We were lucky to catch up with Lizi Phoenix recently and have shared our conversation below.
Lizi , so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?
Although I haven’t quite worked out how to avoid burnout in its entirety, I do apply some precious old man’s insight to lessen the degree of the burn. My grandpa used to describe tasks as being ‘GE’ which stood for ‘good enough’. This could be in regard to a nail in the wall that was slightly skewed, yet kept the hook up. Or a sweater that may not match the pants, but kept him warm for this supermarket jaunt.
While my family still laughs at the ‘GE’ concept, I’ve come to see that it does contain some wisdom. I tend to overwork myself, and to my detriment I subscribed to the idea that things had to be done perfectly or not at all. This led to many very late nights, too much on my to do list, dread and procrastination; a.k.a. a recipe for burnout. With time I realized that many of my tasks can be GE. Developing the skill of distinguishing when something can be GE and when it should require my full attention has really helped me balance out my workload.
I of course need to honorably mention the usual suspects too: a walk, a good sweat, and a cup of tea. These should never be underestimated. I also preserve some sanity by never bringing my laptop into my bedroom. Unless I’m sick, then I need to be in bed and catch up on Love Island (the UK version, obviously).
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Since the day I bypassed my Junior Kindergarten math test by submitting a crayon portrait of my cat Viktor, I knew I wanted to be an artist. Today, I mainly paint with watercolor and acrylic, and make pen line drawings and collages. I focus on creating work that pulls from multiple human senses to preserve a specific moment in time. Be it by perfecting the waxy twist of a Tootsie Roll wrapper, or catching the sun sparkle on the water in a way that immediately transports the viewer to August.
I also run my eponymous company, Lizi Phoenix. Here I take this nostalgia and relatability from my work and throw it in a mixing bowl with my client’s custom desires. I plop a dollop of technical skills developed at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and add a dash of my Entrepreneurship degree from Northeastern University. What I mean is, I work with individuals and businesses to create personalized 1 of 1 art to mark special occasions and memories. This art can be found on canvas, paper, sneakers, jackets, bags, plates, doors and pretty much anything else with a surface that can hold a little temporary moisture.
By now I’ve been fortunate enough to creatively collaborate with some brands I very much admire such as Poppi, 818 Tequila, Michael’s, California Olive Ranch, and Guess to name a few. My work can be found across the globe, from Los Angeles to Zürich to Tokyo.
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. Get to know yourself and pay attention to how you operate best. What works for someone else might not work for you, and that is absolutely fine. Especially at the start, play with different routines, schedules and organization methods until you find ‘the one’. Each week I make a ‘focus question’ and quickly answer it at the end of each work day. On Fridays I give myself 15 minutes to reflect on my answers. This helped me to notice patterns and find edits to my routine that worked with my natural rhythm. Here are some of my most helpful questions: ‘What did I say to myself in times of resistance?’, ‘Am I making sure I understand something before moving on? How do I know?’, ‘When was I happiest today?’ and ‘What did I value today?.’
2. Hold on tight to the friends who support you authentically. Anyone can take you to dinner to celebrate a win. Who can take you to dinner at that new Korean tapas place you briefly mentioned wanting to try? And on a Wednesday specifically, because they know that’s when you have your most dreaded meetings.
3. I always say that you can learn something from everyone you meet. It might be details on your soon-to-be new favorite gallery; and might be that you learn exactly how not to talk to your partner in public. Whatever it is, it’s a disservice to yourself to assume other people aren’t worth hearing out. The day you believe you’re too intelligent or important to learn new things is the day it all starts to go downhill.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal client is someone who cherishes small moments. They feel a deep connection to place, and love to be scooped up in nostalgia. They want to mark precious phases in the stories of their lives through a tangible item that can still bring them the same joy 20 years later. They care to be surrounded by beautiful things that are an extension of their personality, and represent their individuality. They value creativity. They can clearly communicate what feelings they want their piece to convey. They trust me to put my professional spin on their ideas and deliver a one-of-a-kind custom item that they will keep forever.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.liziphoenix.com/
- Instagram: @liziphoenix
Image Credits
Tayo Jr Amika
