We were lucky to catch up with Shirley Beyer recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shirley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I believe I started my career as an artist at the time I was supposed to. Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist, once said, “the privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”
I came from a creative family consisting of a mother who expressed her creative “urges” by way of sewing, cooking and gardening. My father was a blue collar heavy equipment operator; in his spare time he loved building things (he built our house) or spending time planting and maintaining a fabulous garden of fruits and vegetables. My sister is a very creative cook and has recently taken up painting as a result of my encouragement. I played in the band, danced when no one was watching. I fantasized about becoming a dancer on Broadway even though dance lessons were never an option for me. I never took an art class. Yet I begged my mother to take me to mall art shows and I was always drawn to abstract art. So there was something inside me that wanted to create! After I married and had children, I did take a few art classes here and there and yet opted to return to college because I had not gotten my degree. I managed to complete that degree plus a masters degree in counseling psychology. I maintained a therapy practice for 26 years. A few years before I chose to retire from that work, I began taking art classes at the Art League of Houston and the Glassell School of art so that I would have something to enjoy post-retirement. Little did I know that I was unconsciously following Jung’s philosophy of becoming who I really am. Therefore, I believe it was destined for me to become an artist and at the perfect time in my life.

Shirley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I mentioned earlier that I came to my career as an artist by way of being open to authenticity of who I really am. I called my strategy for post-retirement my Plan B. That meant that I would have something to grow into after my years as a psychotherapist. Part of my plan almost immediately after retirement was to begin to network and get to know other artists. Therefore I joined arts organizations and groups. This was a very fun and fulfilling endeavor. I, also, began taking more classes and workshops. During the lockdown of 2020, I painted every day and took online art classes from some brilliant instructors. Fast forward five years and I now am selling my art from a studio in the arts district. Winter Street Studios is part of the huge Sawyer Yards establishment near downtown Houston. I paint using acrylics and, also, add collage and textures to my works. My work is considered more abstract or expressionistic. Too, I love color! My works are bold and bright. Some are landscapes and yet are more impressionistic rather than realistic. Today I enter shows, submit works to juried art shows, participate in open studios and enjoy the community of artists of all ages. I believe the joy of painting shows up in my art. My soul is filled with gratitude and appreciation that I am doing this type of work.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

My journey to becoming an artist has definitely had its challenges. Four and a half years ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I was still seeing psychotherapy clients but only part-time and yet I was faced with “what do I do with this situation.” I took a month off to undergo surgery and then returned to the online counseling (it was still lockdown). A month later I began chemotherapy and some radiation. Still I maintained my practice plus I painted as much as possible! Eventually, I was able to begin seeing clients in my office again plus go to art workshops in person. As a very determined woman, this setback did not deter me from my plan B. I moved forward toward my goal of being a full-time artist. I fulfilled that plan beginning in January of 2023.

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

I do not believe anyone can call him/herself a non-creative! Each of us is creative in our own way and yet some do not recognize what they do as creative. Julia Cameron’s book, “The Artist’s Way,”
talks to the reader about how to expand one’s creativity whether they are engineers, doctors, dentists, computer engineers, et al, because each individual has within the ability to develop their creative skills in whatever they do. I strongly recommend that book to anyone who doubts his/her creativity or who wants to develop creative skills more deeply.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shirleyabeyer
• Instagram: @shirleybeyer3306
• Linkedin: shirleybeyer, artist