We recently connected with Susan Lenz and have shared our conversation below.

Susan , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

I learned to work. By that, I mean that I learned to focus, put in long hours, do whatever was necessary to complete a project, go beyond even my own expectations, and produce a finished piece that was the best work I could possibly do. I learned this important lesson in two phases. First, I was brought up in a family of German immigrants. Doing a good job wasn’t quite “good enough”. It had to be the best of my abilities and I was supposed to be constantly trying to improve my abilities. Germans, like my family, lived by the adage: You work to live and live to work. There is no difference. Second, I started my own custom picture framing business in 1987. Success or failure depended on doing the best job possible even if it meant long nights, weekend hours, and putting in time during any holiday. It meant doing things the right way even if I accidentally charged too little for the job. It meant taking pride in each job regardless of how important it was to me or even to my customer. My business label went on the back of each framing job. I had to work hard to be proud to apply it there. I didn’t decide to “become an artist” until 2001. By this time, my strong work ethic carried over to my new studio practice without any difficulty at all. I had to balance my time very carefully because I didn’t retire from custom picture framing until December 2023. Working was in my blood. Working was a habit. I just had to work harder to maintain both career paths. As a result, I am a very productive installation and fiber artist. I’m often asked, “Susan, do you ever sleep?” Of course, it’s a silly question but I know why I’m asked. Many other artists don’t put in the number of hours I do. If they did, they’d likely be more productive. When another artist asks about my work habits, I generally tell them to invest in simple time cards and keep track of their studio hours. The more hours one works, the more work one makes!

Susan , 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?

What sets my artwork apart from others is its uniqueness. Every piece I make is an original made entirely by me.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I am driven by the materials I use, including found objects, damaged quilts, vintage household linens, buttons cut from old shirts, anonymous photographs, hand-written letters, and other, former keepsakes that have found their way into thrift shops. My aim is to give “second life” to these items that might otherwise be headed to a landfill. This is the way I celebrate gratefulness and the abundance in life. It is my hope that the artwork reminds others to appreciated their many, personal blessings but also to consider the popular mantra: Reduce, reuse, recycle.

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

Because my driving creative force is grounded in the concept of “giving second life” to found objects that might otherwise be headed to a landfill, I hope that the resulting artwork finds a permanent home. Otherwise, “second life” really isn’t achieved. The work ends up in storage, or “limbo”. Many artists feel this way. They create original pieces that simply don’t sell because no one is willing to “adopt” them. The best way to support visual artists is to purchase their creations, live with that piece of their soul, and give it a chance to survive outside the realm of the studio in which it was made. Just showing up at art receptions is also helpful. Every organization, museum, gallery, or other event where artwork is made available needs people attending their functions. Attendance raise internal moral and often results in placing artwork. Corporations need to support their artists by finding places in their settings for original work, not just by purchasing an ad in a performance or event program but by creating a permanent collection of their own.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.susanlenz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanlenz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susan.lenz/

Image Credits

All images were taken by me, Susan Lenz.