Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lelaina Scott. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Lelaina thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
It started with passion and restlessness. I had these ideas, I had this inspiration and I didn’t know what to do with it, where to put it and how to learn more. As a creative, you are your own teacher as much as you are an artist. You have to be driven to learn. Art is about seeking out people that are further along than you or are in a position that you’d like to be in some day. Once I learned to listen, my skills and my passion both grew exponentially and continue to do so. Letting go of the expectation that I had to know everything and figure it all out myself allowed me to open up. Whether you go to school for your creative practice or not, you have to learn how to educate yourself in your practice. I’m so grateful to be surrounded by other creatives, we are learning together and helping each other up in the process. As a visual artist, I often reach a point where I feel stagnant in my process or feel as though I need to take a next step and that is when I know I need to push. Pick up a new medium, grab coffee with a fellow creative or rework an old project or idea. I grew so much as person and as an artist when I realized I was responsible for seeking knowledge and learning. Don’t be scared to ask for help and to ask questions, especially from people who are further along in their career than you. Fear of rejection and loneliness and pride can often cause you to hesitate or grow stagnant in your growth. Let that go, keep going and feed your passion by learning from anything and everything.
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.
When people as what I do or what my job is, I simply say that I’m an artist. As my fellow artists and creatives know, that is such a small word for what we do. I grew up a musician, learning guitar and just taking in. as much as I could. I learned a lot of discipline from being a musician, absolutely. Around 2020, I reconnected with visual art and eventually pivoted completely to learning visual arts at the collegiate level instead of what I original went for; music. I found so much inspiration from getting to work with other artists and learn from professionals, it because of question of HOW am I going to make this work, not IF. I’ve always been drawn to portraiture, Andy Warhol was my first favorite artist and I just remember seeing his portraits when I was little and being awestruck with the expression and color. Being an artist in this day and age requires you to adapt and cover a ton of bases. For example, here are a few avenues I take as an artist: I create large concept pieces to put on display in galleries, I do smaller series to put in coffee shops and other local spaces, I instruct others how to paint, I do commissions, I do murals occasionally (I’d love to do more), I sell products with my art on them at local artist markets including stickers and cards and prints and buttons. Every day I am in awe that people out there love my art enough to take a second and look, to drop a like or comment on social media or even purchase a piece or commission a piece from me for their own space. That is something so special, I don’t have to words to truly express how much that means to artist. I am grateful every day for my community and anyone that lends a second of their time to what I’m doing over in my little corner of the world.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
Something that I often struggle to explain is how much work it truly is to be an artist or a creative in this day and age. It starts with an idea and from there, it all rests on you. The artist creates the art but they also create a social media presence, apply to shows and vending opportunities, promote themselves, setup their space, pay to apply to galleries and events, to constantly learn and sometimes ask for help. Everything rests on you, your success rests on you. No one will support you or believe in you unless you get up and keep going. You will get more “no”s than “yes”s. It is so, so rewarding but it is incredibly expressive and truly a 24/7 job. The rewards outweigh the struggles, but it takes a long time to get there. The resilience and unwavering passion of creatives inspires me every day to keep going. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The first time I saw my art bring someone to tears, it changed my whole life. The fact that people trust me to bring their ideas to life is something that I will never, ever take for granted. In a world that looks down upon creative jobs, that is full of technology and in a life that is full of factors all competing for people’s attention, when someone takes a second to look at my art and sees what I’m doing? It is a feeling beyond words. To be seen as an artist and to be given someone’s attention and hard-earned money, it is saying “I see you. Thank you. Keep going. I believe in you.” From a like on Instagram to purchasing a sticker to being accepted into an art show – it is priceless. It keeps me going. Thank you. Remember the humans behind your favorite art: television, books, movies, music, graphic design, the latte art in your cup and the kid first picking up a pencil. If you haven’t done something creative in a while, give yourself some time. The world needs you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lelainafayestudio.com
- Instagram: @lelainafayestudio
Image Credits
The first professional image of myself : James Riccardo