We were lucky to catch up with Anna Eveslage recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Anna, 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?

My relationship with art and creativity has definitely shifted and evolved the more I’ve worked professionally in these fields. There’s a lot of hustle out there, and I definitely participated more in that when I was starting out. For me, it was less out of a desire to “succeed” (in any traditional sense), but a desire to connect with something I was passionate about. Now that I’ve made peace with my passions, I don’t feel the need to hustle as much. I know myself and what inspires me creatively. I spend a lot more time seeking out what satisfies me, whether or not that’s tied to a paycheck. I’m fortunate to have some of my income come from creative channels. These days, that’s teaching in the summers for the MFA Visual Narrative program at SVA in New York City, and doing some ghost writing work. But I also do other work outside of traditionally creative fields to fill in the gaps, like tutoring English as a Second Language.

I put a priority on work-life balance now, spending time with family, traveling, doing other things that are important to me. Connecting with people and having new experiences fuel my fire, and I’ve realized that I need these things to inspire my work. I don’t put pressure on myself to always be actively “working” on something, or always trying to make a living from my creativity. I allow myself space to rest and only work on personal projects when I feel the urge to do so. Basically, I try to only do creative work that interests me. For personal projects, I allow them to take as much time as they need to take. As such, I feel much more hopeful and much less burnt out.

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 was always drawn to anything and everything creative. I got really into photography when I was in High School and pursued my BFA in Photography with plans to work commercially. The projects I did always had a narrative bent. I found a passion for working with Photography as Fiction, and started to write alongside my photographs, with a particular love for characters and people. I started working in the commercial photography field after graduating, but the longer I worked in the commercial and corporate world, the more I learned it wasn’t a good fit for me. I went to Grad School as part of the inaugural class of the MFA Visual Narrative program at SVA in New York City, where I met some really amazing people and honed my voice as a storyteller. Since then, I’ve been focusing more and more on teaching, both in the MFA Visual Narrative Program, and at other institutions. I love working with students of all ages and background, connecting with them, and helping them make work that is true to them and their personal vision.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and an educator is being able to connect with people. In my own work, it’s gratifying to express something that’s inside me–share an idea or a perspective or a feeling, and to have that resonate with someone else. It’s almost like a magic trick. I have this intangible thing bouncing around inside of me (like an idea, a thought, a feeling), I translate it into something tangible, someone else interacts with that tangible object, and (if I did my job right) walks away with that intangible thing bouncing around inside of them. Plus, they’ve added their own unique experiences to the mix to usually make something new. I don’t think that will ever stop being amazing to me.

As an educator, I love getting to know my students and help them figure out what it is they want to share with their audience, and then try to help them figure out the best way to do that. Each class brings its own unique dynamic, with all these individual perspectives and voices. No two classes are ever the same. Teaching is a lot of work, but it’s so gratifying. My students inspire me constantly. On the best days, I walk away with what I can only describe as a “teaching high” from all the fascinating ideas I hear from them. It’s super cool.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Like many people, COVID brought about some huge changes for me. Though I had been going to NYC every summer since 2013, I had been planning to relocate from Minneapolis (where I’d been since 2007) to move full-time to New York City. I had quit my job and left my apartment with a plan to go to New York in March of 2020, which didn’t pan out for obvious reasons. I ended up moving back in with my family in small town Minnesota. “Small Town Living” was not something I ever thought I’d return to, but that forced me to slow down, connect more with my family, and reevaluate what’s important to me. I learned a lot about what things actually mattered to me, and which things were distractions or habits. This set me on a new direction, fostering that work-life as my number one priority.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.annaeveslage.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annaeveslage/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annaeveslage/

Image Credits
All images taken by me