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

Be, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

This is an interesting question for me because i feel like i could answer this with a fresh response every time I begin a new project. Nothing is more meaningful than being conscious of the present moment in my work, and when I connect with a composition or a story, I can’t help but dive into that realm with my primary energy. A new project overlays everything I do until it is complete: shopping for groceries, getting the oil changed, even gathering my taxes shares parallel time in my mind with what color I’m about to place down on the canvas, being aware of my brushstrokes and how much time I have to wait for it all to dry.

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

The truth is, I have always been an artist. From some of my earliest memories, I was aware that my grandparents were all visual artists and that I had a connection to that lifestyle. They all lived in their art and continually made new bold statements in their art. With my crayons, markers and pencils, I discovered a conduit of creativity just waiting for me to tap into it. A huge part of my hours of play were spent on paper, clay and canvases. As much as it scared me, I kept pushing forward into my high school and college years, eventually leading me to participate in art exhibitions from San Francisco to North Carolina. In addition to my traditional art practice with drawing and painting in acrylics, I also work as a professional illustrator for Zócalo Public Square, and online magazine. My biggest challenge is finding enough time to paint and illustrated just a fraction of the inspirations that flow through the river of my imagination.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Every single thing I do is Art. I have had other careers in my life, and Art was what i did in my “extra time”. In 2016 I was living in Los Angeles and was unexpectedly laid off from my administrative job. I felt like the entire world had fallen out underneath me. As a single parent, the last thing I thought would solve my issues was to dive completely into being a professional artist, and yet it was my only option. By the time the COVID-19 lockdown happened, I had been working as an illustrator for almost 3 years and was able to continue bringing in revenue during a globally frightening time. In the last three years i have been able to sharpen my skills by never forgetting that as an Artist, part of me will always be a student. So I took fine arts instruction via Zoom during the time between working and parenting, and in doing this I met the most fascinating and welcoming group of artists in Raleigh, North Carolina. Last year I packed up my daughter and we relocated to Raleigh and are both developing great new lives in a thriving art community. 8 years ago I thought my life was crumbling apart. The resilience of being an Artist has taught me that there is always a solution. It’s a beautiful life!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Yes, though my mentor I was introduced to two video interviews, one with Kara Washington (https://youtu.be/_tOvUI1IZFY?si=meSA81TkX5-W0zCl) in which she discusses American Archetypes, and the other with the Julian Schnabel (https://youtu.be/i9zTCUybXoE?si=GbL5fYX_gfw9MGs2) Their perspectives on the place of artists in the human experience, and the responsibility of the artist to continue to push forward for the sake of humanity is crucial. Although these artists may seem so different, I think the way they confront our existence is both inspiring and essential to how I see and move through my own artistic process.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.beboggs.com
• Instagram: @illustratedbe
• Facebook: Be Boggs Multimedia Artist
• Twitter: @illustratedbe