Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Adrienne Iverness. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Adrienne , thanks for joining us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

Ever since I was a child I yearned to create. Whether it was world-building imaginative fairy empires on the forest floors as a child or picking up my first medium format camera as a preteen, creation is the force of my life. Childhood was very difficult for me, and I felt an abundant amount of shame in expression- whether that meant expressing myself verbally, through fashion choices, and most definitely through my artwork.

As a now 32-year-old, creating has not only been my greatest purpose in life but also the most frustrating, stress-inducing process for me. Not only am I at odds of healing my inner child via expression, but I’m having to trust my own intuition and be brave enough to share the most vulnerable parts of myself. While it’s healing, it is also very, very hard.

I like to consider myself not just one type of artist. While I love painting, I also love photography, drawing, interior design, and just living in my own imagination. All of it burns the same flame. My best advice to any other artists who may be faced with self-doubt is to know that no journey is linear. While some artists have consistency or a specific niche or brand, mine tends to be all over the place. But I like to think that is okay to celebrate, because each piece I create is healing a big part of me. Be afraid to share your art, then do it anyways.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Adrienne Iverness and I am an artist drawn to the dark ethereal, mythology, and the liminal spaces between light and shadow. My creative work is deeply inspired by medieval history, folklore, celestial imagery, and the fleeting nostalgia of dreams and childhood memories. I’m vastly influenced by Nordic mythology, World of Warcraft, Tolkien lore, darkgaze music, and fairies!

I’ve always been captivated by the way myths and legends shape our understanding of the world. As a child, I was enchanted by the intricate details of nature, derelict historical buildings, and folklore. I was drawn to the contrast of elegance and brutality in history, of beauty found in the strange and the forgotten. My work grew from that fascination—a desire to bring those lost or dreamlike elements to life in a way that feels both timeless and deeply personal.

What sets my art apart is its ability to capture a sense of mystery—something just out of reach. It invites the viewer into a world that feels both ancient and untouched, like a forgotten myth or a half-remembered dream. I strive for a balance between dark and light, creating work that feels haunting but never grotesque, strange but never alienating. And to merge my fascination with interior design- fantastical pieces that can be displayed tastefully in a home.

Being proud of my artwork comes extremely difficult for me, as I know it does with other artists. Once I understood that my visualizations of the world and beyond were images other people have attempted to realize themselves- I became more proud to bring it into reality. My work balances soft ethereal fantasy within brutal dark scenes without feeling overwhelmingly like one or the other.

I tend to limit my work to personal projects, however I do enjoy collaborations when the stars align. My work is for those who feel a pull toward the in-between spaces—the imaginary visualizations we had as children that felt concrete and legitimate, to the lingering warmth of a dream upon waking. My work tends to speak to those who understand that light is most striking when surrounded by shadow, and that mysteries are not meant to be solved, only felt.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I was called a daydreamer, sometimes with amusement, sometimes with impatience, and over time, I internalized the idea that my imagination wasn’t something valuable. I started to see my ideas as fleeting, embarrassing, or unworthy of being shared.

Whenever I did create something, I would cringe at it almost immediately. I began second-guessing everything. Instead of following an idea, I would pick it apart before it even had a chance to become something real. I convinced myself that my thoughts were too fragmented, too strange, or too unpolished to be worth sharing. And the worst part? I thought that hesitation meant I wasn’t truly creative—that real artists didn’t feel that doubt, that their ideas came out fully formed and brilliant from the start.

The problem was the expectation that creativity should always feel certain, always be effortless, always be met with instant recognition. But real creativity is messy. It requires trust. It takes time to grow into something meaningful. Creativity is not a final product, but an exploration.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Even when I doubted myself, I kept creating—sometimes quietly, sometimes in ways no one saw. I’ve had to rebuild my relationship with art, stepping away from the idea that I have to have a final product in a gallery for it to be considered “art”. Another big one for me was cutting the cord with imposter syndrome and just trusting that I had new visions to share with the world that no one else has had.

Despite feeling self-conscious about my imagination, I always kept creating ideas and art. I’ve learned to feel safe with myself and my imagination. My creativity isn’t something to be buried- it is a part of me. It’s something I’ve fought for and protected since childhood.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: adrienneiverness

Image Credits

All paintings / photos by me