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

Hi Alysia, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

This is a very relatable topic for creatives and one I have certainly struggled with in the past.
I am brought back to the early days of the pandemic where I had lost my job as a digital art educator and almost on a whim, I made a move across the country to the Pacific Northwest. I took the first job I could at a local paint store creating custom paint colors and matches.

Some days it would be a request to make a perfect match from a tiny chip of paint, or a replica from the material in a 20 year old dried up can. Once I had to custom match the grey from a saucepan, but most of the time it was doors. Doors and trim in every variation of white you could imagine. This was such a huge shift from my previous occupations where art was such a focus of my daily activities and duties. While there were certainly creative aspects to that role, I very much struggled with the ideations of what my life would be like again in a more creative field, and really the hardest times I experienced were of people’s perceptions of my success and the judgement I felt which ended up being my own projections and fears of being a creative failure. I was very hard on myself and rarely happy.

I ended up taking on three internships to try to fill that void in addition to my “dayjob”, I would come home and illustrate for a film collaborative’s blog working off a prompt that had a 24 hour turnaround. I worked with a medical education startup to illustrate characters, backdrops and pieces that would later be animated to help medical students with memorization of ailments and afflictions. The most time consuming of the three was making characters and assets for an NFT collection, the pieces were meant to be interchangeable so they had to be technically flawless and were inspired by popular anime and video game mascots. In all of these roles I was completely consumed with making art and deep in the creative process; all were roles I thought would finally bring me a sense of accomplishment.

I think its a symptom of living in a world where a person’s worth and value are intertwined with their monetary success and productivity; It’s so easy to internalize those ideals and try to measure your own worth and chase happiness with metrics that are hollow and empty.

The ability to create art whether visual, auditory or literary is one of the closest things to magic in this world. To be able to create a piece from yourself that touches another individual is so powerful and is so much more important to the human experience and culture than dollars in a bank account. I am reminded of a quote where when asked about their dream job, the response was “I have no dream job, for I do not dream of working” and I think that is where our focus should shift.

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 believe many other creatives can relate to finding their way to the creative path early in life. I’ve always pursued art, even as a young child before I had the words to describe the process or my role in it; at times this felt like a gift as I knew what I wanted to pursue in life with a clear course to follow. I found my sense of self and happiness while creating; to enter into any other field was an impossibility.

My art is whimsical, I love creature design and portraiture with elements of fantasy with a heavy emphasis on color. My background is in illustration, I start many of my pieces in ink or watercolor, scan and then digitally paint on it using the same techniques as traditional materials. This creates an element of depth and volume that is difficult to achieve using only one of these processes. Often times I will print and paint on it again, it’s how I’ve come to terms with making something unique and tangible when so much art and prints are made digitally.

I have been fortunate enough to have my work enjoyed by my fellow humans in museums,galleries and even on TV, but the creative endeavors that have brought me the most pride and joy are from creating fantastical and transformative portraits for anonymous users on the r/reddigetsdrawn subreddit where users can post a picture with the hopes that an artist will use it as inspiration. Gifting a portrait to someone who put themselves out into the world with the hopes that an internet artist will respond with kindness really strikes a cord with me and is one of my favorite ways to spend my time inbetween work.

One of my main focuses currently are custom designed holographic stickers for some of the local shops here in Vancouver, I could not find products shiny and vibrant enough to appease my inner magpie so I created my own. I do not think anyone who grew up around the turn of the century escaped without some sort of appreciation of holographic rainbow as a design element. While I never thought I’d pursue large scale painting, one of my greatest joys have been wall murals and window displays when my schedule allows. Seeing how they can utterly transform a space and the reaction within the community has really enriched my life and practice.

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?

I’ve dealt with comments about my decision to purse higher education in the arts vs a more “useful” degree. Even in education there is a continual emphasis on “core” studies in sciences and mathematics viewed through a lens of being more worthwhile than electives such as arts. We need both, and I think it is important that people are aware that art is not just some pretty picture hanging up in a gallery; every single thing that is important to humans has been touched by the arts. From our TV shows, cars, favorite foods,phones,websites,clothes,buildings, parks, the list is endless. None of these would exist in the same capacity, design and beauty without a creative hand involved.

If it is important or coveted then it probably involves the arts and that should be cherished. Art is intertwined with and defines human culture, we all participate in it’s appreciation whether we are conscious or doing so or not.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Most people probably think of supporting the arts in a financial capacity, which while is important, can be limiting depending on one’s financial situation at any given time. Not everyone can afford a custom commissioned piece for example, but many of us could probably spare a dollar at the end of the month. Many artists have patreons or other sites where you can help support their creative process with custom amounts.

I think even more importantly, we can be vocally encouraging. Combat any dismissive attitudes you encounter about the arts and educate why we need, and all benefit from the creative endeavors of others. Follow and share your friends’ work on social media and ask them about what they are up to from time to time and how you can best support their craft. Show a genuine interest in their projects and their dreams. Many artists are terrible promotors, carry any business cards they may have and share with others when appropriate. If you have a family member or friend who shows creative tendencies celebrate and encourage it no matter their skill level and be a staunch fast supporter and advocate.

And for fellow creatives, collaborate! Work on pieces and ideas together even if you use different materials or disciplines, there’s room for everyone and we are all stronger when we work together and support one another.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.alysiaart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alysiaprosserart/
• Other: https://alysiaart.etsy.com