We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Luisa Mesa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Luisa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I am very happy as a creative. I don’t think about having a regular job because art is a second career for me; I was in the business world prior to going back to school, earning my degree in art and pursuing a professional career as a fine artist.

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 background and context?

Before I went back to school and earned my BFA, I was taking photography and painting classes with private professors. I became more involved in the arts and I really never looked back.
I was a resident artist at The Bakehouse Art Complex for 5 years, until I applied to Art Center South Florida (now Oolite Arts) and became a resident-artist in 2006, until 2010.
My work is an intuitive, repetitive drawing practice.
Through line, color, and organic geometry, I explore how patterns arise, shift, and find coherence. The forms are not predetermined; they emerge through attention, repetition, and a listening quality that guides my hand more than intention does.

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

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is that during the creative process I lose myself. The noise of the outer world ceases to exist and I experience what I believe is the closest thing to no-time, no-space. It is my meditation.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

I believe art should be a part of every space both public and private, thus providing artists more opportunities to display and sell their work, while at the same time educating the public regarding art.
Furthermore, art should be given equal importance in school curriculums, starting in elementary school.
Although many corporations already have art collections, and public institutions do as well, I believe we need a lot more engagement across the board.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.luisamesa.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luisamesa?igsh=M2wzY2N2aHEwNW1i&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14gMnhynEpt/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Image Credits

All photos by Luisa Mesa