We were lucky to catch up with Emily Galusha recently and have shared our conversation below.

Emily, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

Having an artist and art teacher as a Mother has many benefits. Growing up, our days were colorful and hands-on. My brothers and I spent a lot of time outdoors exploring. And when we were inside, possibly driving her crazy, she was great at creative solutions to fill our time. The genetic hand-me-down of being an artist was part of the gift, but also having someone around who generally thought outside of the box or taught us to ask questions did a lot for my thought process. So my upbringing was, for the most part, balanced and stable but atypical.

Moving into adulthood, I was fortunate to go to college to continue my pursuit as a dancer, focusing on ballet pedagogy. Having parents that backed this move was invaluable as a foundation. Later, changing paths from performing artist to visual/fine artist didn’t throw them off, either. My mother pushed me to earn my BFA, instead of my BA. Doing the extra work helped me dive deeper into my creative practice and she also knew it would help me in my job search. To have a person who raises you also cheer you on and encourage you to be your biggest and best … there is nothing comparable. To this day, when I’m feeling stuck or having a moment of inner-Eeyore, my Mom (and Dad!) continue to provide words that nudge me forward. A gal can really use that in this world.

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?

Growing up in a creative family (Mother is an artist + art teacher, brothers are film editors + artists, Father is an imaginative thinker and my biggest fan) set a strong foundation for my inner genius – “Genius” being defined as “natural ability or capacity; strong inclination”. I guess you could say I was born into my discipline.

I used to liken myself to a “Swiss Army Knife” — fine artist, illustrator, graphic designer, creative director. Today, when asked “What type of creative work do you do?” I respond, “It depends on what day it is.” A career where I’m allowed to have variety from day to day has been a place where I thrive. After years of needing to say yes to jobs I’d have liked to say no to in order to make a decent income, I’m in a place now where I have more freedom to work on projects that both support me and amplify my skill set. I have also achieved a position where I can spend the majority of work days in the studio on my own artwork.

More recently, my favorite days are spent being a mother. That’s my treasured creative space. My time as an artist is a must … and doing it in front of my child, including my child, is a fulfilling position.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

To be content in this world, resilience is valuable. In a nutshell, I have allowed a couple of folks into my adult life that did some damage (narcissists can be brutal). The situations put a damper on my drive and focus. However, learning how to set up healthy boundaries, allowing forgiveness, giving time to heal … I ended up becoming even stronger, more empathetic and gained the ability to dive deeper creatively. Being humbled is a blessing. With a resilient spirit, I made the choice to use the hard years to fuel my creative power. It is many years later and I now hold some amazing stories that I’ve lived. Far from perfect with an urge to grow daily, I love where I am. I love the people in my life. I love my dreams. And that is an abundance of resilience and success.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I’ve always been drawn to people more experienced than me, who have lived more years and have stories to tell. I wish I realized this earlier because tapping into people with a deep wisdom and listening to others’ experience can be priceless education. Speaking with professionals or people with a strong worldly/lived experience can be motivating as well as open up new doors.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.eegcreative.com
• Instagram: @emilyegalusha
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/emilygalushacreative
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/emilyegalusha
• Other: Journal : https://emilygalusha.wordpress.com/