We recently connected with Debra Aase-Farnum and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Debra thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?
As an artist, but in life in general, we are faced with the choice of living within the confines of our fears or to take risks. I made the commitment early on to do at least one thing that scares me everyday, which came pretty easily since there are a lot of things that scare me. Every year I choose a word that will be the “theme” of the year. In 2021, which I think was a pivotal year for a lot of people, I chose the word “cultivate”. Defined by Merriam-Webster, v. to foster the growth of, v. to improve by labor, care or study. It felt like a safe word. I am comfortable fostering personal growth privately and in my own time. There was an internal whisper renaming my word of the year to “expand”. I did not like that word. It felt public, and much less at a pace that I could control. The whisper grew louder until I released myself from the safety of the word “cultivate” to the risk-taking call of the word “expand”.
Prior to 2020, I had been hustling alongside many of the worlds creatives, at a break-neck speed, without the option of resting or stopping. In January of 2020, before the pandemic hit, I herniated a disc in my spine. I was unable to sit at the pottery-wheel, and almost exclusive managing pain for two and half months. This was a hard shift for me and I cried a lot, but I decided it was time to illustrate the children’s book idea I had been carrying in my heart for three years about overcoming fear. 23 illustrations later I had completed my book. Then the pandemic hit and it felt like such a gift. Everything was cancelled. I got to be home with my children and go out the studio, and make elaborate meals from scratch, we had time for a garden and all the at-home projects we had been putting off. It was a productive and restful season, but what I did not realize was that I had been cut off from my community in the name of safety.
At about the mid-point of 2021 I realized that my relationship tank was empty. I was so lonely. That is where my word of the year really sprung to life. At a time when we were still living so cautiously my call to “expand” became a roar. For me “expand” meant connection. Merriam-Webster defines “expand” this way: v. to open up. v. To increase the extent, number, volume, or scope of. v. To express at length or in greater detail. The call was to not stay small but to have a greater impact, to connect, and to share in this current experience. This word was profoundly healing. It response to reaching out and intentionally letting my presence grow bigger I was met with such love and acceptance. Just as I was celebrating others, I felt celebrated.
My life up to that point felt fairly compartmentalized: Artist, mother, wife, friend, realtor, teacher. 2021 gave me permission to merge the segmented parts of me. This move from safety to risk taking helped me to feel received completely and a sense of belonging that I had not experienced before.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Storytelling has always been central to my approach to art. Symbolism, fine line-work, and interpersonal connection help me tell tales of the high seas and beyond through my brand Golden and Grey. Each piece tells a story and invites us to gather around intentionally set tables.
I studied printmaking and bookmaking in college. One of my professors encouraged us to stretch the concept of the book. Porcelain is now my page. Form and function have come together in each piece of illustrated tableware. Each piece is wheel-thrown and hand-painted making them one of a kind by design.
It’s important to me to elevate our everyday experience. I want my customers to find joy in the little things: that first sip of coffee, the aroma of the slightly too hot to sip tea, or the half finished plate because you have decided to linger over dinner. Life is made of all of these little moments. My work invites us to pause to notice those moments of life that pass so quickly by.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me is finding the person that I made the piece for. I have had the privilege of witnessing people connect deeply with my work. “That’s me!” someone said as they picked up a piece depicting a bear riding on the back of a narwhal while smoking a pipe. I get to hear people’s stories in return for my own visual narratives. I get to hear what their selected porcelain-ware means to them. Pet portraits usually evoke tears. I paint people’s beloved furry faces onto a porcelain surface that they can now hold in their hands.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
My goal is always to make people sparkle, to bring out the best in them. I want people to shine a little brighter after we have interacted. I am also a recoverying people-pleaser. In the past, and sometimes now, if I am unable to make someone happy I would internalize that and try harder. I would expend so much energy on people that were truly never appreciative. I have learned to lean into relationships that help me to be a better version of myself. I try to surround myself with people I want to be more like. Now I am freer to more fully and more authentically. give from a place of joy and connection rather than fearing that I won’t be liked.
Contact Info:
- Website: Shopgoldenandgrey.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/golden_and_grey/