We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Elizabeth Eleanor Davis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Elizabeth Eleanor, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I never felt completely comfortable in the corporate or retail world. I felt like I never really belonged. I could do the jobs alright, sometimes better than my peers, and I liked helping people, but I got bored easily, burned out, ground down, and was often over looked or misunderstood. As an artist, I am free to be my own boss, work on the things I am passionate about, and frame my own “company culture” of who I am on my own terms.

Elizabeth Eleanor, 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?

I have been creative and artistic all my life. I have some art education under my belt, but am also self taught. I had a few different side hustle ventures before switching my focus to fine art, and that experience helped pave the way for what I do now. I am proud of the body of work I have been able to build over the years, and am humbled and grateful to have an audience and collectors for it. Everything I decide to paint has some sort of personal connection or meaning for me, from the more serious pieces to the whimsical ones. When you put a little part of yourself out there and people connect with it, that is a special moment, one I am grateful for.

I strive for integrity and offer my clients the best quality work I am capable of producing. I try and be transparent about my pricing structure, my process, and my products. I am picky and a bit of a perfectionist, so if someone is going to pay good money for my work I want to ensure it is the best it can be. I have also recently been trying to reach out to my audience and ask them what they would like to see from me in the future, and what kind of products they want. I march to my own drum, of course, but I like the interaction with my fans and the challenge of meeting their needs. They are creative people who often have great ideas that keep my own creativity going!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think many times people make assumptions about how successful a artist, musician, or other creative types are and assume if our work is good we are living the high life. If you are a fan of something or someone, it is really important to support them in any way you can. It is HARD out there to be a creative! Sometimes that means buying art, music, merch, tickets, etc. But it doesn’t always have to be monetary support. Interacting with the creatives you love on social media gives us such a bigger impact and so much more visibility. Sharing our work does too. Sometimes even just liking posts goes a long way! It’s also nice when people introduce themselves to me, either online or in person at an event to tell me they are a fan. This blows me away! In the age of the internet it is sometimes easy to think you are just screaming into a void and no one is listening. But hearing feedback from people, learning they follow along, that they care and appreciate what I do gases me up and keeps me wanting to create when times get tough. I also love interacting this way with the creatives I love. It creates more of a community and a solidarity that independent art is valued and important and we all support one another in that endeavor.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

At the end of 2022 I needed a series of small out patient surgeries that proved to be a bit invasive. Recovery was slow, and it sent my body into adrenal fatigue and hormonal imbalance. During this time, the fatigue was so intense, that my painting all but ground to a halt. It was taking me months to complete a work that would have only taken a week before this happened. It was bumming me out that I wasn’t creative, and I was getting burned out trying to produce just one large work. I decided to pivot, and instead of working on larger, more detailed, scenic pieces, I would do smaller, easier to complete, 12 by 12 inch works. This allowed me to meet myself where I was. I could complete a finished work, and move on to another. As I was able to produce work again, and recovery continued, gradually my energy levels and output began to restore and I have a whole new flavor of artwork in my arsenal to offer to my clients. I am so glad I switched things up and was able to get myself unstuck!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.blackabbeystudios.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackabbeystudios/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackabbeystudios/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackabbeystudios

Image Credits
Photos by Elizabeth Eleanor Davis and Geoffrey Cagle