We recently connected with Olivia Stafne and have shared our conversation below.

Olivia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

I think the only time my work is really misunderstood is when I paint nudes. I do paint a lot of women figures, but I don’t do it for shock value or to be inappropriate or anything. In some instances, my intention is to show feminine empowerment and to show that as a woman, you can wear as much or as little as you want, and it shouldn’t affect the way people see you. Or in some cases, I use nudity as a representation of vulnerability and openness. Sometimes that can get misconstrued, as people ironically tend to find it just overtly sexual. Honestly though, I don’t really care. I find it funny. One time I was doing an art show and a horrified mother covered her kids’ eyes when they walked past my tent. Good stuff.

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 think a trademark of my work is my unapologetically bold style; I love to use ultra saturated colors in both my original paintings and my murals. However, I think what sets me apart from other artists is not just my colorful style, but my unwillingness to be boxed into one category. I think a lot of artists will find something that works and stick with it forever, and that’s fantastic. But for me, I don’t want to be known for just one thing. I don’t want to be known for just bold colors, or women figures, etc. I try to work with clients that take me out of my comfort zone, and allow myself the freedom to grow out of certain styles or themes that I don’t feel resonate with me anymore. Maybe if you ask me in a few years, my style will be totally different than it is now. My work is always changing and evolving with me, and that’s probably what I’m most proud of.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is getting to know myself better. As dramatic as it may sound, I’m on a constant journey of authenticity- I feel like the more I paint, the more I become the person that I want to be. I feel like it uncovers different facets of myself that I can’t express through words. When I share my work, I feel like I’m just putting my whole soul out there. And when people resonate with it- well, that’s the coolest feeling in the whole world.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think something that non-creatives might have a hard time understanding is that we can’t control when inspiration may come to us! I think people see that I paint for a living and assume it’s nothing but fun. But when I have someone waiting for a commission to be finished or waiting for me to send them over a design, I truly can’t control when I’m feeling creative or not. Some days I just have to focus on other things instead of work because I have such bad artists’ block that I can’t get anything done. It’s something I’m constantly working on, because I never want to keep clients waiting. But it’s a really tedious cycle of having an influx of fresh ideas, to getting work done, to feeling overworked and burnt out, to having to take a break completely. So just know if you’re ever dealing with an artist and don’t hear back from them for a bit, they’re still trying, I promise!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.oliviastafne.com
• Instagram: @oliviastafne_art