We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hannah Levin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hannah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I first fell in love with visual art when taking a beginners drawing and painting class at my high school, and it changed the trajectory of my love for art, as well as my life. Prior to this, I hadn’t painted or drawn much since elementary school. Diving back into it rekindled something in me. I decided this was something I wanted to continue to pursue. I had felt completely free being able to make something completely mine atop a blank canvas. I went to college in Boston for art therapy, and upon graduation assisted with a friend’s queer art collective as assistant art director and blog editor, while I worked in a cafe in Davis Square. Editing and designing the semi-annual publication for the collective brought such joy to my life during my time in Boston, and connected me to so many amazing creatives in the New England area. During the pandemic, I temporarily opened an Etsy business where I sold wire wrapped crystal pendants, rings, and earrings. Upon moving to Philadelphia, my love for painting soon morphed into a love for drawing, and then printmaking after I took a class at a local art memorial. Growing up with a photographer as a father I learned to find beauty in everything, even the mundane. I was gifted a film camera from him, and haven’t stopped shooting film since. I find great release in self portrait shoots, especially when I’m feeling a lack of imagination in my other creative pursuits. If given the opportunity to go back and change the course of my creative journey, I would have started exploring more artistic modalities much earlier, as I think it would have helped me explore the difficulties of my adolescence in a new way. Despite this, I know art would have found me no matter what.

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?

My current favorite forms of art to create are linocut printmaking and film photography. Sometimes these go directly hand in hand for me, shooting inspiration on film and then transferring that into a print for my art business. Currently, I sell prints and paintings directly through my instagram page (@levinxart) and also at South St Art Mart in Philly. I pride myself in being an LGBTQ+ and woman creator, and channeling these aspects into my art whenever I can. Nature has always been one of the most important things that inspire me creatively, and I try to always explore the intersection of nature and art in my various creative forms. You can usually always find a common theme of nature featured in many of my works. I am most proud of how far I have come in my creative journey, and allowing myself to have confidence and bravery to share things that I make with the world.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The main lesson I have learned while working in the art world is to have confidence even when I’m used to doubting myself. I have always been timid with sharing the things I create. I only in the past 4 years began to feel comfortable with allowing others to see these things I create from the most vulnerable parts of myself. I had to unlearn the fear of judgement, and unlearn my lack of bravery when putting myself out there in the art world. Nothing but good opportunities and meaningful connections have come since I learned how to trust myself and my abilities to create meaningful art.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

While not exactly a book related to entrepreneurship and artist management, the book “The Creative Habit” by Twyla Tharp greatly impacted my view of art. I was first introduced to this text in college while studying art therapy. It brought into perspective the therapeutic capacity that art has, especially when things can be so difficult to express verbally these days. For me, I often struggle to find the words for what I’m feeling. This book helped
shape the foundation of how creative
expression can truly help change your outlook on life through its therapeutic benefits, even when you aren’t particularly trying to create for any other reason than enjoyment. The art of creating is much more of a gift than we sometimes believe. Its capacity for healing and reflection is truly priceless.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sites.google.com/view/lunamovas/home
• Instagram: @levinxart
• Other: Linktree: linktr.ee/levinxart

Image Credits

All images and work shown are created and shot by myself, Hannah Levin.