We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carmen M. Young a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Carmen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I knew from a very young age that I loved to create art of all kinds. I loved paper, pens, paints, and markers – always having some creative project in progress. And remember winning a Best of Show ribbon at one of my elementary art shows. I still have that ribbon and the artwork which are like a portal bringing me right back to that season of life. I believe that finding joy and success in art at that young age brought me a kind of satisfaction/validation that has stayed with me my whole life. Of course, at that age I had no idea how to put words to that feeling, but it felt like I was doing what I was meant to do. I feel very fortunate to have spent my high school years attending a larger public school which provided an unexpected blessing that came in the way of a vibrant and robust art department. Through the dedication of those teachers who had active art careers outside their classrooms, I was drawn into an art world that opened wide possibilities of all kinds. My time in that hive of activity was infused with challenge, invitation, advice, pushing of the preconceived boundaries and the opportunities to experiment with mediums and techniques I had never seen or used. During those years my desire to be an artist grew but I continued to follow the “you need to work on getting a degree in something that will make you real money” mindset, since it seemed to be the practical choice. I managed to include a few art classes in my college years which were the only classes I loved, funny enough. As I have aged, I have purposely sought out opportunities for art education through workshops with artists I admire and other online classes. My return to creating seriously began just after my children were born. I connected with one of my favorite high school art teachers and she again worked to bring me face to face with a new medium and walked me through the process of learning to paint with oils. Through that medium I have been able to find myself as an artist and to confidently bring my love of the Montana landscape that surrounds me to others through painting.

Carmen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a part time fine art landscape painter, who is also working actively in a full-time capacity within our family’s water treatment business. My plan is to return to my painting full time in the future, but in the meantime, I turn to my art for the freedom it brings my spirit! When painting skies, I feel free. Free to trust the process, free from worry about how it will all turn out and free to let the pressures of life slip away. Being born and raised in the Gallatin Valley in Montana, it is no mystery why the landscape is enmeshed in my soul. The beauty and grandeur of our evocative skies beg to be captured by my brush. I seek to represent the emotions of light and color in our vast skies and the cast shadows on the land. My art grows out of the wide, open spaces, and the desire to move the viewers to pause, reflect and seek moments of observation in their own surroundings. My hope is to create a tangible Montana memory with my work – providing a sense of place, peace, and reflection – to imprint a deeper understanding of that moment before it slips away. When my art finds a new home, I hope that it is because the collector knows what it feels like to have Montana woven into their hearts.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I am so grateful for an amazing program that is available in the state of Montana through the Montana Arts Council. The Montana Artrepreneur Program allows artists to apply for a spot in the program which provides affirmation that being an artist is a credible profession.  It also helped to provide the tools/framework to take my art seriously, to represent myself as an artist, and to take actionable steps to understand the business aspects required to sell my work. The relationships I built with the other participants in MAP are incredibly valuable and have continued to provide a network that expands, the material taught was thoughtfully developed and pertinent to my career as an artist, and the hope I have gained (due to the tools I am creating) makes sharing my art with the world a less daunting experience. I believe that portions of or all of this program could be shared with young adults leaving their high school or college education who have a deep interest in pursuing a career in art. Even if they don’t fully know who they are as artists yet or have an extensive portfolio, knowing that these resources and encouraging programs exist could give them the footing they need to make this a viable career option. The art gallery route is amazing to be sure, but there are many other ways to have a meaningful creative arts focused life and still share your art with the world while earning a living.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

When I approach the canvas, it is usually rooted in an emotional response to the beauty I have seen and most importantly as an act of great appreciation for my Creator, who gifts me with the desire to paint in response to the beauty all around me. There is a push and pull as I work through each painting, both on canvas and internally. Each painting gifts me something in return: whether it be artistic growth in expressing light, texture and spatial depth; revelation of understanding the land and sky in a new way: or simply the joy it brings others when they view it in person.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.carmen-m-young.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carmenmyoungfineart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087125122511