We were lucky to catch up with Laurie Victor Kay recently and have shared our conversation below.

Laurie Victor, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Innovation comes in all shapes, sizes and across all industries, so we’d love to hear about something you’ve done that you feel was particularly innovative.

One of the the most innovative projects that I have worked on in career began with a simple idea in my mind. It was during the winter of 2020 and I felt that as an artist and community member I wanted to come up with a way to thank healthcare workers through my creative process. I started with a digital mockup of what at the time I titled “A Bold Idea’ and sent off an email with the concept. The organization was the University of Nebraska Medical Center, a hospital that treated COVID-19 patient number one. The Healing Arts Board at UNMC, which I am a member of, immediately said they love it AND they wanted the entire project to be my work. I had total creative freedom. This quickly became a large- scale site specific commission that encompassed an 80 foot building. I created fourteen uniquely made videos- all of them very different but interacting. The videos included animations of hand-written thank you notes I had drawn to trees, seas, skies and landscapes all over the world. The 3D projection mapping of the building happened during several very cold winter weeks of 2021. The community support was immense. The reach of the work to the public continues to inspire me.

Laurie Victor, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I just returned from three weeks of solo travel in France. Traveling alone is certainly something that requires some risks, in particular with the amount of camera gear that comes along with me. Just meeting new people, navigating the many things that come up as one travels requires certain risks, even if it’s in the mere act of trusting a stranger, or oneself. After this trip I mastered driving the tiny roads of the South, manual transmission and all, definitely some risks there!

Taking risks is actually something that has come to me over the years. At a young age, I was quite fearless, jumping horses at age 7 and, skiing- both on water and snow. I watched my mom, a single mom of five kids take risks in daily life just to be a parent. Paths less traveled somehow seemed inherent to life. I’ve always loved the idea of creating something new-this requires risk as well. From starting my own business shortly after art school at age 24 to pitching what seemed like crazy ideas only to have them embraced and made a reality.

I would have to say one of the bigger recent risks I took was the creation of two bodies ofworktitled PATHOS and apothecary.Iwasinastateofsevere depression and anxiety at the time. I am not sure I even quite understand the depths of how bad it was. Now that I’m on the other side I can see so much more clearly. Turning to the creative process during darkness requires self-trust and a sense of fearlessness.

In the weeks leading up to the time in my studio, I prepared in different ways from meditation to journals, sketching and research on creative process. My colorful world was desaturated for many reasons. I hoped something would come of the production I planned. I had multiple sets in my studio and I just jumped in. Pouring myself into creativity during this time was so cathartic. I broke rules on many levels which also gave me total creative freedom; from my use of the 4×5 camera’s ground glass to the videos I captured through several lenses. The risk in being present, letting my emotions

come into my process, granted me a freedom to try new things. I am so pleased to say that it worked.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist IS being an artist. My immense gratitude for what I do has increased greatly in recent months. I love being able to experience the world through this lens. Interpreting my surroundings, understanding inner self in a deeper way, asking questions as I use my visual language to explore how each work is expressed. I love saturated color and even if someone’s inner world becomes desaturated for any reason (and I know from experience) turning to art to heal, grow and be inspired is the best thing in the world. I love connecting with other people as well. Art allows me to do this in many different ways. From the photographs I’ve created over the many years I’ve been doing this, I’ve met countless incredible people. There are so many reasons I love being an artist. I love working outside of the lines, not being boxed in to one space, trying new things. Art is a language and way for me to do this.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I think for me something I have had to unlearn and let go of is my constant perfectionism. In fact, I invented a word I call “perfectionisnt.” We live in a world that have so many expectations for women to look a certain way and to be a certain way. The visual world through social media and other outlets also puts immense pressure on all of us. Perfectionism can be helpful when making work for clients and approaching projects, but if there is not balance it can also create something that is hard to maintain. Photographing people in the studio and on location for years, I have seen how important visual image is. I’ve also been highly aware of the importance of authenticity on all ends. From the visual image to just meeting someone that is that ‘breath of fresh air.’ The imperfect edges of everything make the creative process so much more interesting. I love creating my works of formal structured Parisian trees. Sometimes I see the branch stretching through the edge now. I love that growth and imperfection. It reminds me of how I need to let go. All of my work is about the human spirit and how I connect with the world. Perfectionism gets celebrated often, but for me now I love pushing this away and getting as real as possible, even if my work feels dreamlike.

Contact Info:

• Website: laurievictorkay.com
• Instagram: laurievictorkay
• Facebook: laurie victor kay
• Linkedin: laurie victor kay

Image Credits
Laurie Victor Kay