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

Addie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

Short answer: I wish I had the courage to pursue art a long time ago.

I grew up in Tyler, Texas, a big town in a largely rural area not previously known for its vibrant art scene. I have always loved to draw. I used to spend all of my waking hours drawing and giving my little scribbles to friends or filling the margins of my school books with doodles. My creative drive was celebrated, but my parents, both creatives in careers that didn’t suit their many talents, discouraged me from pursuing a career in the arts. And seeing our family struggle financially, I was also convinced.

Negating my talents and interest in studying fine art, I decided to major in Art History. I realize this was silly and think that a research-heavy (debatable) degree would get me further in life. That’s a whole other discussion.

It’s funny, you go through school thinking you’re ready to conquer the world when you’re just starting over again. With my B.A. in Art History, I believed wholeheartedly I would get a job in an arts non-profit right out of college. I moved, without a job or any prospects of one, to a new, bigger, but also a small city, a little more well-known for the arts, Shreveport, LA.

I hustled to get two tiny teaching gigs at two arts non-profits while working in the back at a fine jeweler. Thank God they hired me because my little bit of savings ran out shortly after. It was great, but not exactly what I imagined for my career. I started an art practice at home, trying to make clay pots on the little picnic table out back and doing silly self-portraits on my bed. I started to learn Adobe (very slowly and poorly) and bought myself this second-hand monster of a Wacom tablet. I did not promote my work. I did not consider myself an artist, at least not in the sense where you “brag” about it.

It wasn’t until I got asked by a friend to move back to Tyler to teach art at a public school(who knew a highly underqualified 23-year-old could teach high schoolers?). I didn’t realize I needed to be owning the title of “artist” until I was telling my students that “everyone has an audience, you just need to put it out here.” I felt like a hypocrite and felt like I needed to start an online presence for my art, if not for me, but for my students.

I continued to avoid the spotlight for my art. In 2018 I started etx creatives to help build a collective force of creatives in East Texas. I put guerrilla-style events and exhibitions together to support the work of others. I think it’s still hard to put myself out there because I am always worried things won’t be “good enough” or received well, but I do it now more easily than before. I live in Washington, DC, not teaching anymore, but working in an arts non-profit, supporting and promoting the work of other, more established artists. I have developed a consistent art practice and a strong community of artist friends. I have received all the opportunities given to me in my life because I just showed up, offered to help, and/or spoke honestly about what I wanted or needed in my art practice. All the people who have helped me over the years and my small audience help me support (financially and emotionally), promote, and exhibit my work as it continues to grow.

Addie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am an interdisciplinary artist, illustrator, educator, and advocate from Texas, living in Washington, DC. My work is illustrative and made with mixed media on wood panel or paper, digital illustrations, and ceramics. I work with mixed media and printmaking techniques to create layered works. I am influenced by graphic design, street art, travel, topography, and vintage children’s books—telling stories about anxiety, memory, identity, time, and escapism and how they can affect perception or experiences. The core of my practice is human emotion and our internal and external reactions to it. I am most excited about my current project: Memory Portrait. With It is a community-sourced portrait project. Participants are encouraged to submit images of loved ones or candid moments and a story to pair with their photo. Instagram: Instagram.com/addiethenomad. After a participant submits a submission, I may choose to create an artwork in response to the submission that will be exhibited with a written or recorded interview about the memory. It is an opportunity to turn my platform outward to the community. I have sent QR codes to international friends to put up in their cities for global submission.

To submit your own for consideration: https://forms.gle/Z5e98BDkmQQarAPm8

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Lecture: Roberto Lugo’s recent talk at SAAMA was impactful for me. I will link it because everyone needs to listen to it right now. I find his confrontational and organic approach to fine art and social impact right on par with how the art world should be. https://americanart.si.edu/videos/roberto-lugo-village-potter-165449

Book: Art/Work: Everything You Need to Know (and Do) As You Pursue Your Art Career by Heather Darcy Bhandari and Jonathan Melber is an excellent resource for starting an art career. It goes into many technical things about being an artist that you don’t learn until you’re out in the real world.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I want to pursue work that positively impacts my audience- outlook, visibility of others or issues, or maybe even something beautiful with a brilliant concept. Big chew for any art practice, but I want to make positive impacts along with gradual growth as I explore new topics and interests. I want to feel that gut wrench in knowing something big is being addressed, especially in a simple way.

Contact Info:

• Website: addiemoore.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/addiethenomad

Image Credits
Portraits by Fabricio Fernandez at decristo studios. https://decristo.myportfolio.com/