We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zoe Bernhardt a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Zoe , appreciate you joining us today. 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 couldn’t imagine not creating as a living honestly. I’ve had plenty of jobs prior that have had nothing to do with creativity in the food and customer service industry. I was miserable, all my coworkers were miserable, and I’m not sure if it was because none of us were yet pursuing our callings, or if it was because of mistreatment often prevalent in those work spaces, or a mixture of both. I’d been making and selling my art here and there while pursuing a degree for a few years when the pandemic hit, forcing me to leave my stable job at a retail pharmacy and thrusting me into an unknown future.
It was in quarantine that I, and many other creatives, took the time to start our creative careers. That year was full of a lot of unknowns and was really scary, but I took a risk investing in myself and now I couldn’t be happier. I’m certainly busier than I have ever been, there’s constant deadlines and projects, people to touch base with, and non-stop creating to do, but in this space I’m thriving. I’m able to be proud of myself and connect with a community of others like me, I never feel alone or like anything is out of reach anymore.
I didn’t wait to graduate college to start my business, I’m still on my way to get a degree while balancing my career, relationships, and taking care of myself. I didn’t see a point in waiting for the right time when I had all these ideas that were ready to be born now. There’s always room for growth but there’s not much room for perfectionism in my life. I work a few part time jobs in between, all in creative spaces full of business women that inspire me to keep moving forward and push me to be the best I can be. It can be a lot, but the community I’ve surrounded myself with is so worth the hard hours and in many ways these women fund and inspire my business by offering me the opportunity to work with them.
One thing I’ve doubted from the time I was entering college is if it’s right for me to pursue a career in the arts or if my calling is in the sustainability sector. I, like many members of my generation, have anxiety and guilt about the state of our planet. I’ve balanced this eternal conflict for years, often feeling selfish for pursuing a creative passion when it feels like the world is going up in flames outside of the safe place that is my studio. This year I decided to pick up an internship having to do with sustainability, prepared to face the reality that I wouldn’t feel better until I changed my whole major plan, but that’s not what happened. I was exposed to all the ways we can make a change in our personal lives and career paths and saw countless artists inspiring change with their voices. I completed my internship with a new sense of hope and blossoming inspiration for my path ahead.
I think it’s really important for us as creatives to get out of our comfort zones and have new experiences in order for us to be inspired and to inform our work in more meaningful ways. I also don’t think there’s any right time to start your creative journey. Whether you’re still in school or feel you aren’t in the right career space to begin with, there’s no correct time to start experimenting, and experiencing. While being an artist will always be my main passion and career, I’ll no doubt continue to work in spaces outside of myself to nurture a full life with meaningful experiences. The life of an artist is really boundless, follow your heart and see what it gives you.
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 back background and context?
I’m a Textile Artist based in Long Beach California. I primarily make micro-crochet jewelry inspired by nature. My pieces are often described as colorful, playful, and joy evoking. My business practice is informed by my own inner child work, the roles femininity and nature play together, and intersectional environmentalism. The materials I use are sourced ethically, either being certified as sustainable or upcycled. Outside of business I do a lot of experimenting with printing and dyeing on fabrics, soft sculpture, and garment mending/creating. Soon I hope to bring some aspects of that into my business, but some things I’m adamant on keeping strictly for pleasure as opposed to capitalization. Recently I’ve been featured in exhibit work that had nothing to do with my business and I’m really excited to keep exploring that part of the art world.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I think a lot of people think when we say as creatives something along the line of ‘support small businesses’ that we mean ‘buy our stuff!’ Really what we mean by this is be an ally in anyway you can. Especially in the age of social media, liking, sharing, and telling your friends is more than enough. The world is full of creative people, and there are so many talented people struggling to be seen that could offer a lot of light to this world. Help them get out there through your own audience.
Less direct methods could also be expanding your content. Follow people who are different than you, who look different than you and who speak on issues that you don’t know much about. You may find a new passion through these creatives, and you’ll certainly expand your lens of the world.
If you exist outside of a creative space, try to bring creativity in. Decorate your cubical with art that will inspire any blossoming artists that may be around you. Pitch a local artist to install a mural in or outside of your business. If you have kids, nurture their inner artist, look around for programs offered by your community to help them create.
And of course, going back to the first point, buy our stuff! Haha, I joked about it earlier but it’s true that this does help. When you can, shop locally and give back to your community. A community that has comfortable artists and businesses is self sufficient, happier, and healthier. You’d be surprised at how much change you can inspire by getting involved with your community in little ways.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.
I think a lot of people struggle to understand the fluidity of a free lance life style. As a person, in a society, I completely understand the need for stability and routine, to know exactly where your future will take you. It’s comfortable, but being an artist offers a different kind of comfort. I take the comfort in endless possibilities and the ability to change the direction of my path when there needs to be a change.
A lot of artists receive pushback for this kind of lifestyle from family to complete strangers. Not having a 9 to 5 can elicit responses like ‘when are you going to get a real job’ to the constant ‘are you sure?’ We are sure. We are sure that we are happiest here, creating art, creating change, and creating possibilities. Being a creative isn’t just about making objects and art, it’s about creating your own path and happiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/Ceramwitch
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/ceramwitch?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-bernhardt-a20b43247?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
Image Credits
Cameron Bailey Hough