We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Eliza Day-Green. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Eliza below.
Eliza , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Well, there have been a couple of meaningful projects that I have been working on recently. A highlight for me was that this past May I was able to fulfill a long standing dream of offering an Art and Cultural retreat In Menorca Spain. I have been going to the island since I was a child and it holds a special place in my heart and creative journey. My vision was to create space in this magical place for artists to come together and be inspired by its natural beauty and history. I am thrilled to be offering the retreat again in May 2024. Another ongoing project has been figuring out a way to make my “Hand/Mind Creative Connection” course more accessible to people who aren’t in my time zone to take the online course. To that end I co-created an inspiration art deck that allows anyone, anywhere to pull a card each day and set a creative intention. The cards combine an inspirational art image from my portfolio, a meditation created by British holistic healer Vicky Horner and an art direction for further exploration. The deck can be used in many different ways and comes with full instructions and material suggestions. In the new year a companion pre-recorded course will be available.
Eliza , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Yes, thank you. I am a British artist with Kiwi (New Zealand) roots living and working in West Hollywood, CA. I have a background in textile arts and teaching. I maintain a pretty disciplined studio practice for my personal projects but I also really love to build community by offering workshops and ongoing support to fellow artists and creatives. As well as my workshop offerings throughout the year, I facilitate an ongoing weekly virtual drop in skills building class called Art Lab. It has also been exciting to be able to do in person workshops again. Over the summer I taught two Cyanotype workshops at my home studio.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I picked this question because I believe typically when we think of resources we often overlook the importance of the human factor. I have come to learn over time that the best resources are: 1. Great Mentors. I have been blessed with several wonderful mentors that have helped shape and guide my artistic journey. I now hope I can be a mentor to others through my workshop offerings, retreats, etc…
2. Great peer groups: Like the old style artistic salons where artists came together to talk about all things relevant to their practice, I think it is important to find like minded creatives to bounce ideas off.
3. Get out of your Comfort Zone: Look for experiences that will push you out of your comfort zone. This could be learning new technology to help your art practice or working creatively with underserved communities in your area.
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.
I don’t believe in the distinction between creatives and non-creatives. Although some people do gravitate to creative pursuits early on, I think everyone has the potential to find their creative voice with the right encouragement. I have worked with many students through my “Hand Mind Connection” course that were given negative messages early on about their creativity but have blossomed into prolific artists. Traditional ways of teaching art haven’t always considered the renegades and the late bloomers. I think it is important not to be elitist and create space where many people can be successful in pursuing art for many different reasons. My Creative Art Deck Project that I discussed earlier in the interview is a way for people to access their creative side in an inclusive, self-paced, and non threatening way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.elizadaygreen.com
- Instagram: @elizadaygreen