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

Elizabeth, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I’m beyond blessed to say that I’m one of those people whom my mom is my best friend; She’s the first person I always call for anything despite living on different sides of the country. She once shared with me that when she was in college, she had to prioritize profit over passion as she chose her major and ultimately her career. However, she eventually found her passion in motherhood and was able to be a stay-at-home mom to me and my siblings. As we grew up, she consistently nurtured each of our unique interests whether it be fashion, music, animation, film, or in my case, drawing. Her mantra was “you are inevitably going to spend most of your daily life working, so do something you enjoy.” Honestly, I have always been the quickest to doubt myself and my ability to achieve my goals, but every time she is always the quickest to remind me that drawing is all I ever wanted to do since I could hold a pencil- “you were born with a pencil in your hand,” I’ve heard her say more than a few times. However, the authenticity of my mother’s support wasn’t found in her words but her actions- I remember throughout middle school and high school, she would pick me up after classes, take me to our local craft store, and buy me a new marker or pencil. This was a little weekly tradition for at least a few years. Today, I’ve learned a lot from my mom about supporting and encouraging people through action rather than words alone, and to this day, she’s very proud of me without holding me to an impossible standard. Without her, I would have never had the guts to be an artist.

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

I’m Elizabeth Newton, I’m a visual artist from Fort Worth, TX with a focus in painting and printmaking. I earned my BFA from The University of Texas at Austin in 2023 where I picked up oil paint and printmaking materials for the first time. I just recently earned my MFA from New York Academy of Art with a focus in painting. During my time earning my degrees, I’ve been blessed to have opportunities to show in group exhibitions across Texas and New York City as well as to work in my field. In Austin, I found a love for teaching when I worked at the Mexic-Arte Museum as a teaching artist, hosting screen printing workshops for kids. During my time here in New York, I’ve been doing contract work for NOW Art, digitally designing murals for Walmart locations across Texas. I’ve gotten to nurture my interest in teaching by serving as a guest lecturer at UTNY last Fall, and teaching in the summer residency program at New York Academy of Art. I currently live in New York, NY as a visual artist staying open to the next step in my career whether it includes teaching, murals, commissions, or galleries.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I’m blessed to be surrounded by a lot of friends and family who find what I do to be impressive and important. However, something few of them understand is how easy it is to feel stupid and discouraged in a world that applauds STEM as a professional field but will always view art as a hobby or side-hustle. I grew up being really bad at math and mediocre in science, but excelled in art and language classes. I used to resent the way my mind worked, but what kept me pursuing art professionally was the constant support from family and friends. My self-doubt would have stopped me long ago had I only listened to my own voice. My message to all non-creatives- whether you’re doubting yourself in pursuing a creative outlet, or you’re a friend of a creative- is to just keep showing up for yourself and for those around you. The smallest “I’m proud of you” can make a world of a difference in the mind of a creative- I still remember who showed up to some of my first exhibition openings! You never know the impact of your words and actions!

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

For me, there’s multiple different ways to answer this question, but one of them would be that it’s extremely rewarding (and somewhat rare for most artists) to just look at your work and be truly proud of what you see. Art is inevitably a reflection of the artist, and to see how your personality, values, and temperament manifest in a physical object is a great tool to learn about yourself and how you interact with the world. Even if you’re studying with a master-copy, a new medium, or “a different style,” whatever you touch will always have your fingerprints and ultimately become a reflection of you. I think it’s extremely important for people of all walks of life to have some kind of creative outlet, because creating is vital to the human experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lizgnewton.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-newton-b19596228/