We recently connected with Abigail Wolfzorn and have shared our conversation below.

Abigail , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?

One of the kindest things done for me was my brother helping me pay my first few months of rent in a new studio space until I could afford it.
I had always had a home studio, and most people close to me knew I wanted one outside of my home one day. That day felt pretty far away until I met a couple through mutual friends who were opening up a community studio a few blocks from where I lived now.
I was still commuting about an hour to get to my job or my studio and could not take on the rent of a new place.
Disappointed, I shared this with my brother and he sent me money with “studio rent” attached to it.
He has never made a big deal out of it, but I would not have been able get that head start without his help. I always want to remember that.

Abigail , 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 Abigail Wolfzorn (they/them) and I am an artist. My body of work is made up of mostly paintings, with some explorations in other media. I work out of a studio located in Jackson, Tennessee where I’ve lived for the past seven years.

I didn’t grow up wanting to be an artist and didn’t know anyone who chose to be an artist as a career. I grew up overseas in Turkey until I was eighteen, and it was there that my fascination with colors, pattern, and movement began. I have always been a sensitive person, as many artists are, and soaked up the world with my eyes.

It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that my art teacher told me about art therapy. I ordered every book I could find on it and began my own journey with collage and watercolor. Ever since then, I haven’t been able to stop. It was like I found my native language.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients has been word of mouth. I live in a smaller city with no gallery representation and have relied mostly on my community to share my work. I am active on social media and attend the art events that happen locally when I can. This helps me build that art community and meet others- with the intention of fostering relationships over profit.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I attended university for a few years before dropping out. In school, we were taught to be successful we needed to be in the studio every minute of every day. In reality, I have found that leading to burnout and resentment towards my practice when I feel stuck.
I began allowing myself the freedom to explore how I best work. I tried different times of day, different settings and lighting, and how often. I am open about those things being fluid as I’m sure they will change over time. Learning about how I best work has changed my art while also giving me assurance that I do not need to work how others are working. As long as I know what success looks like for me, that’s what I will do!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @abby.wolfzorn.artist

Image Credits

Photo from art show: Courtney Searcy