We were lucky to catch up with Casey Mossholder recently and have shared our conversation below.
Casey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?
I was a helicopter mechanic in the military for nine years. While I certainly enjoyed it for a long time, during my last few years I started to feel like it was no longer what I wanted to do. After doing something for so long, having the certainty of the job, and the regular paycheck, it felt scary to leave and do something else. One morning at work, I injured my right hand so badly I had to amputate the end of my finger and have had four surgeries in the past couple years. Luckily, I’m left hand dominant, so my art skills weren’t affected, but it was eye-opening to see how close I came to losing an ability that had been part of my entire life. I didn’t want to take my passion or talent for granted anymore, I started making more and more art. After leaving the military, I held some other jobs where I continued to build other skills, such as sales, and realized I wanted to use my skillsets to do something fulfilling to me and build a career in art.
Casey, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am an artist who focuses on wildlife drawings and paintings. I am inspired by my surroundings in the Wasatch Mountains that serve as a playground for my daily life. I am an avid trail runner, mountain biker, and snowboarder who spends a lot of time outside in nature. This time outdoors provides inspiration for my artwork.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I enjoy the creative process. For one, I get to create what is on my heart and use art to process things going on around me. I also enjoy the process of developing a skill. I am always looking for ways to improve or learn.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
I’ve been drawing my whole life. This isn’t skill I was magically born with, but rather something I took interest in and developed over a long period of time. When you purchase or consume art, you are purchasing and consuming that long-term development, not just the hours it took to create one piece. Additionally, art takes a lot longer than people realize.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/CaseyMossCreates?ref=profile_header
- Instagram: caseymosscreates
