We recently connected with Lori Oswald and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Lori thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
My mission is to create art that helps people find presence in their busy lives, and in those moments, connect with their humanity in a loving way. Modern living has caused so many of us to become robots; we become more and more disconnected from our true selves as we strive to meet the unrealistic expectations that we and others place on us. My work is vibrant and emotional, a reflection of my own personal journey as I learn to slow down, let go of expectations, and be present with myself. My hope is to connect with other souls as they take in my work, and share those moments of emotional exploration. I want the time online followers and collectors spend with each piece, no matter its exact content, to be a reminder to breathe, and love themselves in those moments just as they are.
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 am a painter, using mostly acrylic paint, but I dabble in some mixed media such as other drawing materials and things to create texture. I am mostly drawn to create colorful, energetic abstract paintings on canvas and paper, but also work with figures and animals. I am mostly self-taught, though I was an art major dropout. After a year in the university art program for which I had a scholarship, I was burned out and transferred to the business school to finish with a marketing degree. Even though I had a natural talent in drawing, most of my life I never understood how artists came up with original ideas for creations, so I didn’t pursue art any further. Nearly twenties years passed with very little artmaking until I realized I had a major unfulfilled part of my life. In 2019, I returned from a vacation in the mountains with a strong urge to paint, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I realize in hindsight, the change that gave me the inspiration and creativity I lacked before, was that I had finally learned to love and trust myself. With newfound confidence, I gave myself the freedom to explore with paint, and I became thrilled with every aspect of it. I was also going through a very stressful time in my life, and art became therapy for me to work through my anxiety and escape the stressors. My art practice taught me to slow down and be present with my thoughts and emotions, like a form of meditation. It has become my connection with “the soul of the world” as Paulo Coelho calls it.
Every piece I create has its own story, whether I am working through my own complicated emotions, mourning an injustice in the news, or creating a commissioned piece for a client. That story allows me to connect with others on many different levels; sometimes in surprising and mysterious ways. When my artwork makes its way to a collector’s home, it serves as a conduit to remind them of their soul. Whatever drew them to the artwork is a reminder to breathe, check in with themselves, and embrace who they are in that moment. Whether it is emotion, memory, inspiration, intrigue, or some other wonderful piece of being human, my artwork is meant to celebrate that.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
“Big Magic” by Elizabeth Gilbert might have been the book that really kickstarted my creative exploration when I wasn’t quite sure what I wanted to be doing. This book helped me get back in touch with my creativity and stoke that fire.
“The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho is one of my favorite inspirational books. It is a beautiful story in and of itself, but is so full of magic, wisdom and inspirational quotes about pursuing dreams, purpose, and not giving in to fear.
“Art & Fear” by David Bayles and Ted Orland was extremely helpful in realizing that as an artist, so many of my mental battles were shared by other artists. There was a comfort in learning that I am not alone in my struggles and insecurities.
“Steal Like an Artist” (the trilogy) by Austin Kleon was a practical 3-book series on ways to learn and grow in my work, build a community, and be meaningfully productive.
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Have you ever had to pivot?
I knew many years ago I had a calling outside my 9 to 5, but it took me a few pivots to figure it out. I had a passion for health and wellness, which lead me to study nutritional therapy. I earned a certificate through a fascinating program and began to work with people in various capacities. But there were some hurdles I couldn’t figure out how to overcome, and didn’t have the passion to keep pursuing, so I let that one go. I still had a strong desire to help people, and through nutrition studies and practice had learned so much about the connection between mind and body. That lead me toward an interest in psychology, so I took a junior college developmental psychology course to begin earning prerequisites toward an online master’s in psychology and counseling degree. But even though I loved the subject matter, the full-time work and part-time school wasn’t sustainable for me along with my wife/parenting responsibilities. I felt discouraged for a few years, knowing I had something more to give, but I just hadn’t found it yet. I kept my heart open, continued to follow my instincts, and eventually found my way back to art, the thing I had loved so much as a child. As much as I believe that this is truly my thing, I’m not naive and am open to the idea that I may have more pivots in my future, and I’ll continue to trust my instincts if that time comes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://theoutdoorsyartist.com
- Instagram: theoutdoorsyartist