We recently connected with Christine Bush Roman and have shared our conversation below.

Christine, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?

I wish I had jumped into an art career with both feet sooner. Unsure if making a living as an artist was going to work for me, I always made art part-time while continuing to pursue other career paths. I have been making and exhibiting my art regularly for nearly two decades, but I was always afraid to put all my eggs into a creative career basket. When I was accepted into graduate school, I had finally made some headway on a career path in another passion of mine, animal welfare. Deciding whether to get my MFA or continue working with animals was a really difficult choice. Ultimately, I realized I didn’t want to pass up on the opportunity to begin graduate school, but part of my heart was broken leaving behind my other job. I wish I had either gone back to school sooner or waited to return, mostly because I spent too much of the program finding my footing and accepting the choice I made to do art full-time. I think I could have gotten way more out of my MFA program if I wasn’t always questioning my choice to be there. My advice to other creatives, or anyone having to make a difficult career choice, is to not waste any time wondering “what if?” or questioning if you did the right thing. Life has so many paths to success, so just do the work and commit! Don’t get bogged down second-guessing yourself. I am extremely happy that I earned my MFA, but I wish I could do back and have a do-over and really squeeze every drop of opportunity out of the program!

Christine, 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 a mixed media artist based in Charleston, SC, and have been exhibiting my work for nearly twenty years. Making art was always my way of processing my emotions about the world around me, and for this reason, I believe that everyone is an artist and should find a creative outlet. You wouldn’t believe the amount of art I make with my children and other kids in the community! I didn’t know I would become an artist when I set up my first studio when I was 18, but I have been making paintings ever since. My early work explored behavior and memory from a familial point of view. I was interested in how personality and morality develop, and how that transforms over a lifetime. Now that I am older and have children of my own, the perspective has changed. Raising children has taught me about neurodiversity, reignited my interest in the intersection of magic and science, and certainly refocused the lens of my own childhood memories. I have recently been making art about motherhood, neurodiversity, and the expectations of society on women and children. My artwork is always changing, but I have a hunch that it will always be a very personal and intuitive process. I have previously worked with oil, acrylic, and found objects, but my current studio practice involves traditional water-based drawing and painting materials and collaged papers and textiles. In my studio, you will find trays of deconstructed drawings, handmade paper, and pictures pilfered from old books that will be used for collage. In the past five years, the narratives in my art have spread into writing projects and I plan to continue to pursue writing as part of my practice.

Because I view artmaking as a vital form of expression, I love teaching art. Teaching in graduate school showed me that helping others put their ideas into imagery is super exciting. I have since taught basic painting, color theory, mixed media, and general art to all ages from preschool through adults. I sell my work independently and am represented by Miller Gallery in Charleston, SC. When I’m not in my studio or writing, I am busy homeschooling my two kids.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I’m still trying to unlearn the wrong idea that no one cares about the person behind the artwork. For a long time, I was really reserved and felt sure that the artwork should speak for itself. I still think that the artwork should speak for itself in some ways because I want the viewer to bring their own interpretation to each piece. However, I have learned that people really want to know about the artist and the process. Like many creatives, I am an introvert, and speaking openly and honestly about my work has been one of the most difficult hurdles for me as an artist. But when I began to open up and share more about my process and the meaning behind each piece, I saw sales and interest in my work increase. Especially in the age of social media, it is difficult to walk the line of maintaining professionalism (and sanity) while sharing parts of yourself with an audience. But people want to know your story and learn more about the person behind the visuals. It’s not an easy process, for sure, but when people know more about your story they will be more invested in the work.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

The greatest resource is your community! Don’t be afraid to reach out to other professionals who inspire you or who you see as successful. There is a great myth that artists want to gatekeep the tricks and tips for navigating the art world. But I was shocked and filled with gratitude to learn that other artists, especially other women, were so eager to lift one another up and help make pathways for each other. I wish I had reached out to artists in my community sooner to simply connect and learn about their journeys. I am always happy to help other artists in any way I can, whether through collaboration, sharing insight, or simply talking about ideas. And I have found that to be very reciprocated by other artists in the community.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.christinebushroman.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinebushroman/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@christinebushroman