We were lucky to catch up with Daena Title recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Daena, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.
It’s the difference between what is your passion and what is your dream. Your dream might be to be included in a great museum, and if you fall short of that, then you might feel at any moment, that you are an imposter and not a “true” artist. But if you know your passion is doing the work, then feelings of inadequacy or “imposter syndrome” can’t take that transcendence and joy away from you. But it is an ongoing chore to keep the two separate. After decades of work, those voices still crop up on me at every series’ end or every time I don’t work for over a week.
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?
Am I naive to think art can still make a difference? I am so inspired that my latest painting series, “Indoctrination in the Dark” is being used on line by the #EndRape Campaign by The Representation Project to highlight Rape Culture in America, especially as reinforced by movies and media. https://therepproject.org/endrape/rape-culture-in-film/ It was when Justice Kavanaugh cited 80’s movies and their influence on his High School values during his Supreme Court Judicial Hearing, that it struck a chord. I started watching these 80’s movies that I, and most of Congress, had grown up on and was shocked by the behaviors and attitudes they presented as comedy or romance. You can see those movie clips and my painted interpretations here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NuVy66Q_HE&t=23s It is eye opening!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Learning to collaborate with yourself. You are your best and worst collaborator and the sooner you learn how to deal with your own mishegoss, the better your art, and life, will be. Don’t stop working, learning, exposing yourself to other art.
If you’re an introvert, find ways to be extroverted. Action beats fear.
And if you can swing it, marry or inherit money– a skill we should all manage because being an artist is expensive!
Like my mother-in-law always said, Rich or poor, it’s good to have money.
What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?
Convincing myself that art can still make a difference and somehow separating that pessimism from the joy of creating. I’ve spent decades doing Feminist art, but now it feels like America is going backward and my work has not helped women to even stay in the same place, better yet progress.
And I often consider just switching to abstract non-narrative art and removing myself form these hard conversations.
But then I get obsessed with the next thing, like Barbie Dolls, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjVp-uLhHkc&t=68s
and I’m off painting another dozen paintings. Still, at at the end of each series, I swear the next one will be fruit and dogs.
Contact Info:
- Website: daenatitle.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daena_title/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DaenaTitleArtist/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NuVy66Q_HE&t=23s
- Other: https://therepproject.org/endrape/rape-culture-in-film/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjVp-uLhHkc&t=68s
Image Credits
Matteo Gastel