We were lucky to catch up with Aaron Giles recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Aaron thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I was a graphic designer by trade for many years. I have always been a visual person but I felt very drained working on a computer day in and day out. I realized that I wasn’t making any of my own artwork. I changed careers and started teaching visual arts to students 7th through 12th grades. I began using my hands again to make art with my students. When I was a teenager, I used to collage for fun but I hadn’t played around with it for a very long time. I began experimenting with collage while teaching classes. I realized that students were inspired to make their own work by seeing me experimenting with my own artwork.
I think that everything comes in time. There were events that led me to collage that were beyond my control. I had a specific incident in my life happen that pushed me to engage with collage which was a very therapeutic process.
I think having an eye for design as well as being an avid collector are essential for my collage process. I was a record collector for many years and I transferred my love for collecting music to collecting vintage magazines. This part of the process keeps me interested and motivated to work on my art. I also think sustained focus is a key part to a living, breathing art practice. I will admit that I sometimes struggle to make my own work as I teach full time so creating space to be creative is a fundamental tool for me.
I think time is the biggest obstacle for learning more. Teaching art to others is such a special opportunity but it can also be draining. I have learned that I have to make sure that I am nourishing my own body, getting enough sleep, and clearing my head so I have the energy, drive, and momentum to make my own work.
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 hand cut collage artist. I believe that the analog collage process is very healing and it has helped me greatly in life.
I am a lover of fashion, music, film, and creative expression. I try to capture a mood or a feeling in my work using color, textures, found visual imagery, and quirky placements that tell a story.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me one of the most rewarding aspects to being a creative is the creative process itself. I feel lucky to have a tool that allows me to process the way I see and feel things in the world. Connecting with other artists through showing or selling work is also a special aspect of creating!
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I was a graphic designer for many years but felt stifled in my own creative process and very drained from working on a screen day in and day out. I lived in India for a couple of years between 2010 through 2012. During that time I spent time in an orphanage working with children. It was there that I realized that I had an interest in working with others. After returning, I went back to school for art education and started teaching visual arts to students soon after that. Through teaching I remembered my love for collage and I will forever be grateful for that career pivot.
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