We recently connected with Calla Michaelides Lokku and have shared our conversation below.

Calla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

A few projects come to mind, if I may touch on them all!

Back in Spring of 2021, The Art Therapy Institute of North Carolina offered me a spot as a featured artist in their Art Walk. This was my very first, and so far only, solo show. Prior to COVID, the Art Walks were hosted in person, but my show was going to be virtual. This was an advantage for me, because most of my art is made on commission, so I had lots of photos of my work, but not a lot of physical items still in my possession. Being able to exhibit online, meant I could show a much broader collection of my work than I would have been able to physically produce for an in person show. I wanted to pay homage to the incredible work that the Art Therapy Institute does and share a bit of my mental health & art making journey. Hidden in each item’s description was an excerpt from my journal that I kept through the first two years of Therapy. I shared bits of dreams, fears, intrusive thoughts, worries, and (small) breakthroughs. I wanted people to know how art making has been a therapy for me over the years without directly stating ideas and concepts that I had yet to fully understand myself.

Currently, I am working on two projects that also feel immensely meaningful. I started as an Art Volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Association in their “Memories in the Making” program back in August. Once a week, I help facilitate a painting activity for a varying group of individuals with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. I am not teaching, or painting anything myself, I am just there to help them get started and keep painting. Having a grandfather that passed away from Alzheimer’s when I was 12, the disease has always felt close to me and my family. Oftentimes, there are memories of immense pain associated with the disease as it is extremely difficult to watch your loved one forget. Being able to work with individuals I have no prior familiarity with, has brought a new perspective to those with Alzeihmer’s and Dementia. I can see that there is still much joy left in these folks, and I love being able to witness the things they paint. Some participants will paint the same scene over and over again- and I’ll find out it is their childhood home. Others are partial to repeating geometric patterns that are “open to interpretation” if you ask them what they are working on. Overall, I feel incredibly lucky to have this experience with them.

I am also the current artist in Residence at The Children’s Museum of Denver. This program has just begun, but I can already tell it will stand out in my artist journey. This is my first residency, and on top of that it is just a joy to see the children making. They have such unique perspectives and an admirable approach of grace.

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

I am an Artist with an education and professional background in Fashion Design. Through my experience as a dancer and yoga practitioner, I am enamored with settling into the physical sensations of art making in order to escape the mind and meet the true self. Through hand dyeing and mixed media abstracts, I am currently experimenting with how to take techniques from the ever popular craft of Macramé and transform it into something my own. I can also be found playing with small, quick, color driven abstracts inspired solely by conversation with individuals. My work is largely collaborative in that the majority of my pieces are custom made for a specific person, family, home, and intention. I enjoy the creative dance between myself and the collector- welcoming the challenges and new perspective each person brings. Ultimately, I intend to create a piece of work that makes the subject feel understood.

In the coming years, I plan to apply to, and hopefully participate in more shows. I would like to continue working with art in a therapeutic way, both in my personal practice, and with communities. I will also continue to be open for commissions and look forward to working with others on a piece especially for them!

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

A resource that I use and find extremely helpful is CaFE or artist.callforentry.org. You can subscribe to their emails which will send you a list of new opportunities and reminders for fast approaching deadlines. You can also visit their website and search for opportunities directly there. They have the option to filter for region, opportunity type (show, residency, exhibition, public art, etc.), and fee cost. Many opportunities have application fees which help support the organizations offering the opportunity, but these fees can add up- so it is particularly helpful to be able to filter for free applications and submit work to your heart’s desire!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

It’s going to sound cliché, but the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the process of making. It is a way to express yourself, to get out creative energy, to experiment, take risks, try new ideas, and be playful. My days that are filled with even a small amount of time making art are exponentially better than those without. The therapeutic benefits of creating are abundant. Of course, when the final work gets recognized, complemented, featured in a show, or purchased, it feels great! It is a nice confirmation that your work is meaningful, however if you really look inward, I find that the meaning is already there, in the making.

Contact Info:

• Website: communecalla.com
• Instagram: @commune_calla_
• Facebook: CommuneCalla
• Linkedin: Calla Michaelides
• Other: “Calla Michaelides Lokku” on Wescover.com