Story & Lesson Highlights with Alison Auditore of Phoenix

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Alison Auditore. Check out our conversation below.

Alison, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Playing the piano.

Generally I’m a very future oriented person, and everything I do contributes in one way or another to a goal that will be realized far from now. While this is great on paper, it’s very taxing and I started to burn out. I’ve been challenging myself this year to be more in the moment and give myself time to work on something that doesn’t have any purpose other than bringing me joy. So I started to play the piano again and it’s been amazing. My mind clears, and I’m able to lose myself in the music and remember that at the end of the day existing is enough.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Alison Auditore! My artist handle is Still Around. I’ve loved drawing my whole life. It’s always been my go to for self-expression and self-care. I spent a lot of time finding my style and trying to create something that felt good to make and also resonated with viewers. This is a constant push and pull, but I finally decided to double down on what feels good to make, and trusting that the audience for that work is out there. This has manifested as a series of stipple portraits! I am absolutely in love with faces and the way we see each other, so I focus my artwork there.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
A quote that has always stuck with me is, “People can not bear to think there are channels of human experience that are closed off to them.” I believe this sentiment is the root of broken bonds. When there isn’t an effort to understand, and a willingness to learn, relationships can’t last. Communication and empathy are crucial for restoration. It’s important to be open to hearing each other, and only then to make a decision as to whether or not a bond should be restored. Sometimes things need to break for something else to grow.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell my younger self that everything they’re feeling is valid. It’s not just a phase or a yearning to seem rebellious, and that it’s okay question the status quo and not want the same things everyone else wants.

I notice when young people start to come into themselves, they’re met with a wave of dismissal. As if they’re too young to know who they are. The older I get, the more I find myself doubling down on exactly who I always thought I was, and I know I’m not the only one. We never stop learning, so in a lot of ways age is meaningless when it comes to knowing who we are. The more important thing is finding it for ourselves, and not letting other people dictate it.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What important truth do very few people agree with you on?
Art is at the root of everything we do, and is as much a core subject as Math, Science, and History. In fact, it’s the thing that ties them all together. I think we do ourselves a disservice treating art as an elective, or as something that not everyone can do or needs to do. I see first hand the sense of relief that washes over people when they give themselves time to create. It isn’t about doing it well or monetizing it. From making a pizza commercial to designing a spacecraft and anything in between, art plays a part. The way birds sing and bees make honey, humans make art.

People are so capable of cruelty, we start to think that it’s just in our nature like some inescapable baser instinct that explains why the worst characteristics like racism exist. I assert that these things are learned and that given space, making art and creating ways to share our experiences are the true expression of human nature.

Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
I actually already live like this! Don’t get me wrong I have plans for the distant future, but I know that tomorrow isn’t promised. Because of this, when I’m making decisions about things I want to do or goals I want to reach, I don’t let myself think that I can always do it later. This is a huge reason I pour so much of myself into my art. I don’t want it to be something I finally get to after I retire. I mentioned earlier dealing with burnout. Devoting myself wholly to pursuing a passion while also doing the work it takes to be financially stable in my later years is sometimes downright unpleasant. But it’s so much better than thinking I’ll do what I love later and then never getting a chance.

To answer the question more directly, I would stop telling myself, “No.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alisonstillaround.com
• Instagram: @stillaroundart
• Youtube: @stillaroundart