An overflow of it that I was unable to share with my mum. I had to put it to good use.
During the time I had created CurlyShirleyArt I was also being asked a ton of adult questions I had no idea about: what did I want to do with myself now that I was finished high school, what were my goals, my next steps. I was kind of thrown into having to decide regarding post-secondary, and went with Social Service Work at Seneca College. First year co-op, I worked at a special needs High School in Scarborough, the rest was history. I’ve been working in the field ever since.
The more I started navigating adulthood and especially just different duties in my line of work, I realized there was a need to share more care and love in anyway possible. I wanted to figure out how to tie mental/emotional well-being to art. I had all the tools necessary, it was a matter of allowing all of my thoughts, feelings, and beliefs to string it together.
And thus, my true purpose aligned. I now facilitate Paint Session throughout the city of Toronto where we use creativity as a means to finding different ways to disconnect from the rush of life, be present and decompress. It’s honestly been a blast.

This upcoming year I am very excited for my birthday release, which will be happening in May (shout out to all my Taurus babes!). We will have lots of new products including paintings, prints, resin products and some new stickers. I’ll be sharing some sneak peaks on my socials over the next few weeks so everyone will have to keep their eyes peeled!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I would say three things that have impacted my journey would be love, tenaciousness (I would more call it patient) and my creativity (which would also be perceived as adaptability).

If I didn’t accept how powerful the love between my mum and I was, I would never have the opportunity to truly explore my grief. This could have resulted in me looking towards other things outside of art to cover it up. Facing how I truly felt deep down inside about losing her and the experiences we missed out on together changed my life in ways I would never imagine.

Tenacity/Patience – if I wasn’t patient with myself, my circumstances, my business, or even my career, I don’t think I would get into the spaces I have. You know, they always say the universe’s timing is the perfect timing! Continuing to push through, not giving up on myself or my dreams is what has got me as far as I’ve come.

Creativity – My creativity has allowed me to think outside of the box. To dare to be different or have a different approach. This is not so much in terms of a skillset but with how I choose to navigate life. Even when I am working in my field, I have to see outside of societal standards. We all are so different, if we find power in that then thinking outside of the box will always be considered a strength.

My advice for folks is to be okay with the unknown. Be okay with not understanding. Always be open to learning and growing. This includes looking at yourself through a compassionate eye and focusing on what you do have in order to build on the things you may need to work on. Nothing is ever set in stone. Everyday is a new chance to do something great. Just remember, one step at a time -left foot, right foot.

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’m always looking to collaborate with others! Everyone has something to bring to the table. When we join forces we only add to our arsenal. (The arsenal of sharing love and good vibes with the world!) To me, working with people who are in alignment with the vision of my life’s work is important. I love working with non-profit agencies who are doing similar work within the community, other artists, or companies who encourage the expression of creativity.

The best way to connect with me would either be through my Instagram @CurlyShirleyArt or by reaching out to me on my website ‘www.ShirleyPaints.art”

Contact Info:

 

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