We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alicia Cobb a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alicia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with 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 am genuinely happy as an artist. Deciding to become a full time creative has been one of the best decisions I ever made. Whenever I hear the term “regular job” it raises my eyebrows because I’m not sure what that means. I worked many jobs before pursuing my career as an artist. Having a job outside of the creative atmosphere doesn’t even cross my mind. I’m extremely blessed and busy creating and teaching art and I am grateful for that. I started working at the age of 14 and knew then that I was just in training to be my own boss one day. I am grateful for every job I held because each played a role in preparing me for a lot of what I do now.
Alicia, 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?
My name is Alicia C. Cobb. I am a visual artist and teaching artist based in Bridgeport, CT. I am best known for body painting but I’ll pretty much paint anything I have permission to. Like most artists, I was born this way. I decided to pursue a career in art full time nearly ten years ago. I have no formal education in art and am mostly self taught outside of a few classes and workshops here and there.
I paint human bodies, murals, canvas and I also teach art to people of all ages. I can’t really say what sets me apart from others because it’s not something I focus on. My energy goes into working to be a better human and artist. I see my career as a part of my spiritual journey and am very intentional with everything that I do. I adapt quickly and I don’t spend a lot of time worrying, thinking or trying to figure out my next move. I just trust the process for the most part. My decision to become a full time artist was a total faith leap for me. I wasn’t certain that it would work but I was committed to finding out.
There are layers of reasons I chose this path (or it chose me) but I’ve known since I was fourteen years old that I would be an entrepreneur. First is passion, art is something I’m really good at and I love it immensely. Second is my children who were both teens when I went full time. I really wanted them to know that they could pursue their passion and be successful. Third, some of my ancestors didn’t have the opportunity to choose a career. I believe they were artists, writers, lawyers, doctors but they were not permitted to even learn to read, let alone pursue a career highlighting their gifts and talents. Their realities revolved around survival which left no room for anything else. Fourth is freedom. The freedom to be myself and explore what that means on a daily basis. The freedom to express myself and create what I feel & see in the environment around me. The freedom to create my own schedule everyday and the ability to say no to any work that doesn’t resonate or isn’t in alignment with me.
I will follow up by saying that it is a misconception that entrepreneurs can do whatever they want, whenever they want. The truth is that I typically work longer hours and still don’t get to create as much as I’d like on a regular basis. The administrative side of entrepreneurship can be all consuming at times. Customer service, answering emails, meetings, phone calls, financial maintenance, web updates, newsletters, networking and the list goes on. I love what I do though so it balances itself out in the end with proper time and task management.
I am most proud of my growth as an artist and human being. I love the connections I’ve made on my creative journey and the healing that has come with it. My path has been a spiritually rich one and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to do what I do. I am also grateful to everyone who’s supported me along the way this far, especially my family and friends. I look forward to the positive connections that will happen in the future through my art as well.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
The pandemic brought forth so much for us as a society. Aside from the obvious things like, illness, loss, grief, pain, I think many of us learned more about ourselves and those we love the most. We were forced to stay inside and we weren’t able to busy ourselves as a distraction from our feelings. For some, it was too much, for others, it was a wake up call. Art was the thing that everyone turned to for comfort, it always has been. Music, visual art, dance, theater, literature etc. These were the things that got us through.
Somehow, the arts have always been seen as a hobby, an elective or extra curricular activity with no real benefits outside of a little fun or enjoyment. You are not considered a successful artist unless you see your work on the big screen/stage or you sell a piece of art for a lot of money in a major gallery. Perhaps your song needs to make it to main stream or you have to connect with celebs and the wealthy in order to “make it”.
The truth is, the arts are so much more than the financial gain or notoriety an artist may or may not experience in their careers. The arts help us to connect, feel, heal, grow. Almost everyone has a favorite song, play, movie, story, painting that they can name and even credit to shifting their perspective or helping them heal through something difficult.
Society can help by giving the arts and artists the support that we need to continue doing this important work. Though money is not the most important thing in the world, it is required for even the most basic of human needs. Pay artists accordingly, don’t ask for discounts or offer exposure as a form of payment, it’s disrespectful and quite frankly unacceptable. If you can’t support financially, help to promote what your creative friends and community are doing. If you have the ability, create more opportunities for artists to grow and thrive, create them.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect for me being a creative is absolutely connection. Not only connection to others but connection to my self. I spent most of my life feeling very disconnected from everything around me especially myself. Art has been my way of communicating and connecting for most of my life. I have found a beautiful community and have been able to lend my talents and skills to that community in very positive ways. I’ve shown my children something different, made my parents proud, I continue to honor my ancestors and I continue to heal and grow through art.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artsimplicated.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art_simplicated/?igshid=MjEwN2IyYWYwYw%3D%3D
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artsimplicated
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MsArtSimplicated/featured