We recently connected with Julie Cohn and have shared our conversation below.
The artworks shown here of Julie Cohn, Salma Arastu, Sara Frucht and Usha Shukla are part of Julie’s larger online gallery called Sustaining Arts at https://www.sustainingarts.
Alright, Julie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Taking any risk is scary, yet also exhilarating. When I’m out of my comfort zone I need to find support. That support may be only be one person, and sometimes that’s all I need. My scariest risk was to defy my family and my friends, even my husband, and to shift out of the typical routine for curing cancer.
Ten years ago I was diagnosed with first stage breast cancer. I found a couple of doctors schooled in allopathic and naturopathic medicine who understood my need to cure not only the symptoms, but the cause of my cancer. Against the warnings of all of my loved ones, I flew out of state to be with my primary care doctor and to begin a journey that would lead me to finding and pursuing my life’s true path. The weight of my family’s history through generations was cramping my ability to fully shine in this life. That was just the beginning of my own healing process and my shift as an artist.
Julie, 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?
When I was 10 years old I discovered art. If somebody asked me early on what I would I like to do in my life, without question I would respond, “I want to be an artist.” As a young adult I learned the all basics, and I enjoyed replicating what I saw in front of me. For many years that was my course. I delved into studio art and art history at UC Berkeley and California College of the Arts, and my representational and realistic artwork was shown in museums.
However, realistic artwork was not going to get me through cancer. As I strove to understand the causes of my illness, I needed to separate from a very loving yet controlling family to find my muse. Every day that I was at the healing clinic I painted abstract and representational paintings that emerged out of my imagination. I painted in a little book of watercolor paper bound in leather. Unlike my typical way of creating art, I made no studies beforehand, and this was so freeing! I would analyze each 2” x 3” painting and then give it a title that fit my daily progress and/or answered a question about my healing journey. Although I still very much enjoy painting realistically and representationally, the majority of my art is now abstract. All of my art is inspired by a universal source of consciousness.
Having taught watercolor painting and design for 24 years at the College Of Marin, I have developed a keen eye for discerning whether a painting has that “wow” factor. And when I say “wow” I don’t mean only paintings that are bright or with strong contrast. I can pinpoint the mood of art that is harmonious and unified. Even with the most quirky of art, I can hone in and discuss why it is or isn’t working.
Combining my ability to create artwork that is energetic and healing with my skill to discern the unity and harmony of any artwork hanging in front of me, I decided to offer a new online gallery called SustainingArts.com. The gallery showcases the art of four artists, including myself. Our focus is on art for health, well being and healing. We all live and create in the Bay Area, California.
I chose the name Sustaining Arts because my lesson through healing from cancer has been to take care of myself, to sustain my life and make it the happiest I can make it. I sustain my well-being by being creative and painting art that heals. Salma, Sara, and Usha are forging a similar path. Our gift to ourselves, creating in order to heal and sustain, is also a gift for everyone who buys our art. Our clientele understands how important their spaces are to them. Once they fill them with uplifting art, the art comforts them. Like a supportive being, it gives hope and faith that life is good, no matter which events attempt to darken their days.
Through Sustaining Arts, I extend my design expertise about paintings to sharing my perspectives on interior and exterior spaces, keeping in mind the many principles of design- shape, color, composition, rhythm, pattern, and line. I build relationships with individuals who need art consulting services and work with interior designers, architects and realtors to create environments that sustain all who enter them. My aim is always to listen first, then suggest solutions while respecting and honoring the goals of each client. Good communication is key in my business. As much as I realize the convenience of texting and social media, being a phone call away helps clients. I talk to them directly and often. That can be refreshing in a world where some working relationships are made without ever hearing another person’s voice.
Last and not least important, a percentage of what our clients buy from our gallery helps those with housing needs through the non-profit, Habitat for Humanity. We are not only wanting to make money for ourselves, and bring joy into the lives of others through our art, we also want to help sustain others.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being creative?
Being creative doesn’t always come easy. However, it is always rewarding. First I’ll tackle the idea of “not easy.” Some may be under the illusion that artists live the good life. I would say, for those who have their own studios, have some discretionary income, and a loving environment to come home to, the life of an artist is a pretty good one. I fall into that category. Yet, being an artist requires a lot of hard work. Any fabulous insights about techniques, materials and themes have evolved out of my life’s journey. Life can be hard, and it’s not always about whether a person has money or love in her life. For much of my life I have carried with me the fear of being persecuted, as my father is a Holocaust survivor from Germany. He is now 93. No amount of money or love could shift my fear until I faced it head on while healing from cancer. The pain that I went through to shift out of a place of victimhood to place of thriving, came pouring through my paintings that helped me heal. I feel that I have been given a gift, to feel that I can express myself, and the added benefit, to be able to create artwork that others deem as professional and inspiring. I admit it, I like to work hard. I like to work. Sometimes while I’m painting it feels like work and other times it feels like play. I’m not always happy with my results. Therefore, I really appreciate when the joy or intense feelings I exude while painting also result in artwork that others enjoy.
What is deeply rewarding for me is being able to express myself without judging. As I was healing from cancer I discovered that the act of painting was so much more important than the result. This freed me up to lay bare on paper any feelings I wanted to express. I didn’t have to show anybody my darkest work. The reward was knowing myself better and accepting myself for who I was at that moment. This is how I live my life every day. I accept myself and I love myself for who I am. I only wish this for everybody. The added benefit is that many people share the way they are moved by my art, and that moves me to keep painting. We all need support for our creativity.
My suggestion for all of us is to be supportive of anyone who is creative in any field and to emphasize the positive in what that person has created. As a teacher, I try to bring out the best in all of my students. Creativity is what holds us up and gives us that spark of light during these dark times.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
Whether we realize it or not, we are affected positively every day by the art around us. We may see that art in the form of architecture, clothing, city planning, dining, floral arrangements, car designs, interior design, artwork. We rely on art much more than we realize. If we didn’t have human-made beauty around us, including cultural events that feature our creativity, our souls would starve.
Therefore, we feed off the inspiring energy of hard working artists. Often the term ‘artist’ is applied to those who work alone in a given medium. Everyone is artistic in someway, but may not have found that path yet. For those artists like myself who have declared that they are artists, we stand out as people who are a bit different from the general crowd. That’s not such a bad thing actually. In fact, being different and unique is a good thing. I am sensitive to my surroundings in a way that some are not. Some just like to go with the flow of everybody else so they can blend in, purposely not stand out. I perform music as well as demonstrate art in front of others, so in my case, I’m a bit of a natural diva. I was born to perform. So I admit it, I don’t want to blend in all the time, even though sometimes it feels great to go with the masses. I work hard at my crafts and I would like to be acknowledged for it.
Artists and musicians put umpteen hours into their creations. Many don’t know this until they try it themselves. We need all people who are not as creative as we are to appreciate the time, effort and skill we put into our art forms. If we are acknowledged and compensated for what we do so well, everyone benefits.
Contact Info:
- Websites: www.SustainingArts.com; www.JulieCohnFineArt.com; www.JulieCohnArtInstruction.com; www.JulsSong.com.
- Instagram: @sustainingarts
- Facebook: Sustaining Arts
- Linkedin: Julie Cohn Sustaining Arts
- Youtube: Julie Cohn
- Yelp: Julie Cohn
- Other: Clubhouse: @sustainingarts
Image Credits
Jonathan Taylor
Usha Shukla
Salma Arastu
Sara Frucht
Julie Cohn