We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brittany Williams. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brittany below.
Hi Brittany , thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
I’ve become a firm believer in taking risk. Especially ones that could save your life and for me this past year it all started with a plane ticket… I just had to accept it. I’ve always taken risk, but not like the one I was gonna be tasked with in early 2025. Here’s a little back story… I was born and raised in North Carolina my whole life just two and a half hours from Oak Island, NC. A very special place to me as my papaw worked to build the power plant down there and all he wanted was some land. So the beach house was born basically the year I was (which I proudly refer to as the Bum Hut). So my dream was to always live down there. It was always more home than home. When I needed a little extra comfort or inspiration I’d drive there for my own what I’d call it… “writers retreat and artist retreat” and I would write music and do my art. Well somehow that dream of living there became a reality for 5 years and it was some of the best 5 years I’ve had. I found great success in those five years with my artistic endeavors, the community, painting (houses too), acting and writing music. Eventually making somewhat of a name for myself even becoming a nationally recognized Performance Artist with my best friend Molly and the show we have travelled with multiple times called “Swim Team”. And those 5 years were born from taking a risk my friends. There is of course a backstory of how I ended up living there, but we’ll save that for another day. However, the biggest risk I had to take was yet to come. The last year became a year of torment to put it lightly. I found myself not doing my art, not writing as much, I lost weight, my anxiety was getting worse constantly sick, and I was stressed all the time, I was just not myself. Because I had a problem, a BIG problem. I was involved with a dangerous “man”. My other best friend (sissy) Danielle saw me on a video call that I had not even made and honestly she didn’t even know me that well at the time yet her and her husband Nick offered me a plane ticket to them instantly realizing I wasn’t safe. I didn’t realize it then but it was an act to save me not just physically but mentally, spiritually, and artistically. She had not known me that well at the time but she and her husband saw so much more of what I could do and needed and for that I am truly grateful. That plane ticket changed a lot for me and started the journey back to my true self. It saved my life. I was in Kentucky two weeks and during that two weeks my papaw passed. Everything happened at one time for me but I was blessed to have my other best friends Molly and Ross to drive me to see my papaw in good head space the last time before hospice. He loved that his granddaughter was at the beach, and driving his old car around. Which I proudly drive today. God blessed me with those moments. Which is why it was even harder to make the decision to move away from the beach and my home state of North Carolina to Kentucky amongst a lot of other reasons. However I got back from those two weeks from Kentucky, and I made the decision to actually move as I knew I had an army supporting me. Nick and Danielle welcomed me into their home while I got on my feet, along side my parents, Molly and Ross. So… end of the day taking all those risk, for my life… yeah, It led to me finding myself again and I learned to fight for my peace in more ways than one. I’m back to making art, writing music etc. It’s been a journey but not taking the risk that I have, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I quite frankly don’t know where I’d be. So take the risk sometimes that makes you scared and riddled with anxiety. Sometimes that anxiety and those in your corner telling you you’re worth and capable of a lot more are right. I’ve always said “Just trust the process”. And through this journey getting back to myself, I’m excited to share the new things I’ve been working on and all the beautiful lessons and things to come.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’ll start with the fact I started art a young age. My earliest memories of art are through my mammaw who is an extremely talented artist (though she will stubbornly never admit it). She would always get me books and art kits. Specifically how to draw horses books because your girl over here loved some horses. So it really started from there, I would just flip to the end of the steps and draw what I observed. I never understood the steps because they wanted you to draw a circle here and there and then tell you to erase it two steps later. So I learned to just draw what I saw and in great detail. From early childhood, art and music was just my focus because it was also more importantly my outlet. I got my first guitar when I was eight years old. I’ll truly never forget those harsh metal strings. I played on that guitar off and on until 17 when my parents got me a real guitar that was an Alvarez. Not that the other one wasn’t real it was just a kid size guitar and not remotely the size of an adult one. I remember coming home from school or work multiple times and I’d pick my guitar up and my papa would say “yep she’s going through somethin'”. It’s how I felt I fit into the world somehow. In a world where I felt I didn’t necessarily fit in at all. Even just in my room playing to myself. Art of all kinds takes patience as with a lot of other things but art and all the artistic things I’ve found myself getting into has always taught me more than anything else in this world and I can say that confidently. Enough of the backstory fast forward to today… I am primarily a pyrography artist (the art of wood burning). I love to customize skateboards as I’m a skateboarded myself. I also love to customize surfboards which I love as equally as skating as I love to surf as well. I’ve solidified myself as a custom board artist. I also love doing commissions and there’s not really anything I turn down. I’m a pen and ink artist, painter with acrylic and watercolor, specialized woodburner, actress, writer, and musician wrapped up in one and I can’t pick one. Everyone’s always told me to “pick one” but I simply cannot. I’m a little bit of everything and I’m proud of it.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the main things I’ve had to unlearn is you can’t do everything at one time… meaning you can’t rush the process, you gotta trust it even if you don’t always understand it. There’s a time and place for everything. Writing music and my relationship with my guitar has for sure cultivated that in me as well as my visual art as a whole. It’s built some patience in me I can’t quite describe. It’s taught me to slow down cause sometimes things aren’t ready to be complete. Sometimes you have to let things sit for them to grow into what they need to be and what you want them to be… not just for yourself and the artistic expression but for what it could mean for anyone else that sees it, hears it or feels it. You never know who you might reach with just a piece of music, art, a poem, a show. etc. the list goes on.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
The first thing that comes to mind is just being willing to take on a project no matter what it is. No matter what medium it is. As an artist of almost anything you can think of, I’ve been tasked with some interesting commissions and projects that I’ve accepted that have come with quite the learning curves. So It’s rare for me to say I can’t do something (cause hey, we’re taking good risk around here right?) The willingness to learn and grow is what it comes down to. Thats why I love art and just being a creative so much. Particularly the part where you take on a task/project that you have to research a bit, you gotta dig a little deeper to find some knowledge on what you’re about to embark on, how to do it etc. It can come with learning curves but with the curves and the risks… come GROWTH. The dedication to your craft always shows. It’s the passion you have for it that will carry you. Not how many commissions or even how many followers or supporters you have etc. It’s the learning, passion, knowledge and the creations you create that all builds a sense of pride in you, and that is worth protecting and cherishing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://b.williart.com
- Instagram: b.williart
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brittany.williams.639330
