Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lindsay Dyess. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lindsay , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents never made me feel like I was less than for wanting to pursue a career in art. They never tried to talk me out of it or tried to convince me to do something that would bring in more money-honestly I never heard them say one negative thing about pursuing a career in art. As a child my mom always took time to do crafts or fun activities with me and my sister and as I got older my dad would let me use space in his garage to do photoshoots with my high school friends. Once when I was a teenager, I found a bath tub at a thrift store and I wanted to buy it to put in our yard and take photos with my friends. I called my mom and without hesitation she drove my dad’s truck down to the store and helped me load it up and take it home. From the museum trips to the art supplies, my parents’ always took the time to make sure my creative needs were met, and I will always be grateful for that.

Lindsay , 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?

When I was in college and I was starting to think about what I would do with an art degree after college, I had this thought that no matter what I did, I wanted to make sure I was helping other artists to reach their goals. I was working fulltime at a coffee shop and creating in my art studio at night to sell work online or at festivals, but it wasn’t very fulfilling. Several years after I graduated college, I starting volunteering for a small, local non-profit art center. Over a decade later, I am now the art center’s business manager and director of the gallery and art education classes. Not only do I work with teaching artists on a daily basis helping them realize their goals, I also have the opportunity to teach my own fiber arts and printmaking workshops to kids and adults. My job was on of those blessings in disguise. I can honestly say that this is what I was born to do. I get to work with other creative people every day and I get to share the joy of art with the community.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Not everything is for everyone. I think that if someone doesn’t understand your work, they think it is useless. I don’t understand football, but millions of people love it. It’s the same way with creating art. I know each year art programs are the first to be cut from schools when they don’t have the funding, and it’s a shame. Kids need art. Adults need art. Communities need art. It is frustrating to try to convince people that art can be as important as sports. Communities can benefit from an art center as much as a baseball field. I think it will always be a struggle to convince people that art is important. You can learn discipline, problem solving skills, critical thinking, confidence, self expression…so many things that help us grow as people.

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

I think the best thing society can do to support artists is just to show up. Buy a ticket to that concert, go to art festivals, go to gallery openings, follow an artist on social media, buy something weird to hang on your walls to stare at…just do something. When thousands of people show up to an art festival in a small town, that has major impact on the economy for that town. You might be able to spend hundreds of dollars at an artists booth at a festival, but you can spend a few dollars here and there and that adds up. Maybe you can’t do either of those things, but you can like and share an artists post on social media. You might not be able to do a lot to support an artist, but something is better than nothing.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsaydyess_art/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindsaydyessart
• Other: https://lindsaydyessart.etsy.com

Image Credits

William Yarbrough