We recently connected with Caroline Qureshi and have shared our conversation below.

Caroline, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

I’ve been figure drawing myself for just over two years now. I, just like many woman, have grown up with a very complicated relationship to my body. I found myself judging her more than loving her, and constantly comparing her to others. I really did not even realize I had an irrational negative perception of my body until I approached middle age. As I began to explore my emotions through art in my mid-thirties, I was able to access layers that I previously was not aware of. One of these layers was embodiment. I slowly became more and more aware of how little I actually was present in my body, and began to instinctually seek out practices that helped me stay anchored in myself. Figure drawing was an art form that mesmerized me, but also intimidated me. Any time I tried it I was embarrassed by the crude lines I made and the child-like energy of the drawings, but I also had a very deep desire to unlock the magic of it for myself. At the start of 2021 it occurred to me that I could practice figure drawing, embodiment, and self-love all at once by taking photographs of myself and using them as reference photos for drawing. I took my first batch of photographs in January 2021 and eagerly began drawing several evenings a week. One of the first things I noticed, to my surprise, was how enjoyable it was to draw the parts of my body I actually was most shy about. The extra skin on my belly from pregnancy, for example, is something I was deeply self conscious of, however it gave me delight to try and depict these folds with accuracy. The more I drew my tummy, the more enamored I became with her and the more I embraced and accepted her as part of myself. With each drawing I uncovered parts of myself, both physical and emotional, that I had not known before. I was experiencing my body and my self in a way that I had never and could never any other way. Not only was my relationship to my body growing deeper, but my figure drawing skill was also improving by leaps and bounds. I remember the first drawing I did of myself, where, at the end, I was actually inspired by how beautiful it came out. I had the feeling that typically I only had when looking at others’ figure drawings, but this one was my own! What I thought would be a flash-in-the-pan project that would last maybe a few months has now lasted more than 2 years. I simply can’t stop drawing myself. When I am feeling out of sorts, disconnected from myself, or overly critical of my form, I know what I need to do. Take some photos, put pencil to paper, and connect with myself again.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I had a quick connection with art in 6th grade when I took art as an elective. I loved it, and my teacher, Mr. Brown, really believed that I had a talent for it. Once the class was over though, I kind of forgot about art until I reached my 30’s. I was living in Portland and I had just given birth to my first son when I took one of those painting night classes where everyone paints the same thing. What I loved about the class was the sensation of putting color down on canvas, not necessarily painting a ‘scene’. A couple years later, shortly after the birth of my second son, my husband at the time gifted me a paint set and some canvas. This was the start of my love affair with art. Over the past 8 years art has accompanied me through many life transitions. It has helped me navigate a failing marriage, reclaim my sense of self, and realize that we are all artists. If we are human, there is an artist inside of us. I have worked my way through so many mediums – painting, etching, inking, figure drawing, puppet making – it doesn’t matter what the medium is, the feeling is the same. Creating is my tool to process existence. I do not make a living or really much money off of my art. This is actually intentional as I feel that monetizing my passion is a hallmark of toxic capitalist thinking and I do not want my art to be tied in any way to the necessity of paying bills. This was a decision that took me a while to arrive at, however it is one that I embrace fully because as soon as I made it I was able to enjoy art in a pure and unbridled way without worrying about the expectations and judgements of others.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Society needs to heal its relationship to art. Art has become an afterthought in schools, something that is ‘extra’ and not necessary in our lives. We experience art and use art on a daily basis but do not recognize it and so we undervalue it. We balk at how much art costs but do not really take the time to think about the value of art in our lives. We have become a society of left-brained thinkers, paying attention to data and things we can measure. We have lost the ability to intuit information and fully feel. This is what art can give to us….a connection to our intuition, a way to express our perceptions of the world so that it lands deeply in others, a way to connect to ourselves and others. Art needs to be elevated and acknowledged for what it contributes to society. I want to see students creating art daily in schools, not weekly. I want to see more opportunities to learn different mediums for all ages and all socio-economic statuses. I want to see the definition ‘artist’ to encompass anyone who creates anything…and not necessarily someone who makes money from art. So many people never try to create anything because they feel they aren’t ‘good enough’ to make money at it…but that is not (or should not) be the point of art! The beauty of creating is in the process, and what that process looks like should not be judged by anyone other than he who is creating.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My creative journey is driven by my desire to learn about myself, my place in the world, and how I can connect to others. It is how I create order from the chaos that ensues in my brain.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @chestnut228