We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Adelaide Marcus . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Adelaide below.

Adelaide , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

One of the most meaningful Projects that I have embarked on over the last couple of years is creating breast casts for women. Breast casting is a unique and creative way for women to honor the one-of-kind ART they are! Nothing accurately describes the look in a woman’s eyes the moment she takes off her cast and sees, with truth, how individually beautiful she is! We are bombarded these days with media telling us things we should be insecure about. I love using my art and facilitation skills to help people feel embodied and shift the way they see themselves. I have been offering breast casting at women’s retreats and creating weekend events in which I create the casts. As a part of the event, we do therapeutic breast massage and share stories about our personal experiences with our breasts. On the 2nd day, I facilitate women in painting their own cast. This is an opportunity for them to spend time honoring and adorning their own body as a piece of art that will hang proudly in their home. It touches me to do this work; the impact is felt and noticeable. I am looking forward to expanding this craft into doing more sculptural work and full bodices, as well as “yoni casts” … coming soon!

Adelaide , 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?

Life is Art. We are always creating what we get to experience. I explore the full spectrum of expression. By profession, I am a painter, performer, and Womb Wisdom Belly Dance facilitator. A product of an eccentric upbringing and background in psychology, my art tends to expose the intricacies of the mind while honoring the wisdom of the body. I love leaning into taboo subjects, that expose and release unnecessary shame, both personally and culturally! Recently my offerings have been concentrated on womb healing and connecting with (our) nature. A perfect example of this is the Moon Phase Calendar I create and release each year. It’s an art piece that helps us track the moon’s phases while also providing a creative way for menstruators to track their cycle. In my Womb Wisdom Belly Dance classes, we focus on clearing stuck energies in the body and finding an anchor in our center. Students come to me for a safe place; the classes have become a refuge for expressing unabashful femininity.

My father is a prolific artist and my mother is an amazing Belly Dancer and martial artist, so I suppose it comes as no surprise that my expressions cover the spectrum of the Arts. I am fortunate that my grandfather was an entrepreneur who built multiple businesses from the ground up. In 2005, I started my first Belly Dance company with my blood sister, I danced my way through college, and by the time I graduated with a degree in psychology, it was clear that my life path was not linear. I dove straight into the deep end of entertainment, learning every circus art under the sun for years!

After taking on performing as a full-time career, creating visual art became a still place for me. I started 2 dimensional, creating paintings on canvas. Over time my art has expanded, and I am currently embarking on a chapter in which I offer breast and yoni castings. Once again, this is a perfect cross-over in my obsession with creating things artistically and my passion/mission of helping people feel embodied as a work of art. I was on the road for over 3 years, facilitating at women’s retreats and painting murals in an ambulance I converted into a mobile home The experience of building a tiny home on wheels, has forever changed me as a person and as an artist. I am interested in an even wider variety of materials and ways of expressing art be it through power tools, chemistry, or my intuitive decorative touch. I love creating environments. I love creating experiences. As I said, Life is Art.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

There is no doubt that working for yourself is extremely stressful. There are constant moments where one needs to dig deep and decide that they trust themselves to succeed, and more importantly to not give up. I remember a moment when I was so overwhelmed that I finally allowed myself to ask the question, “What else would you rather be doing?” It was an honest question. I gave myself space to search for the answer without shame or guilt. I got an honest answer, “nothing.” There was nothing else I would rather be doing. There was nothing else that would be more fulfilling. There was nothing else that would be more ME. At that moment I realized that this was my path and although it would be challenging at times, and filled with sacrifices, I was choosing it. My perspective shifted, how fortunate was I to be doing exactly what I felt mattered most?

I knew that when times were bad I would keep going, I may pivot, but I wouldn’t ditch my mission, and when times were good, I would use that momentum to create a snowball effect. A big part of success is consistency. That moment when I asked myself that important question was many, many years ago. I never had to ask it again. I knew from there that this way of living and sharing my heArt was a relationship I was and am devoted to. The belief in myself, the understanding of how my gifts benefit others, and the payoffs it has given me are beyond words to express. These are the most rewarding aspects of being a creative, and are certainly worthy of devoting a lifetime to.

How did you build your audience on social media?

The first thing I will say about social media is that if you see it as a chore that you have to do it’s going to be a long, unfun road. In addition, others will feel that energy and be less likely to resonate with your content. As with everything, I feel that authenticity is most important. My use of social media has always been in the spirit of including people on my personal journey. As an artist, I noticed that I sold more prints when people had a personal connection to it. For example, they may have seen the sketch in the beginning and then were able to see it develop. There were some moments when sharing my creative process when I felt like my audience was in my living room with me. For me, behind-the-scenes moments are the most exciting part. Instead of just showing a polished painting or choreography, I love showing the developing moments perhaps it’s behind stage in the green room putting on my makeup. Then, when people see the performance they can feel like they have insight into the process and were a part of it. I think we are all over the polished perfection that so many influencers put on social media. These feel more like opportunities for people to compare themselves to something that is seemingly perfect. My approach, with empowerment as one of my main focuses, is the opposite. I let people see my highs and my lows as long as that feels authentic for me. Over time my audience has seen me break down and they have also witnessed me become triumphant and undefeated. When they support me by coming to my workshops or buying my products, I feel that they know who they are supporting and that feels good for both of us. Not focusing on perfection can also take away any personal blocks you have when posting. Knowing that the stories will expire in 24 hours gives me a sense of freedom to share things that may not be relevant to keep up on my profile long-term. Sometimes those things I share are so vulnerable that I don’t want them to stay up longer than when I am experiencing them. Sharing glimpses of all the moments is storytelling and storytelling is what builds relationships and what underlies so much sales and success. I see social media as a tool and a community. It doesn’t feel like a chore. I love making reels; it’s a fun opportunity to go through footage on my phone. I even have fun knowing that I want to get process videos while approaching a big project because I know I will make a reel at the end, which gives me a sense of completion. I spend a lot of time alone creating so sharing on social media is truly a social outlet for me. I think the reason I have grown such a large following on social media is that I share authentically with a passion, and most importantly I don’t see it as something I have to do with any quota.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ArtByAdelaide.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbyadelaide/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adelaide.marcus/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ArtByAdelaide

Image Credits
Neil Shigley Dave Veit Allissa Kennedy