We were lucky to catch up with Amelia Morton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Amelia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I have known that I wanted to be a creative professional since I was a kid. When I was young I didn’t have hesitation or conditioning around being an artist, but over the years other people’s fear and judgment lead to the belief that being an artist was not a worthy use of my time. I grew up around creatives, but those close to me were either hobbyists or people struggling in their creative careers. As a teen considering the direction of my future, I received messages from society that it was important make another plan because the path of an artist was unreliable and unstable. I was lucky to have the support of my parents and an incredible art teacher who trusted that I would find my way. I chose work and travel over college and continued making art as a way to document and process life.

I spent ten years building up those backup skills and trying to be an artist on the side. I told myself and those around me that I didn’t want to go all in on my creative pursuits because it would take away the magic, but really I was so afraid of failing that I couldn’t see how much I craved a more creative life. In 2023 I finally allowed myself to face that truth, and out of it has come my gallery, Space In Common, along with consistent sales of my work for the first time in my life.

I will not deny that the life of an artist involves all of the things I was warned against. There is instability, self doubt, and the mirroring back of other peoples pain caused by their own creative rejection. What I have learned is that it’s all still worth it because of the good that accompanies the hard parts. I have realized that the people who were warning me off of becoming an artist viewed “being an artist” as a choice rather than an innate way of being. To be an artist and reject that identity feels more painful to me than all of the challenges that come with choosing to live authentically. Because of the gallery, I am still in the position of working on other things more than my creative practice. I always have the goal of spending more time in the studio (show me an artist who doesn’t share that goal), but I have experienced significant personal growth through the act of committing to a creative life. So I’ve finally circled all the way back around to the little girl who knew she would be an artist, and now I am focused on helping others connect with their creative identities while working to break down the beliefs that told us we should find a better and safer way to spend our time in the first place.

Amelia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Amelia Morton and I am the owner of a small art gallery in Sisters, Oregon called Space In Common. I have been an artist for my whole life and spent my twenties trying to fit my art making into the extra spaces around full time jobs. In 2022 I quit my job with the intention of committing to my creative practice full time. In the process of searching for a studio I found a storefront in downtown Sisters and the idea for Space In Common was born and brought to fruition in three busy months.

Space In Common encompassed three elements: gallery, gift shop, and gathering place. We show work from over 30 artists, some local and some from far away. The common theme is art and handmade goods from small businesses, with an emphasis on young artists getting started in creative careers. In our classroom we host workshops and small group gatherings centered around art education, skill sharing, and community building.

There are two main ways I aim to serve my community through this business. The first is by supporting artists. At Space In Common we do this by purchasing work up front as much a possible rather than on commission where the artist is paid after the work sells. We also focus on highlighting the artists we work with through social media and local advertising, connecting creatives with resources and mentors, and working to establish ourselves as a reliable source of high quality handmade goods in Central Oregon. I am lucky to personally know a large number of the artists we work with and getting to write a check to a friend for their art is one of the best parts of my job. We also support local artists by hosting them for workshops in our classroom.

The second way we serve our community is by helping people who do not identify as artists to connect with their innate creativity. I deeply believe that every person on earth has the capacity to be creative, it’s just a matter of identifying and removing the blocks that keep us limited and afraid. I have developed a workshop called Watercolor Moons that is accessible to people at any point in their creative journey. Every time I teach it I get to watch people realize that making art can mean so much more than directly replicating something they see or being able to draw a straight line. When we free ourselves from the confines of what we believe art needs to be, we can enjoy the process of creating regardless of whether the end product is “good” or not.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The best things people can do to support a thriving creative ecosystem is buy art from artists and trust their pricing. This might seem simple, but with big brands getting consistently better at replicating the look and feel of handmade things on a large scale, it is more important than ever to buy work directly from creative people. Never underestimate how much one sale means, especially to a person in the process of starting a creative business. Prioritizing shopping from artists for birthday and holiday gifts is a great place to start.

Remember when you are paying for something someone made that there are years of experience behind each piece. You are paying for much more than the materials they used and even the time it took them to make the work. Respecting artists’ pricing is an excellent way to support them even if it means you can’t afford to buy their work at the time. Society often gives creatives less value, and we are so commonly asked to work for free. This is not a sustainable situation for any creator, and takes a toll on the overall creative ecosystem. When we value artists for their contribution to our communities, we show ourselves and generations to come what is possible when we embrace our innate creative potential. Only good can come from this.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Trying to sell artwork for a living adds a special spice to the creative process. I consistently find myself in a balancing act between creating work that I know will sell and creating what actually lights me up. I spent a lot of time making art that I thought people would want to buy, but I found it boring and inauthentic which lead to me prioritizing other pursuits. It’s counterintuitive because when you are creating a product to sell, you try to understand exactly what it is that you customer wants and aim to create just that. I thought this formula would work with art when I first transitioned from creating for fun to creating for money. I have discovered through much trail and error that this is not true in my art making practice. When I make something just because I think it will sell, it’s usually obvious in the work. There is a stiffness and I find that people can feel this. The balance is found in keeping myself continually inspired and excited about my creative experience. People can also feel this through the work. This reality can be challenging for me, as I often wish I could just sit down and repeat a proven formula, but it is also a gift that keeps me on my toes.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://spaceincommon.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spaceincommon/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554126541536

Image Credits
Amanda Carson