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

Canessa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?

My parents instilled many values, ethics, and principles that I’ve found to be priceless throughout my growth as a woman and entrepreneur. But, what has helped me most in life and business is the perseverance they instilled and the honoring of my commitments. My siblings and I were not allowed to quit or back out of commitments we made as kids. If we signed up for a class, we had to finish that class, no matter how difficult or uncomfortable we found it to be. And we were expected to do our best. If that meant extra work and/or extra help, then that’s what was done. Quitting wasn’t an option, and sloppy or incomplete work was not acceptable.

When the business of creating gets difficult and/or uncomfortable, my commitment and perseverance undergird the love I have for what I do. THAT is what my parents did right. They equipped me to commit and work for what I want in the face of adversity. And to reinvent if and when necessary.

Canessa, 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’m a self-taught visual artist and storyteller who hails from the small town of Griffin, Georgia. I specialize in mixed media, digital, and collage artwork with love, music, and my spiritual journey being my biggest inspirations. What sets me apart from others is that I don’t pin myself to any particular style of art, and I’m most proud of that. I remain free to express myself in whatever style I choose and in the way that I am inwardly led and moved. My journey as a woman artist has cultivated a sense of autonomy that I hope to share through my work. Art heals… And it is my purpose to help facilitate healing and connection.

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

The best way that I feel society can support creatives is by supporting and nurturing our young creatives. When school budget cuts need/needed to be made in our educational system, across the country, art is/was one of the first courses to go. Children are left with no creative outlets, and the message that art is of little to no importance is sent. Art classes help with the development of motor skills. It fuels creativity and critical-thinking skills that are used when designing art projects. Art also frees and, once again, it heals. What a child can’t find the words to say, they will often draw and/or paint. Fight to keep art in our schools and available to our youth.

In addition to nurturing art and creativity in our youth, buy art and attend local art shows to support local artists. If you’re on social media, share your favorite artist’s posts of their work and tag them. Support can be shown in different ways, and each one is greatly appreciated and strengthens the community.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is when someone connects with my work and shares with me how it makes them feel or what they see and how it impacts them. To hear how it brings life to a room after it has been installed is a great sense of fulfillment. It’s a feeling of purpose. And I think most of us want to walk in our life’s purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://phloart.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/phlo.bella