We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Angela Masker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Angela, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the toughest things about progressing in your creative career is that there are almost always unexpected problems that come up – problems that you often can’t read about in advance, can’t prepare for, etc. Have you had such and experience and if so, can you tell us the story of one of those unexpected problems you’ve encountered?

The most unexpected issue that I have faced as an artist is actually very recent. In September of last year (2021), my partner and I were in a very bad car accident. I was unable to work for several weeks afterward due to body pain, etc. but even once I had physically recovered enough to paint, I was still unable to do so. The depression, anxiety, brain fog, and other issues that have followed the accident still affect my ability to function even now. I have had a few good days here and there where I managed to create, even for just a few hours, but overall I have neglected my artist shop, social media, emails and messages, and creating altogether. Painting is the most healing and fulfilling thing I can do for myself, something that has proven time and time again to pull me out of low moments – but it is getting the ball rolling that is the most difficult part. While I have had my fair share of bouts of depression, loss of motivation, and social media disappearances in the past, I currently find myself in what is quite possibly the longest and worst yet.

I know many other artists experience similar issues due to depression and other circumstances, so I chose this topic for my interview as a way to open up a discussion on the subject, and to provide a counterpoint to the image of the always-hustling social media artist. It’s hard – and sometimes impossible – to not feel guilty or discouraged when comparing yourself to others. I certainly haven’t found the solution to it yet – but I can safely say, from my past experience, that sooner or later the motivation will come back; that your best work will be created in your own time, when you feel ready and inspired, and that this is just yet another aspect of creative work. You’re not alone!

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

I have been studying art for about 8 years now, and primarily work with oil paint and watercolor. Most of my works are self-portraits, utilizing my body as a tool or metaphor to communicate narratives and emotions. I strive to construct my compositions in a manner that others may project their own stories or sentiments onto them, and see themselves within the work as well. My artist practice is, at its core, cathartic, introspective, and healing. It is both a coping mechanism and an escape – exploring daydreams, subconscious, and alternate realities.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

To expand upon the topic of my most unexpected issue as an artist: struggling to create due to mental health is a subject that is simply not talked about enough. There have been many times where depression has prevented me from painting or drawing as frequently as I would like, or sometimes even not at all for weeks or months at a time. It creates a sort of insidious feedback cycle – feeling badly, so you don’t work for a bit, then feeling sad or guilty about not working, and thus feeling worse. It is an incredibly difficult cycle to break out of.

There is this conception of artists and creatives as always making things, coming up with new and brilliant ideas, spending as much free time as possible working – a lot of it is perpetuated by the contemporary idea of “hustle culture” It’s exacerbated by social media, where algorithms like Instagram and TikTok prioritize recent content, posted at just the right time, with just the right hashtags, leaving the poster hoping that this will finally be the post that goes viral. Keeping up with such an algorithm demands daily – or at least somewhat close to daily – posting if the creator hopes to stay relevant on feeds and in tags.

The problem is – realistically for most people it is impossible to create new content at such a pace that would allow one to keep up with this. That in itself can lead to feelings of guilt or inadequacy, especially when you see those few artists who somehow are able to constantly be posting new things. By extension, an ultimatum is created for some: produce potentially simpler, lower quality work faster; or create quality work at your normal pace, risking being left on the wayside by the algorithm. If you’re an artist that relies on selling your work and bringing in new traffic, this issue becomes even more tricky to navigate. In the end, creating for yourself, in your own timeframe, and not forcing the work is the key, in my opinion, to create quality work that you are proud of and satisfied with. Do your best to keep yourself out there and active, but don’t prioritize social media or sales above the art itself. Be authentic.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist, for me, is connecting with other people through art, whether it’s my own work or someone else’s. My favorite interactions with people about my work are when they talk to me about how they interpret it, what it means to them, and how they may feel represented or seen by the content. Knowing that my message gets across and that it can have such a powerful emotional impact on others is the greatest feeling, because in that moment I know that I have been successful in what I aim to do.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://angelamasker.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelamaskerart/
• Other: Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/AngelaMaskerArt