We were lucky to catch up with recently and have shared our conversation below.

Joseph, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

I am very happy to be a creative person. I’ve always been creative in some way or another. I have a very strong imagination and having art to play out my mind’s ideas has been a great experience for me. I would suggest to anyone with any creativity to get started on that creative path.

I would have to say that my job to me isn’t an ordinary job. I’ve worked the “ordinary” jobs before, but never was interested in continuing with those jobs. I have also made it a point in my life to have a job or career that has some creative value to them.
For the last six years I have been teaching art and working with creative students who are passionate about art and who are experiencing new ways for them to express themselves. So I would like to say that I have been very grateful for my life and my work.

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?

As most people in a creative career or service, my passion started at very young age. I always had a desire to draw and to build on those skills. I was able to attend art school through my high school years and on to college, graduating with a bachelor in fine arts. My desire was to become a full time studio artist. Spending day and nights hold-up in a cramped studio, fretting over what deadlines might come. It’s funny how dreams can become reality and reality can be too real. I had to push myself through the years after graduating college to find my voice, and having jobs that were not in my interest, plus sticking to the dream, was hard to mentally maneuver. I had to keep working hard and pushing myself in the right direction. I was heading in a personal direction in my life and that had me moving from hometown of Pittsburgh all the way to Florida. I’ve been living in Miami for the last 20 years now and my life has flourish. I was able to find out who I was and what I would eventually see was true happiness.

Over the years I was able to find jobs that permitted me to be creative. I’ve gone from hanging art at a department store to landing a position as a fine art framer. Those jobs provided me with something I knew I would be missing if I was at a job with limited creative freedom. I was still working in art and spending my days off in the studio.

I never thought I’d ever become a teacher. That opportunity showed up at a pivotal time in my life and I’m grateful for that moment. It was needed and now I’m working with students who have the same passion as I do. It’s funny teaching. I always amazed when my students get what I mean. When they understand the goal and see the beauty in what I do and the passion for this craft. I can honestly say that my career path is more rewarding to me now because I have more to be thankful for.

My passion for drawing and painting has pushed me toward a direction I am most excited about. I feel my most creative when I am moving in different directions, so my work is an exploration through figurative subject matter, combining different themes, and color theories.
My current body of work are small glimpses of my life. Images that I have been thinking about and trying to work into ideas. Moments in time that spark a feeling or bring back a memory. When I work on a portrait, I want to show the viewer my version of that person. I paint some of the figures in my work in layers. I like to think that if they were cut back in thin strips or transparent, what story would be exposed. Sometimes what’s not on the surface is what I want to see. So I layer the figures. I want the viewer to think about why I’ve painted the figure that way. I’m reminding the viewer to stop and look. That there is something of beauty and disappointing. The layering has the results of a fingerprint that makes my paintings more surreal. By heightening some of the colors, I’m adding some of my personality to the story.

One thing I am most proud of about being and artist is having the opportunity to share and showcase my art. Through 2008 to 2013, I was fortunate enough to show work in several group exhibitions in Miami’s Wynwood/Design District galleries, Fort Myers downtown District and during Fort Lauderdale Fat Village Art walks. In 2020 my work had been featured in two online exhibitions hosted by Arts in Color Curatorial Gallery in Washington D.C and Air Gallery in Manchester U.K. Both exhibitions curated work produced during the 2020 quarantine. In the past three years I’ve been honored to have work hanging in Limner Gallery in Hudson, New York and
Modern Eden Gallery in California.

The one thing I am most proud of about being an art teacher is that it has shown me that art can make a difference in others. When I see the look on a students face after when they place in an art competition and when they pushed past those barriers they hold onto. I see their confidence grow. They are now understanding their own strengths and what they can now do with that knowledge.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The best way society can support artist and creatives alike is to keep the arts alive. Keeping the arts in schools and allowing the arts to thrive thought the community will show that opportunity and that careers in the arts are possible. Plus, you get a strong sense of community when you keep the arts alive. I remember when they were cutting the arts from school to make way for stricter guidelines for student and being creative was not as important as it should be. I’m happy to know that there are artist and community leaders working together in their communities to make sure the arts and culture stays alive. We have the power to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of others.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I would say that the most rewarding aspect of being and artist is the final piece. All that work and sketching and changing things is just the best when you step back and are inspired to keep going. I’ll sit back and immerse myself into my thoughts. It’s quite nice. Another reward are the competition response. The ones that say “Congratulations, your art work…” That’s a pretty great feeling.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @joseph.fischer_finearts
• Facebook: joseph.fischer_finearts