We were lucky to catch up with Laine Swanson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Laine, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
Since childhood music, art and nature have always inspired me. I was lucky to be exposed to eclectic taste at a young age, and I feed off of the catharsis of it all. I’ve always been in love with adventure and the outdoors, especially when I can encounter nature alone. Outdoor adventures do inspire me, but nature in and of itself, at any moment, provides me with peace, joy, the space to dream, total acceptance of myself and my choices – good and bad – and a feeling of pure bliss. It’s where I can truly be myself with zero judgment. My favorite place on this planet is in my hammock in my backyard, and when I need a break or downtime, I often end up there. This is where I get major creative downloads – new ideas, solutions where I’m stuck, answers to questions, and I experience affirmation in trusting my talent, gut, and thought process.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Since I can remember, it has been my childhood dream to be an artist – pretty much since I could hold a pencil.
I attended Bethel University in St. Paul, MN for my Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art and Art History, but I never had quite such a clear path as a creative until now.
It wasn’t until 2020 that I discovered a new passion and purpose in my artwork. This is when I learned I have structural issues with my spine and pelvis, and I now live with chronic pain. To accept and process my own body and experience, I found myself drawing Pelvis I (with Gladioli), combining anatomy and botany for the first time.
Today, using light, texture and my love for anatomy & botany, I hope to portray strength, determination, beauty through pain, peace & healing for whoever needs it. I use my work to simultaneously invoke a longing for what used to be and acceptance of what is, while striving to maintain a positive mind-body connection. Utilizing stippling and other drawing techniques, now including India ink, I am excited to continue to expand my body of work, as well as create custom one-of-kind commissions for individuals and companies.
As I’ve developed my series of anatomical drawings, the impact it has had among local communities has blown me away. The stories, experiences, wins, losses, pain and joy that my work can evoke among complete strangers is humbling, and I’m so grateful I can provide the space needed for those interactions. Art is supposed to bring people together, and it’s a dream come true to accomplish that while creating work that lights up my soul.
Currently as I expand my name and skills, I’m working on a brand new, mixed media series. In 2022. while attaining some of my childhood dreams, hitting artistic and business goals, and working on major personal growth, I also had many struggles, I left relationships, and I wanted so much more for myself. And I wasn’t ready to explore and process 2022 – the experiences more than any physical reality – until now.
Maybe you can relate to this: In 2022, I grew and changed so much which meant that I no longer fit certain relationships, beliefs I once had, or habits keeping me small…and it’s all for the better. But it still hurts.
First in my new series, “Concentration” is about clarification, power, focus, memories, and disruption. It’s intense, but joyful and forward-driven, reminding me that I don’t live by expectations or in a neat little box. It allows me to fully be me and step into a different confidence that was foreign to me. It’s not about permission; it’s about introspective focus on what you truly desire and want for yourself. (You can see this piece on laineswanson.com “In Progress” or through my social media handle @laineswansonart, available August 2023).
As I unpack that year of my artwork, my growth, my body, my relationships, my drive, my dreams, my losses….I’ve realized that this series is really about the clarity that my art journey has provided me. I am excited to develop the rest of my vision for this series, as challenging as it will be!
Catch up with me at events around the Twin Cities this year:
Loring Park Art Festival, Powderhorn Park Art Fair, Buffalo Art Festival, Rivertown Fall Art Festival, and gallery shows to come.
Find me on social and subscribe to my email list to get all launches, sales, events, and updates. I look forward to connecting with you!
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?
One very developmental experience as a young artist was in 2008. I had a college professor in New York City tell me I was not a painter, that I didn’t have what it takes. Ultimately, without that harsh (yet very hindering) criticism, I would have never picked up pencils in the first place or discovered that I can draw. As a 37 year old artist today, I know now that I let that hinder me from development and discovering any unknown talent that was within me. My advice around similar experiences like this would be to yes, explore other avenues that could blow your talent wide open, but don’t let a subjective perspective of your art hinder you from what you love to create.
Composition is important to me in my work – an ebb and flow, direction that keeps the eye moving, and I see each piece as a problem to solve, like a puzzle. One technique I used in my anatomical & botanical drawings series was using a lightbox. I would draw each part individually or in segments, and spend hours, days, or weeks shuffling around the body parts and flowers to get the right combination. Using a lightbox I’ve been told is “cheating,” but then everyone could draw what I draw – that’s not the case. So don’t be afraid of using constructive techniques that might be “frowned” upon. They will not only help you create great composition or art, but will help you gain knowledge and skills intrinsically as an artist for your future work.
Something that has impacted me as an artist in a business sense is listening to entrepreneurial podcasts – specifically by females and female business owners. Even though being an artist and the art-hustle seems so far from “business,” it truly is! And this is a way that I have expanded how I think, create, and network.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield is a book I’ve read several times. Each page can be read singularly, yet they each hold so much wisdom. You may seem confronted, guilty, or have Aha moments, but I appreciate the delivery that has helped me reflect on myself, my actions, my intentions, my habits. A few quotes that stick out in my mind today are:
“Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.”
“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.”
“The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we will feel toward pursuing it.”
These help me stay true to what I want for my art, and know that when I’m stuck in resistance, if I just keep going there is something bigger and more beautiful on the other side.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laineswanson.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laineswansonart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laineswansonart/
- Other: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laineswansonart?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/laineswansonart/
I am represented by Calendula Gallery https://calendulagallery.com/
