Story & Lesson Highlights with April MOffatt of Greenville

April MOffatt shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi April, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
My very sweet and very busy grand babies.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I am a life-long artist who works primary in oil paints. My goal is to capture the feelings and emotions that a landscape evokes and not just a similar representation of a place. I use bold brushstrokes and have an impressionistic style. I absolutely love being out in nature and strive to bring that passion to each of my landscape paintings.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
A very adventurous, outdoor child, who was always looking for a challenge. I grew up in the country, 45 minutes from anything but a local gas station and feed store, so we spent lots of time roaming free and building forts.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
It’s not so much that I almost gave up, but I almost never started.
I had been dreaming about picking up a paint brush again when I turned 40 and learning to paint classically with instruction. I wanted to see if I could make a career of it. I had the typical fear of, “what if I really give it my best effort and then I’m not very good?”
One day I was praying about it, and sensed God tell me ,” just paint 100 mediocre paintings”. I felt a weight slide off me and I thought, ” well, I can do that!” I started frantically painting after that and never looked back.

Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
I think there is an accepted belief that to be a remarkable artist you have to have had a tortured life. I know that terrible things somethings happen to people, but I think a lot of our troubles are actually self- inflicted. As humans we tend to make our own messes and then we like to blame others. I think you can be an incredible artist and be mostly happy as well.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What are you doing today that won’t pay off for 7–10 years?
I tend to get very distracted and put too many irons in the fire. Often this causes projects to lose momentum because my attention falters. 10 years from now I will probably see myself accomplishing more by starting less, but finishing those goals/projects well.

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Image Credits
April Moffatt

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