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

Alright, Alycia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

The biggest risk I took was pursuing art full time. When I was applying for colleges, I was excited to tell people that I was planning to major in art after high school. However, when I told people this, it was often followed with disapproving faces or questions on how I was going to make a living. Even though I followed through with my plan to major in art in college, it was still upsetting to not be understood or supported. Throughout college, my end goal was to get a 9-5 graphic design job once I graduated, even though my true passion was for drawing and painting. Once I graduated in May 2023, I was nervous about trying to find a career in my field. I was worried I was going to regret not trying to pursue my personal art career and get stuck with a job I hated. It was in the summer of 2023 that I decided to take a chance on myself and my art and pursue a career in art. With the full support of my family, Alycia Shiann Art was created and I am so grateful for where my career has taken me and I feel extremely blessed to be able to do what I love. I have been able to sell and showcase my artwork in numerous exhibitions in cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York as well as create my first mural for the city of Long Beach. If I had continued to listen to the people who didn’t believe in me or didn’t think art would be beneficial to my life, I would never have been able to accomplish these milestones in my art career. My message to everyone is to always take a risk and bet on yourself because you never know what life will bring you.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I first began my artistic career during my junior year of high school when I was placed in an Intro to Art class. This class was my last choice for an elective, so looking back it feels like it was meant to be. After the very first project, I fell in love with drawing and I became that girl who was always carrying a sketchbook or a new project I was working on. After high school, I attended California State University Fullerton and received my Bachelors degree in fine arts in May 2023. My artwork shows the connection between nature and humanity through symbolism, vibrant colors, and human experiences. I aim to show my audiences how important it is to immerse ourselves in nature and to take care of our planet since it gives us many resources and beauty. My primary mediums are oil and acrylic paint as well as colored pencil. I also have recently began my mural journey by creating my first 77 foot long mural for the city of Long Beach. On top of my visual art career, I am currently the graphic designer for the Brett Fonfa Foundation, which aims to provide resources and exhibition opportunities to students and underrepresented artists in the Los Angeles area. I want my artwork to be a reminder to my audience how important and beautiful nature is and how we must always strive to take care of our planet as well as learn to embrace our experiences as humans, both good and bad.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

When I get asked what I do for a living and I answer with, “I’m an artist”, it has many times been responded with an uneasy, “Oh”, or a confused look. This used to offend me because it made me feel like my career or who I am was made to feel less than because I didn’t have a “normal” job. I believe people who don’t understand why I’m an artist or judge me because I’m an artist are just those who are afraid of the unfamiliar and don’t know what being an artist truly is. People like things that are familiar and that’s totally fine. But being an artist is being comfortable with the unfamiliar. These comments from people don’t bother me anymore because being an artist also means learning to be okay with being misunderstood and not everyone is going to like you or your art. This value shouldn’t only be limited to artists, it is something I hope everyone can learn in this life.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

When you pursue a creative career or any career that isn’t conventional, you kind of have this idea of what it’s supposed to look like or what you think it’s going to look like. I had this vision of what my art career would look like when I first started Alycia Shiann Art and the universe kind of said “Nope!”. There were times I was trying to fight it or I would start comparing myself to other artist’s I looked up to and it wasn’t until about a year later that I finally had to let go of this idea of what I thought my career should look like. After letting go, it felt like things started to fall into place for me. I had to let go of what I thought was best for me and allow the universe to provide what is actually best for me and my career. Never compare your story to someone else’s and learn to trust that what is meant for you will be provided for you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alyciashiannart.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/alyciashiann/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070103143730
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alycia-walter-2376841a3/