We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Launa Romoff. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Launa below.
Launa, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
I am always inspired by other artists, what they do and how they do it.
I have a very curious nature.
I go to museums, art shows, visit other artists studios and on my walks, I walk 15 miles a week, look at the art and sculptures that are all around LA . A lot of times I take photos with the sculptures by becoming part of them.
It is what I see around me that keeps me inspired, by being curious and really looking at things. For me it’s all about the process. There have been many times that I just needed to make art, be in the process. And…the next day I will look at the piece and think, no, it’s not what I want/like and will rip it up or paint over it. I don’t feel bad at all because the day before I was so immersed in the process, I disappeared into it and the whole day passed. What I know is that every piece one makes is not great, some are wonderful and some not. For me it’s about the process that keeps my juices going.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am a mixed media collage artist. I didn’t start my art career until I was 50 years old. I never thought that I was an artist because I couldn’t draw. Then I met this extraordinary collage artist, Mitzi Trachtenberg. She lived in San Francisco, mentioned that she taught classes there. I said to her I really wanted her to teach me collage. She said that if I could get 6 people and a place to teach the class, she would fly down once a month and teach us. That is how it started, after the first class I knew I had found my voice. That was in 1997, in 1999 I had my first show and sold 5 pieces. That truly started my journey. I never had a mentor before and Mitzi became my mentor. She was wonderful, talented and tough. I am so grateful that she came into my life, she is now in heaven and I hear her voice all the time when I am making art and get stuck on a piece. Needless to say I am always making art. It feeds my soul and gives me a lot of joy.
At the age of 68 I became a model. Never in my wildest dreams think I would be doing this. It is is such a wonderful adventure and validates that just because one is older doesn’t mean life stops being fun. I truly feel why not go for it, you have nothing to lose and maybe a lot to gain. And…if I don’t get a job or sell a piece of my art at least I went for it. Rejection does not kill us it just makes us stronger. I truly feel because I look at things optimistically and am open to new things, even though at times it might scare me, I am open to new opportunities coming my way. Initially I might be scared but then I think, why not, all they can say is no.
So that being said, I am in the 2023 January/February issue of Women’s Day Magazine.
February 2023 a book just came out by Stacy Russo called: BEYOND 70: The Lives of Creative Women. I am one of the artists in the book!
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?
For me its gratitude, optimism and lessons.
In 2004 I was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and in 2006 lung cancer.
I never felt poor me and didn’t feel I was going to die. I look at life and situations as what’s my lesson? What do I have to learn from this that will help me along my path? We think we learned it, we go forward ten steps and fall back seven steps. It a journey we are not perfect, we are not supposed to be, we are human! And life can be hard at times.
Here I am 19 years later thriving and doing things that make me happy.
What I do know is that at a certain age, we start losing family and friends. I am at that age now. For me I look at this as how blessed was I to have had that person in my life. Some people stay a long time, others go in and out of our lives quickly. I feel they all come into our lives for us to learn something and they don’t have to stay a long time for us to learn it.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I can’t say there was just one person. For I truly feel people come into our life’s to help us on our journey.
Here are some things that I was taught along the way.
When I was young I was told that when you get older you give back. One of the most satisfying things I do, for myself, is volunteering. I had never realized, when I was younger, what an impact it makes on peoples lives.
A smile makes all the difference to someone. even strangers you pass on the street. It seems to make their day and 99% of the time they smile back!
Please and thank you go a very long way.
Perfection or trying to achieve that really only causes one unhappiness for, I feel, nothing or no one is perfect.
Just doing what you feel is your best and then letting go of it brings lots of satisfaction, for me, at least it does.
I do my best to live in the moment, I can’t go back and change things so why keep reliving my mistakes thinking I should have does this or that. One can’t go back, so I look at the situation as what am I supposed to learn from that and move forward.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.launadromoff.com
- Instagram: LaunaRomoff
- Facebook: Launa Romoff
- Linkedin: Launa Romoff
Image Credits
Photographer: Marci Manklow (main picture for article) Ron Cooper (two model photographs of me one in Black hat near chair and other black & white photo in hat) All photos of me outside with art or becoming part of art Photographer Edward Ipp
