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

Hi Lisa, thanks for joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I realized I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally in my 30s. I spent years bartending at an really cool bar and venue and that eventually evolved into management, having grown up with a lot of friends in the local music scene that management position gave me immense opportunities for myself and those around me. I started booking and working closely with promoters and bands,..,some I had know for years and some became friends through the years of working together. We did more underground music, punk rock, EDM, and of course rock n roll, blues etc, as well as occasional art shows, and an array of other events. I developed a deep love for that job and the ability to bring people together doing what they’re passionate about. As time went on the promoters I worked with started inviting me to show my work and live paint at music festivals that they produced stages for, most notably 4-Life Entertainment, although I had an abundance of support from a list of amazing people. So this was a turning point for me because I had a passion for art obviously, but also for creating an atmosphere/a vibe/an aesthetic and eventually I left the venue to pursue art full time with my primary focus being showing and painting at music festivals.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a self taught painter that got into art at 25 as a way to process my emotions and let them go. Art has had a really beautiful and important place in my life because at the point I started out I had just gone through a great deal of loss, the death of my dad and I was at an age where my life could have gone in a bad direction if I didn’t learn coping skills, so I chose to put that energy into creating. I think something that sets me apart from a lot of artists is that I don’t care if my work is well received, I don’t have that self conscious aspect that a lot of people struggle with. The way I see it is no matter how good or bad of an artist you are there will be people who love it and people who hate it. You have to make art for yourself, I like putting myself out there and if someone connects with it personally….that’s awesome, and if they don’t…that’s totally cool too.

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

I think the most rewarding part of being an artist aside from getting to follow your dreams every day, is witnessing how magical art can be when a complete stranger connects with a piece deeply, when an image you created can bring them back to a powerful feeling or situation in their life without words. When art is visceral it can transport someone to a different time and I think that’s pretty special.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My biggest goal as an artist is simply to live my life as my authentic self every single day for the rest of my life, and to never shrink who I am to make others comfortable….because I won’t. I want my entire life to be rooted in purpose, creativity, fun, and love.

Contact Info:

• Website: HTTPS://www.pyrogenik.com
• Instagram: @lisabetournayart
• Facebook: @lisabetournayart