We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Loren Means. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Loren below.

Hi Loren, thanks for joining us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

I tripped and fell into creating art by way of a vision board I made in January 2023. I took a black and white photograph, magazine clippings, paint and glitter and just let myself get lost in it. It was intended for my eyes only. I tapped into a part of my brain and imagination that I didn’t know existed and it was exhilarating. So I did another piece. And then another. I was lit up like a Christmas tree and spent most of my free time working on them.

Though they were not intended for an audience originally, a small handful of people saw them at my house and convinced me I had some kind of talent. One of whom was my sister. Never one to blow smoke, it meant the world to me that she not only thought they were “very cool” but she wanted them both to display in her home. Incredibly flattered, I was going to just give them to her. I had made many a joke that I was an “artiste” at this point and so we decided she would pay me $1 for each so I could say I was a professional artist. We both thought this was clever and hilarious.

We went to lunch days later and she brought me an envelope. The outside said “Keep Creating!” and on the inside was a perfectly crisp $2 bill. Most people consider $2 bills to be lucky but this was especially touching and meaningful to me as our late grandmother, fondly called “TuTu,” always put a $2 bill in our Christmas stockings every year. She was a very creative soul and this gesture was one of her many quirky touches that made her so wonderful.

My sister is and always has been one of my biggest champions in all things so to have her be one of the first to tell me I had something and to go for it, and fork over two, whole, hard earned dollars for a piece of me meant the world.

Loren, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I want all my pieces to be visually stimulating and thought provoking. I am constantly pulling photographs, imagery, and color pallets that grab my eye. Anything that I, personally, love looking at. Once I choose a main image to work with, the rest comes together like a puzzle with no instructions. I spend hours moving pieces around, trying different ones for fit and aesthetic. I “play” with various imagery until something clicks for me and it begins to morph into a story. I have to love the way it looks for the story to come to life.

Using a multitude of images, I create a totally new image that tells of a specific scenario or event in my life or that conveys an emotion or struggle we can all relate to. I don’t have a therapist, I have my artwork. The quiet time is the meditation I need and processing thoughts for each new story, is incredibly cathartic. Each piece is original, unique, exclusive and very personal to me.

I don’t expect anyone to be able to put together the meaning behind my work. My hope is that they are captivated by the colors and images and spin their wheels making sense of it, in a way that relates to something in themselves. That it gives someone the chance to connect and escape, the same way it does for me. That said, I’m not gate keeping! If you want to hear my story for any piece, just ask! I would be honored to share it.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I have always considered myself more of a creative than an artist. I have always enjoyed being around designers, artists, those with vivid imaginations who can see and create things that others cannot. I have worked for an incredibly talented man for over a decade. He is a true visionary and I have had the pleasure of working alongside him, helping to execute his visions and bring them to life.

Discovering my own imagination and creativity in the last couple years, has been rewarding in a way I cannot quite put into words. I still say I am a creative, not an artist. I am learning as I go. Evolving with each new creation. But the gift of knowing I can create, taking the space and time, turning off the noise and just spending time in my own imagination has been a life changer.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Get out there! Explore, connect, engage…buy art that isn’t mass produced. I’ve always felt that art should invoke a feeling or a memory. When you look at your walls, you should see something with a soul and a backstory. Something that is now personal to you.

Since picking up a paint brush 2 years ago, I have engaged with other artists as I never had before. It is so wonderful to talk to them, hear about their work, their personal lives, etc. I wish I hadn’t waited to become a part of the community to engage with it. Whether you are an artist, a creative or nowhere near that hemisphere, start engaging. Share work you see and like with your friends. It will be fun for you and support and inspire those who are creating!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lorenmeans.com
• Instagram: @lorenmeansart

Image Credits

Matt Blum Photography