We were lucky to catch up with Linda Storm recently and have shared our conversation below.

Linda, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

When the lightning bolt of a goddess struck me as a child while I was drawing her likeness.

In reality it was nothing so striking. Although something magical did awaken in me as a child. I remember the scent of the oil paint, the feel of the brush in my hand, the delight of seeing the colors smeared onto the canvas. Every part of my 3-year-old body was immersed in the experience.
After I left the scene, I heard my father shout, “What happened to my painting?!”

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 background and context?

Alden, New York was a farm village that became a safe haven for slaves during the Civil War. My Summers there were spent outside in the lush meadows, creeks, and forests, watching spiders spin webs and finding fossils. The night sky was my forever ceiling. I was full of wonder. Inside, during the long winter months, I loved to read enchanting stories about powerful goddesses. Whenever I had blank paper, which was rare, I drew the divas I imagined in those tales. To me, fairytales and myths were as real as my discoveries in the natural world. I was 13, when my mom married my step dad, a fabulous artist. Suddenly, I was surrounded by more art supplies than I’d ever seen. He taught me painting techniques, and brought me to The Albright Knox Art Gallery where I saw works by the great masters. When I was 14, he booked me my first gallery exhibit, in Lancaster, New York. My paintings of flowers on barnwood sold out.

I kept learning, and creating, and giving my art away to friends. Recently someone told me they still had a collage I made for them when I was 14. I wrote these words on it:

Once in a Golden Hour, I cast to Earth a Seed
Up there came a flower.
The people said,
A WEED!

At 17 my mom told me to get a real job and start paying rent. Instead, I moved out, and learned survival the hard way.

In hindsight, I now know that all of my “real” jobs led me to where I am today. Even packing pickles in a small farm factory. It was a process of elimination to rediscover who I was, what I was meant to share with the world. I had lifted a machete a few times trying to clear a new path for myself, but that never worked. I believe that what we naturally love to do as children is our gift to share. What if we all gave what we love about ourselves?

My move to Santa Fe, New Mexico opened up new vistas, geographically and consciously. Art was considered a real and respected profession. People began purchasing my art. I remember when I first sold a painting for more than a thousand dollars. It was an exchange that bridged the gap between hobby and profession. I even practiced saying, I am an artist, so I could say it with confidence. My life as an artist was beginning to flow.

My first solo art show was like that dream we all have where we are naked walking down the hall in high school. I realized I was sharing my most vulnerable self with the public, because my art is me.

I began to submit to exhibits and received plenty of no-thank-you responses. I’ve read that I wasn’t supposed to feel personal rejection, but I was never good at “supposed to” and it WAS personal. A few unkind thoughts stayed with me. There were plenty of other places to submit, so I kept trying. I’ve never been good at giving up either. I felt I was worthy, and curators and jurors are often the people who decide if an artist is accepted or not, and I wanted my art in their eyes.

A few years later, I received an invitation to debut my paintings of Divine Women in Italy. I titled my show The Feminine Almighty. At the opening, I was surrounded by Italian speaking guests, eager to see my work. Not knowing their language, I trusted my art to speak for me. People sought me in the crowd to give cheek to cheek kisses, and say Complimente! A man told me I was a misteriosa femina, and winked. Another woman stood before my painting She Holds the Key, for a very long time. I saw tears sliding down her cheeks. She explained to me her own personal meaning she derived from my art, one that I had no intention of conveying when I painted it.

The experience was confirmation to me, that art is a language.

I love to collaborate with other creatives, and have accepted commissions to create murals, album covers, and stage projections.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Ruminating about the lack of equality, the disrespect for Mother Nature, the abuse of power, and the smugness of privilege, forces me into gloomy contemplation. That’s when I ask myself, how can I be the change? It is there that I find my story, and inspiration.

My paintings are parables about how human beliefs affect gender roles, social structures, and political power. They are visual conversations about the restoration of balance, and connection. I explore surrealism in my work, and recently my writer friend Judith Fein called my style Mythical Realism. Both fit.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had two major pivots in my life as an artist. I was a Montessori teacher when I was invited to exhibit in Italy. I chose Italy. I am still called to substitute teach. I love working with kids, their honesty knows no bounds. I also love encouraging creativity. So much so, that my art studio evolved into an art space for other creatives. It held 24 people, but we often squeezed in more than forty. I hosted all kinds of events, for famous people and yet-to-be-knowns, from all over the world. People formed lines around the corner to get in. Everyone loved that it was unpretentious and meaningful, and I learned that holding space (literally) for others, gave me a warm fuzzy feeling.
Then, in March 2020, the Governor ordered businesses to close. During my time at home sheltering from the pandemic I woke up with an idea, and shared it with my husband in the morning. I am in the process of manifesting it now. We are selling our home to renovate an old adobe house we purchased in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It will be The Stormhold-a haven for creative cultural compassion, and house my art studio, an event space, retreat center, and a radio studio for my husband, Gary Storm, and his massive record collection. His radio show is broadcast globally, and worthy of a Rolling Stone Magazine interview.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lindastormart.com/
• Instagram: @stormartist
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaStormArtistEntrepreneur
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindastormart/
• Other: https://www.thestormhold.com/

Image Credits
Photo of Linda Storm by Gary Storm