We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Connor Poovey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Connor below.
Connor, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
From as early as I can remember I have created art in some form. Mostly drawing as a kid, but eventually spray painting, illustrating and sculpture building into my later years. Art has always been a constant in my life. Many of my friends and family saw my talent and would push me to make it my profession, but I felt it was just a personal passion or hobby. I would brush them off saying things like “if I make it my job, it will become a chore”, or “art as a job is how art dies”. For many years I felt this way, until one day after a conversation with my mother I had a sudden epiphany. The true reason behind my thoughts was fear. Becoming an artist professionally means you have a lot to lose, and failure is a high possibility. Although, on the flip side, choosing a life avoiding fear means a life of comfort and no growth. As an artist I value pushing limits, and ultimately decided that I would not let fear hold me back. Since then, I have graduated college with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, started an LLC small business, and continue to push past fears and progress further every day.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
When I was young, alongside drawing, I also often told my mom I wanted to be a Herpetologist (someone who studies reptiles and amphibians) because I loved animals. This just seemed like silly kid talk, like how many kids wants to be doctors and firemen. However, I never lost either of these passions as the years went on. After graduating college in 2020, while many of my peers were looking to grad school, I chose the path that would get me closer to my goals. That is when I created C. Poovey Art LLC, an art production business where I can combine my passions and share them with the community.
At C. Poovey Art LLC our goal is to bring humanity and nature closer together, by beautifying spaces, educating minds, and inspiring creative action. We achieve this by providing specialized services like mural paintings, commercial Illustrations, and teaching opportunities. Additionally, we sell unique products like fine artworks, apparel, self-publications, and stickers. Everything we provide is intended to contribute to the larger culture of creative hearts with wildlife sparks.
Our clientele ranges from large businesses looking to provide a positive workspace environment with a mural, to individuals wanting to get a custom tattoo illustration of their favorite animal. Building a positive report with our community is important to us, so we aim to provide products and services that range in value. By doing this we believe we can connect with many minds and hearts across different economic fields.
To date one of our proudest achievements has been the beautification of St. Petersburg Seaside Seabird Sanctuary. This is a nonprofit facility that has been open for over 30 years and is dedicated to the rehabilitation of any hurt or sickly birds. Their contribution to wildlife safety and community education is inspiring and we felt privileged to be able to give back to them. C. Poovey Art LLC has had the pleasure of creating a series of visually stunning murals that beautify the space, create viral and photo opportunities, and reward the dedicated staff for their hard work. It continues to be a pleasure to support the team at Seaside Seabird Sanctuary, and we hope to work with more clients like them.
Our goal for the future is to continue inspiring our clientele and community with new ways to love and experience wildlife. We hope to eventually build a company that can reach clients outside the state of Florida, expanding our message to even more communities. We value your support as we grow and seek more opportunities to enrich the world of wildlife through art and creativity!
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect to being an artist for me is the sensation of growth and progress. There is no better feeling than starting a project you have never done before, struggling through it and getting out on the other side. The frustrations and headaches to produce something so unique and magical is soul fulfilling. I get the same feeling too when I achieve a career milestone. I often have the thought of “I am here, I have made it” in these moments of success on my creative journey. Sometimes I think back to when I was as a little kid and wonder what he may think of me now. I can see him becoming so inspired by the growth and accomplishments we have achieved. Truthfully, at my core, all I really want to do is make that little kid inside of me proud, and every positive step forward does exactly that.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to learn for myself was to follow my own gut. This seems simple enough, but in college we were encouraged to be creative and find your voice, but often if that voice did not fit within the bounds of what the professor wanted it was discouraged. Growing up I took art classes here and there, but never really got an education in it till high school and into college. Before the schooling art was about trying out new techniques, pushing myself further, and making things without the worry of what others thought. In college, however, I entered the world of “Fine Art.” For many this title holds a lot of value and weight, but for me it was mostly weight. The Idea of Fine Art is that there is a hierarchical structure within art culture, containing works deemed valuable and those invaluable. This is a notion I now firmly stand against! The whole nature of art is that it is valuable, regardless of public opinion. The act can be an incredibly soothing, eye opening or personal experience. One that needs no outsider opinions or academic scrutiny. Still, after years of that thought process, it was difficult to stop the internalized opinions of my professors and peers. Even years after graduating I still work to ignore those internalized criticism. Instead, I confidently pursue the things that in my gut make me feel valuable.
Contact Info:
- Website: cpooveyart.com
- Instagram: @c.pooveyart