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

Amanda, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I spent a lot of time enjoying art as a kid but I’m not sure I ever really had the right story about it in my head once I got older; I was focused on academics and never saw myself as “good enough” to pursue art as a career. Once I went down the path of pursuing a couple of different reliable careers, I rediscovered art during the pandemic as an essential part of myself and as a worthwhile activity in and of itself, regardless of money, productivity, or whether people like it. I sometimes think about what might have been if I had pursued an art career and what paths that might have led me down. But for now, I’m grateful that my career (separate from art) gives me the freedom to pursue projects I want without worrying about whether people will like it, or whether it will sell. I do wish I had come back to art sooner, but not because maybe I could have built a full-time career out of it, but because it opens up something inside me that feels simultaneously sacred, familiar and necessary for my well-being.

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’m a part=time self-taught multimedia artist. Through my art, I like to celebrate the magic of the everyday. I often use different mediums and styles to explore different themes, and my art tends to have a whimsical element to it. The projects I have been most proud of are pieces that convey a sense of the beautiful or even otherworldly in an everyday object, moment or element of nature. I am regularly inspired by the natural world, rekindling our connection with it, and using my art to remember that we cannot separate ourselves from it. Recently, I lost my home, all of my art and art supplies in the Eaton Fire. I was overwhelmed by the kindness of others in the aftermath of that event, which inspired me to create an Altadena fundraiser in which I was able to sell art prints to raise money for local groups in need. The experience was uplifting, and I am currently working on a way to use my art in a more systematic way to generate money for causes that align with my values. Other ventures I’m considering involve possibly licensing some of my art.

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

While it sounds a bit cliche, a lesson I’ve had to learn and that I’m still unlearning, is that there’s nothing to prove. A Georgia O’Keefe quote that resonates is: “I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free.” I still find myself working on something, and the small voice in my head saying, “but nobody but me will really like this one.” I constantly have to let that voice speak and then either allow that statement to be true and okay, or decide it may not be true. Either way, I diligently work on creating the art anyway. In the end, it’s about returning to yourself.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I think I’m in the middle of a pivot now! With the loss of my home in the Eaton Fires, this year has been a struggle. In the past couple of years, I had been participating in quite a number of shows and exhibits. and had even started selling hand-painted pendants. I’m taking a step back from that now while I regroup and am focusing on art for my mental health. I’m contemplating ways in which I can put my art out there in a way that requires a little less time and energy. I’m using my art to explore my interests, and honestly just to play. While it’s still in the brainstorming stage, I’m hoping in the future I can do something like prints on demand with a percentage going towards charitable causes, or finding a niche for licensing my art.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.amandaaustinart.com/
• Instagram: @ajaustin_art
• Facebook: Amanda Austin Art