We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ari Robinson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ari below.

Ari, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I think the first time I realized that I wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally was when I was in college. I believe it was about midway through my sophomore year. I originally went into college not even considering a degree in Art, but eventually switched majors when I realized that I should really be taking classes about topics I am interested in and spending all of the money and time that college takes toward something that really interests me. It was then that I switched gears towards art and I immediately saw a shift in my grades, excitement about class, tests, and just everything in general! I graduated with my BFA in Studio Art from Lindenwood University in 2015 which is located in St. Charles, MO. then moved back to my home state of Florida. I dove head-first into creating a body of work, started working at a gallery, and eventually started selling my artwork around town and displaying in local venues. Fast forward to the present, I have exhibited my work in over 40 art shows/exhibitions and I have been a full-time artist for about 4 years now and each year is getting better and better! I am living my DREAM.

Ari, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am an abstract artist specializing in site-specific installations and collage art that can transform your walls into a transcendent, bright, and dream-like space. Having worked with large companies such as Boston Children’s Hospital, the Toronto Blue Jays, and Beaujolais Nouveau, I work with clients to create custom artworks that incorporate my unique aesthetic. Artwork has the ability to create community, evoke feeling both mentally and physically, and can encourage and cherish feelings of happiness just by truly being in the presence of it. And that is my goal, to make people happy and spark a feeling of creativeness that wasn’t there before they saw the piece.

“Bringing reminiscent feelings of natural forms, the fascination of the sea, and vibrant color, my work can be seen as both irregular and ordered with a sense of pattern and chaos that exist together creating an abstract space reminiscent of the world around us. When viewers look at my work, my greatest hope is they leave inspired, a rush of imagination, and most of all, simply happier.”

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

It is hard to pinpoint a specific story that highlights a time in my journey that illustrates my resilience when really looking back it’s EVERYTHING about being an artist that shows resilience. Every day from the creative side of the business to the business side of things, you have to have the capacity to spring back up when you get kicked down and stay focused on your dreams & goals. For example, it can seem that artists get “lucky” or get handed projects when in reality they could be submitting to hundreds of projects and exhibition opportunities before they get that one yes! You have to keep going. It’s also good to have tough skin as a creative as not everything you make will be to everyone’s taste. And that is ok! You just need to know that as long as you are staying true to what you believe in and like and want to be creating, there is an audience out there for you that will support what you make. One of my favorite quotes that I think can relate to this topic is “The harder you work the luckier you get”.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I think there are several things that society can do to support artists and create a thriving creative ecosystem. Here are a few that come to mind first: – Shopping at local galleries and shops before heading to large name-brand stores.
– Liking and sharing your creative friend’s information on social media.
– Commissioning an artist to create a piece before buying something mass-produced.
– Sending your friends opportunities or sharing their names if you see something where they look like they could be a fit for a potential business opportunity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://arirobinsonart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arirobinsonart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AriRobinsonArt/