We recently connected with Laurie Neilsen and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Laurie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I’ve known since at least fourth grade that I wanted to be an artist of some sort. That’s when I got my first camera, a little point-and-shoot novelty that shot 110 film I had to mail away to get developed. I declared then, at nine years old, that I wanted to be a photographer when I grew up. I was lucky enough to work at a catalog company as the resident photographer and graphic designer for about 20 years until we were sold to a competitor.

I actually went to college for fine arts, and I didn’t get my first SLR or DSLR camera until after I became a catalog photographer. I didn’t take a single photography class in school, instead learning everything I know about that and graphic design the hard way, on the job.

When I finally sat down to write a novel, I made my main character a photographer with a similarly unorthodox career path. She’s a reflection of me in many ways, and everyone who knows me who’s read it has said they can see me in her.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

The saying goes “write what you know”, and one of my friends said, “I do want to call you Alice now” after reading Down the Rabbit Hole. I may have put a bit much of myself into my first novel, but I hope that makes it more authentic.

I was born and raised in coastal Connecticut, and the first book in my Liminal Spaces series, while being about faeries and folklore, is also a love note to my neighborhood of Black Rock in Bridgeport. It’s a vibrant place full of lovely shops and restaurants, and I feel privileged to live so close to the shore.

Many teachers and professors told me over the years that I should be a writer, but I didn’t have a story to tell until now. I’ve been a photographer, a graphic designer, a visual artist, a musician, and so many other kinds of creator. I just hope other people enjoy reading Alice’s adventures as much as I’ve enjoyed writing them.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

There’s a program in Ireland right now that provides monthly basic income to artists with no strings attached. It was a pilot program for the last three years, and it’s now being made permanent for 2,000 Irish residents due to its success. Without the constant worry about how to pay bills, they can freely create art and thrive. That’s what society should do to support artists.

The church used to spend much of its obscene wealth on elaborate works of art, like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the rose windows in Notre Dame. Artists were hired by rich patrons to paint their portraits. We don’t see that anymore. Now you have to sell yourself on social media and grow your own following, being a publicist, accountant, and manager, while trying to stay creative and possibly work a full-time job that’s completely unrelated.

Money isn’t real. It’s numbers made up by banks and governments to trade like Pokemon and decide who gets to be important. They can decide at any time to take care of vulnerable people or let them starve. If every country supported artists the way Ireland is now trying, we could have a beautiful, vibrant society.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect for me is when someone else holds up something I made and says, “Look at this!” When they use a great photo I took of them as their online profile picture or tell other people about my book, it makes me feel so good. I love it when people hype my work.

I have a painting my friend Sarah painted in my living room, and I look at it every day. I hope she knows how special it is to me. I took a group photo of a few of my friends in a show several years ago, and I had it printed as a poster for each of them. Seeing it framed and prominently displayed in their houses was one of the best feelings in the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://author.laurieneilsen.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laurie_neilsen_author/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61581295896168

Image Credits

Cover design by GetCovers