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

Alright, Christopher thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I have been enamored with art since the first moment I touched pencil to paper (I still recall my kindergarten teacher telling me that I drew the best dinosaurs in the whole class). As I have grown, so too has my experience with a wide range of materials and techniques (and my dinosaurs are even better now). Over the years, I have completed projects in graphite, charcoal, ink, colored pencil, pastel, watercolor, and acrylic. And there are still so many more mediums that I am excited to learn.

So much of the knowledge and skills that I have acquired through my journey have been self-taught—a reality that, as an adult, I have come to recognize as somewhat of a double-edged sword. In one light, it reflects my deep personal drive to pursue a passion with great determination, even when that meant following it alone and into the unknown. In another light, it largely prevented me from leveraging the wisdom and experience of other creative souls. Art, like life itself, is a process of continuous learning. Some of that certainly occurs within the framework of formal classes structured around a teacher-student relationship. But I believe even more of that occurs organically as peers connect with other peers.

It is true that we go fast alone, but go far together.

There are so many traditional educational and networking tools available to artists, and over the years I have embraced them quite enthusiastically: art classes, art shows, and a personal website. But it is only in the past few years that I have come to embrace one that I had discounted so quickly and for so long: social media. While the detractors of these online platforms are well-known, they also have great utility for artists. Through them, I have been able to showcase my art, find inspiration through other artists, and learn of materials, techniques, and platforms that I may otherwise have never discovered.

I have always believed that passion is the core of creativity. Self-expression is less about ability and more about drive—the unrelenting persistence to push through the inevitable phases where we feel untalented, unsuccessful, and unappreciated. If the drive is there, they ability will come.

But while passion is certainly a critical component of creativity, it is not the only component. We also need experience. And that is something that we do not have to limit ourselves to learning only from our own path. So many others are excited to share their journey and to listen to ours in return.

As a full-time engineer, a part-time artist and writer, and a parent, there is one thing that consistently seems to be working against me—time. However, I have come to realize that its scarcity makes it all the more valuable. Though we cannot control the number of hours in the day, we can control how we invest those hours. Practicing artistic techniques is always time well spent. But if art is ultimately an expression of our life experiences, we must remember not to prioritize the expression over the experiences themselves. It is essential that we continuously work on deepening the well of ideas and emotions that we draw from. And as a parent, I can think of few things that come more naturally than that.

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.

For me, inspiration is everywhere. From a fun-filled weekend adventure with my wife and toddler son to a tranquil sunset on a secluded beach, art lives inside every moment and every scene. Every thought and every feeling. Every memory and every dream. Whether by paintbrush or by pencil, my greatest passion is trying to capture the beauty of these experiences. Hopefully, in a way that allows me to share that inspiration with others.

Though I’ve worked with a wide variety of media over the years, my current visual artwork primary revolves around pastel drawings and acrylic paintings of anything and everything that captures my interest: human and pet portraits, paleoart, seascapes, and more. I have taken commissioned work at various points throughout my career, but at the moment I am focused on developing my skills and my style by creating works that are uniquely personal to me. The primary showcase for my artwork continues to be my personal website, CBSpicer Art (https://www.cbspicer.com). There, I display new and old works, link to high-quality giclée prints that are available for purchase, and announce upcoming art shows that I am attending.

Additionally, I am currently in the process of writing my first novel, an original science-fiction tale which I am illustrating in parallel with the book.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of creativity has always been the body work itself. It has never been about art sales, or social media likes, or name recognition. I do not view creativity as a means to an end. It is an end all on its own—creation for the sake of creation.

The ability to create is a touch of the divine. It allows us to share a piece of ourselves in a way that is uniquely ours. It allows us to leave something behind. To turn the mortal into something immortal. To turn the intangible into something tangible. To turn pain into something beautiful. To crystalize the complex and nebulous thoughts and feelings that accompany us on our journey through life and would otherwise be lost to time. Perhaps most importantly of all, the ability to create allows us to inspire and connect.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

There is a common misconception that I have encountered many times as an artist—the belief that art is merely a hobby pursued casually for relaxation and enjoyment. While there certainly are aspects of the creative process that can be calming and meditative, there are many more aspects that are better characterized by frustration, exhaustion, and even tedium.

But these less-appealing phases are simply the nature of the beast, and they are something that artists push through, not for the immediate pleasure of enjoying the process, but for the ultimate satisfaction of creating something beautiful and unique. Art is not simply a hobby. It is not a superficial activity to pass the time. It is persistent passion born of a deep drive to externalize the internal. To the artist, art is as vital to life as breath itself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.cbspicer.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbspicer
• Other: https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/christopher-spicer

Image Credits

All image credits belong to Christopher Spicer.