We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth Figgie recently and have shared our conversation below.
Elizabeth, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
I recently applied for an arts opportunity. After submitting my application, I took a moment to reflect on how I was feeling, and more so, how I wanted to feel moving forward. It had been a long process, and it felt important to check in with myself and be intentional with my frame of mind. I felt proud of myself for taking a shot at a big thing, I was nervous to hear the results, but mostly, I felt a lot of gratitude. So many people had supported me through the process. A fellow artist who had been involved with the organization in the past shared about his experiences and talked through concepts with me early on. My sister and several friends read drafts of my proposal and gave feedback. Very dear mentors agreed to be references. My housemate bought me two of my favorite desserts to celebrate submitting my application. I received so much enthusiasm and support from my community. I didn’t expect to feel so loved for an ultimately small-in-the-grand-scheme project that may not go anywhere. It was a sweet reminder that we often don’t do things alone.
Elizabeth, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am a painter, muralist, and papercrafter living in Durham, NC. I’ve loved art since I was a kid and have been pursuing it intentionally since 2016.
My work focuses on bearing witness to the beauty of everyday life and attempts to give people ways of connecting with the world around them. I paint nature and lifestyle scenery, subtly exploring symbolism and figurative expression. My papercraft straddles paper weaving, collage, and paper-making and inspects the interaction between color, shape, and texture.
In addition to personal work, I create commissioned pieces and collaborate with local organizations on murals, branding, and community art projects. I also make handmade stationery and wholesale with several local businesses in Durham. I love participating in local art and craft markets and try to vend at a few throughout the year.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I don’t think I have fully unlearned it yet, it’s something I always have to work on, but I am unlearning the scarcity mindset. It is easy to compare when there are so many other creatives in your field. For any number of reasons they may appear more successful than you, and it adds to this feeling of impossibility or that you’re not adding anything worthwhile to the art universe. There can’t possibly be enough room for all of us to “make it.” Instead, I try to focus on celebrating others’ work and assume that most other creatives probably feel just as insecure as I do. I would rather be inspired by other artists than see them as competition.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Art helps me be truthful in ways other outlets don’t. Everyone has messy parts of themselves or their lives. Art, for me, is a place where I can acknowledge those things. Maybe there’s something I don’t like about myself — I can acknowledge that through art and it becomes acceptable somehow. I don’t feel overwhelmed or angry about it, it just is true, and then it becomes a step forward. I think having a positive way to engage with the not-nice things makes me healthier, and hope my art can be that resource for other people too. 
Contact Info:
- Website: http://elizabethfiggie.com/
- Instagram: @bfiggs @ms.figgiepaper
- Other: www.etsy.com/shop/MsFiggiePaper