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

Jeremy, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

My interest in a creative life started early, and quite possibly by accident. It was in preschool where I had my first art lesson in a classroom setting. Prior to this, I did enjoy the yellow and blue Crayola finger paints, but now I’m at a table in a new place surrounded by strangers. Mrs. Ingamils came around to each table and handed us a sheet of paper with a circle drawn in the center. Using the provided crayons, the goal was to color inside the circle. I had no idea how serious this was supposed to be as I proceeded with my crayons. Disregarding the apparent objective of coloring inside the circle, I went all out on this sheet of paper. Thoroughly enjoying the moment, I was surprised to see the look on Mrs. Ingamils face. It was something like shock, or even horror, as she proceeded to grab me by my hand, pull me from my chair, and paddle me in front of the class. I stood in the corner while the class had nap time. It was this moment that I realized the freedom and the power of creative expression.

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?

After my profound preschool creative revelation, I continued the path throughout my childhood. Thriving mostly in, and because of, art and creative leaning classes. At this point, still not much for following the rules, I used art and creative ways to express ideas that were often considered to be mischievous. Drawing, painting, and ceramics were the readily available mediums that drew me in. There was one medium however, that dominated my interest without even realizing it until years later. The art of arranging objects for discovery and provocation of laughter.

The found object medium had always been with me. In my early 20’s I began showing found object works in smaller galleries downtown Portland Oregon. Still not quite understanding why I’m drawn to arranging “junk” as people often called it, I continued with what felt most natural for two decades before making the connection to my compulsion. Upon being awarded the Coastal Oregon Artist Residency in 2019, I realized that my fascination for these visual arrangements went hand in hand with my udder dislike for reading the written language. Dyslexia! I was baffled that it took me this long to figure it out, but this discovery helped embrace my work with a fresh perspective.

Coinciding with my Found Object works, for the past 25 years I have also designed and fabricated large scale installations along with lighted fixtures. It didn’t take much to realize that the larger and more visible my work, the more opportunity presented itself. This became a sustainable model with which I was able to raise a family with. Now that my kids are grown, I find myself creating more of a balance between larger commissions and smaller sculptural works. The beauty as I see it, is in the contrast of gratification. A large scale commission can often take up to 6 months at a time, while my smaller works can come to fruition in 10 to 15 minutes, and can quite often evoke an emotional response within its simple message.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I would say the most rewarding aspect of being creative is the freedoms. Freedom to take in the beauty of the sunrise and the sunset. Freedom to express myself however I choose. The freedom of how I spend my time. Freedom to blend work with life, and life with my work. The freedom to make money and or a living on my own terms. Freedom to follow inspiration. Freedom to make plans without having to ask for vacation time off. Freedom to choose my hours. To eat when I’m hungry and sleep when I’m tired. The freedom to spend time with friends and family.

These are all wonderful freedoms, and yes they do come at a cost. This brings me to the second most rewarding part of being creative. The cost is self discipline, but also the reward. You have to create your own world in a world that typically doesn’t understand you. No structured corporation to lean on. No 401K or guaranteed hours. No overtime pay. The learning curve can be brutal, and is often referred to as suffering, or the starving artist scenario. It’s true the saying that “necessity is the mother of invention”. To suffer in this context, is to bring self discipline in order for survival. The reward is having created a life to enjoy by overcoming the difficulties.

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.

We live in a society that has taught us the meaning of life is to make money. We see it all around us everyday. It’s often referred to as the “box”. To “think outside the box” is a term often used when referring to creative thought. In my observation, the non-creative leaning people are more often found in this box. The box of structure and organization. The box of conceived responsibility. The box that consumes a large majority of your entire life. The same box that compels you to conform, buy, consume, and digest whatever it is they want to feed you. I have found that main artery of society has a more difficult time understanding what compels someone to risk instability for the reward of creative freedom. I believe that we all have it in us to create. We can feel it pulling at us. The box tells us that we should come inside and forget all that nonsense until we retire. For the large corporation, this is brilliance. Worker bee mentality. Unfortunate for humanity on a grand scale.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.furnishcreative.com
• Instagram: @jeremyfurnishartist

Image Credits

photos by Jeremy Furnish