Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amelia Rozear. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Amelia, thanks for joining us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I love being an artist– I wouldn’t want it any other way. The feeling of creating something unique while practicing a craft is so powerful. The satisfaction that comes with getting deep into a project and seeing it through is worth every frustration. However, being a working artist also involves lots of anxiety, doubt, guilt, and mental strain. The negatives don’t just disappear.

When I was a full time studio-based artist, I was creating in a void. I didn’t have coworkers, or much of a social life. I could feel it affecting not only my mental health, but my work as well. Any moment I didn’t spend working was one wasted– I could always be doing more, posting more, creating more. Honestly, it led to a lot of burnout.

I decided to seek out a small part time job in a local library to combat this– to better structure my time, and to interact with my community on a larger scale. I’ve been surrounded by reference material, fellow art-lovers, and incredible people that have bettered my life in every way. With this new addition my time feels better utilized, and I am able to enter my studio space with intention.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Amelia Rozear, and I am a painter & illustrator based out of Providence, RI. I am a mixed media artist, which means my interests lie in every pocket of creative expression you can think of. Rug tufting, collage, pen & ink, charcoal, graphite powder, watercolor & oil painting all have my heart. The thru line between them is a passion for telling stories about girlhood, magic, and mystery.

The commissions I take on are always fun and surprising. Since my style varies, I’m able to take on work ranging from custom rugs to portrait paintings to sentimental, surreal illustrations. I always enjoy tweaking my approach to best fit each client’s unique needs. Between commissions I chip away at personal projects, which manifest in different ways. My first completed series was the Curious Travels Tarot Deck, a 79 card deck that took form over the initial 2020 quarantine. Now I am working on a larger graphic novel project.

Not only am I interested in creating my own work, but I also delight in researching artists from history. This year, two of my other art-enthusiast friends and I launched the Gilded Eye Podcast, where we talk about significant themes, works, and life-stories in an attempt to connect with visual culture, past and present. There’s nothing we like more than getting in touch with classic, larger-than-life artists through a contemporary lens, making the stories more accessible for people like us, who want to learn outside of a strict academic setting.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

As someone who utilizes social media as a creative tool, it is easy to believe the rate at which I consume content is normal and healthy. For so long I believed that a typical work/life balance for an artist was to produce something amazing every single day. I tried to live up to that expectation, and it became quickly unsustainable.
These days, I am trying to rewire my idea of what being a working artist means– someone who creates with intention, not just for views.
Reading artist biographies has really helped put things into perspective for me. Looking back to when people would create art for passion’s sake or to deeply understand a subject. It has helped remind me that art takes time, patience, and forethought. Shaking my fear of perception is something I will probably struggle with forever, but I am trying my best!

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I believe when my creative journey comes to an end, I will be able to look back on my entire body of work and see a larger story reflected back. That’s the greatest part about being an artist, to me– being able to map out my own lived experience visually, with my own hands. Even if that lived experience takes the form of character explorations, still lives and creature collages, my art captures my state of mind at a specific point in time, which is a beautiful thing.
Looking back at my work reminds me how lucky I am to have chosen this path, as daunting as it may feel at times.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.arozear.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arozear/profilecard/?igsh=ZHZydGlwbHdlM2Uw
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gildedeyepodcast/videos

Image Credits

Amelia Rozear