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

D’varia, appreciate you joining us today. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

Being a creative is not for the weary. I think that one of the biggest hurdles that I have had to overcome is self-doubt. At times social media, and so many other realms of the world, can bombard you with images of art produced by artist that you feel are more talented than you. I sometimes see the work of others and wonder why what I produce doesn’t look more realistic? why can’t I incorporate realistic depictions of flowers?… I realized that I have remedied this in two ways. Like now, I have decided to take a sabbatical. I have enough art stowed away to be able to take a step back and mentally think about how and what I want to paint.
I have also taken the opportunity to push myself as well. I have dived in to painting with oils, incorporating glass, and making an effort to paint things more indicative of me. It has been rough, don’t get me wrong. and I fear that my paintings won’t be as understood or have the same reception that they once did. But I find comfort in knowing that what I make now represents where I am mentally and how I feel about life.
There is more validation in that.

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

I don’t think that I was catapulted in to being a creative; It has just been a part of me. I was the elementary school kid that made floor murals with the colored wood blocks. Now that I am older, I realize that I inherited creativity from my grandparents. Their talents and aesthetics were passed down to me and I am beyond thankful that now in life I am learning to harness the gifts that they have bestowed upon me.
My creative journey has been one of mass realizations I would have to say. It has been a voyage of me understanding the things that I can do and acquiring the confidence to do the unapologetically with confidence.

My aesthetic is different from others because it encompasses a mix of all of the things that I find visually appeasing I would say. I think that my creative self is a departure from my normal self because I am bolder and non-apologetic with my art than I am in my normal life. It provides me with a bit of an escape. I paint on canvases, glass, crochet shorts, manipulate textiles….I create what appeases me and can translate.

I am proud of the fact that I have learned what it takes to monetize my craft and also what it takes to not allow the works of others drive me. I admit that there were times when I felt as though I had to produce/create a certain style of art in order for approval. I have moved beyond that and dived deeper into art that represents me and where I am in my life. It is not all sunshine and smiles. I want people to know that my art is an extension of me. Everything that I create is from a dream, a thought, a nightmare, or a past experience that has happened to me. I want people that would possibly purchase a piece to know that it is uniquely one of a kind and from a being that lives art.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a creative person is the validation I get from those close to me. I will say that my friends and family are discerning and blunt individuals. They all have varying taste of art and what they deem visually appeasing so when I get the courage to send them a picture of something that I am working on, their responses always empower me to keep going.

Seeing those that I love have pieces that I have created hanging proudly somewhere makes it worth it. A few of my fraternity brothers, who are very hard to please, have some of my most memorable works of art in their homes. True enough some of them were created from a therapeutic place where I felt as though I was in a dark place or angry but seeing how happy the pieces make them makes me keep going.

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

My goal is to keep going. Simple but it is the truth. I remember when I first started to paint faces back in college and how difficult it was. Noses were a crux that took me years to master. Now when I paint, portraits in particular, I usually start with the nose and go from there. That is just a testament to me of how hard work and with practice I was able to master something that I thought was impossible. In the beginning I was intimidated by the thought of creating a website and being able to show my work proudly. Now I am motivated to keep going and master all of the things that scared the crap out of me in the beginning. Also, I had to learn how to take a break. There would be times when I would get so laser focused on my own unseen goals of producing art that I would neglect taking care of myself, sleeping, and enjoying life. So now I learned that it is okay to take a step back to live and enjoy the people in my life. There is even room for me to put down the brushes to crochet or use my sewing machine. Diversifying my craft helps get rid of the tediousness.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.artofdhurst.com
• Instagram: dhurst86
• Facebook: DvariaHurstArt
• Twitter: @MarquelHurst
• Other: [email protected]