Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Cay Mims. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Cay , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I, like most new and earnest artists, approached my work very linearly. I remember the day we had to pitch the ideas for our thesis projects my senior year of university. I had an idea, mapped out the steps to execute that idea, and thought that I would follow those steps through to completion. I walked up to my professor, confident that after a small conceptual and logistical probe (an art school formality), I would get the go-ahead to jump in and start executing.

That’s not ~exactly~ what happened. My professor challenged me to “start working, but keep thinking”. I walked away form our conversation feeling disoriented and discouraged. My entire plan had been reduced to a starting point, and I had no explicit path forward.

I understand now that my professor’s redirection was an encouragement to loosen up and leave room for the work to blossom. I had taken a pragmatic and functional approach to the project, which isn’t bad, but ultimately presented some barriers to my creative growth. For one, it didn’t leave much room for deviation from the plan. There’s no way to fully foresee all the challenges in execution at the start of a project. Sometimes things take longer to than initially calculated. Sometimes a materialized idea just doesn’t function or read the way you thought in would in your head. Those moments can distress, frustrate, and discourage. Of course plans have time and place; strict creative plans can provide structure and direction. But in my experience, when we adhere to them too closely, they can restrict potential and burden our work with expectation. When things move away from the plan, we move into a plane of risk and uncertainty, which when employed correctly, are two of the greatest tools artists have.

There are ways to manage this risk, which I would more positively frame as ‘chance’. The chance to change, react, and realize. Exploring ways to relinquish some control and embracing the unexpected pushed my work beyond anything I could envisage. It’s also less stressful to create when there is no preconceived ‘end’. Removing the hard lines of ‘right and ‘wrong’ and just focusing on what ‘is’ allows what ‘could be’ to develop organically. ‘Mistakes’ can enlighten new techniques and force us down paths to grow and learn about ourselves, our materials, and the ways we can make our practices stronger. And for me, it’s much more exciting and engaging working in the flow, not trapped by what comes next. Getting to the end and looking back at all the steps, planned and unplanned, makes the journey that much more rewarding.

As my thesis project developed, the size and scope ballooned far beyond anything I had even considered (both conceptually and physically). Once it was done, I remember standing in the gallery looking at my own work in awe. It was quite literally better than anything I could’ve imagined.

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

I was always pretty creative growing up. I never pursued it seriously until my Junior year of college, however. Through the encouragement of some professors, I decided to wholeheartedly embark on the path of ‘becoming an artist’ in both technique and ideology. While there’s always room to refine my skills, the biggest challenge (and triumph) is the critical engagement and conceptual development. Having great mentors who planted the seeds for an ‘artistic mindset’ was the most critical catalyst for me to pursue art professionally, and is the engine that drives me to continue working towards my goals today.

I want to exist beyond the role of passive producer and engage with the histories, people, places, and ideas that my work is representing. For me that means pushing my practice outside of the studio. I have moderated artist talks around Chicago, curated and hosted an pop-up exhibition for emerging, marginalized artists, and participate in artists’ markets as a vendor throughout the year. I’m constantly seeking opportunities to grow, and learn new skills. When I see the need, I create the opportunity myself. I’ve generated a holistic network of peers and heroes in my city. In the art world, social capital is arguably more important than financial. Community and a strong coalition of peers and support makes all the difference, and I find myself to be a strong and personable asset in curating those connections.

If you are in need of project management, an event host, curator, and/or organizer, or just general creative support, I have a breadth of skills and am always looking to learn more!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had a frustrating period in my art journey in which I felt like paint was no longer working for me. I was questioning whether or not it was a medium capable of exploring the things I wanted to in my work. It took time, but I realized art making should be an inquiry not an imposition. Once I asked how paint could work with me, not for me, perceived limits became merits. Materials and medium should be collaborators, not passive instruments. Everything carries it own energy and history, and making became much more generative and interesting once I understood that. By engaging in an open and sustained dialogue with my materials, creating energetic equity between us, and allowing them some agency, my practice and work became much more rewarding.

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

The people hands down! I have met so many people artist or otherwise who make all of this worth it. The people give me community, and the community gives me support, energy and purpose.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://caylabmims.wixsite.com/open
• Instagram: @smimbalyac