We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Maja Lorkowska-Callaghan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Maja, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
The short answer is: yes, I’m very happy as a freelance artist and writer. Although, as I’ve only recently decided to pursue this path full-time, I may still be in the honeymoon phase! I’m very lucky to have started with a few projects on the go, which makes me feel like I’ve made the right decision but regardless of that, I’ve wanted to get to this point for a long time.
I worked in an office for ten years, while taking on creative work here and there and while some of it was commission-based, early on, a lot of it was for free. It’s no mystery that working for nothing is not great for paying the bills or boosting morale! I know exactly what it feels like to have a regular job, one that comes with the comfort of a regular salary and, if you’re lucky, you finish work at 5 o’clock and leave it behind the office door. You come home and you can do whatever you want! But what if what you want to do is… make art? You have to find ways to make the time, to weave it in around all of the chores and everyday tasks that have to be done. You find the time and energy (most of the time) to keep making and using the creative part of your brain. In my case, the regular job was a means to an end that I always hoped would lead me towards a more creative path. So I try not to look back and instead focus on the current moment when I get to live my dream, at least for now!
I now have a 14 month-old son too and this was a deciding factor in my choice not to return to my full time job. For now, my work has to happen in the evenings and during nap times, but I feel so lucky to be present for the big and little moments that happen in the first years of life, from the first steps to the daily breakfasts, walks and bath times. It works for us and I couldn’t be more grateful.
Maja, 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 have two strands to my creative practice: I’m an artist and an art writer.
As an artist, I use collage and textiles to create works that blend these two mediums, elevating two-dimensional pieces to slightly more sculptural assemblages. I usually utilise embroidery, beading, felting and punch needle alongside analogue collage. Noticing the connections between images that would never usually meet, and feeling that they can’t be pulled apart any more, is the most satisfying outcome for my collage pieces. In my choice of images I often connect themes of the sensual with the organic and natural, or simply put, people in nature.
As a writer, I am an Exhibitions Editor for an online culture magazine and have written about art for a number of publications over the years. I say art writing rather than criticism – my work ranges from more balanced previews and artists profiles to more subjective reviews of exhibitions. This part of my creative work is something I’ve continued since my time at university (where I studied art) and where I was lucky enough to come across a tutor who encouraged my efforts. Art writing has an important place in the larger field of visual arts – in a world where context is key and art can sometimes seem inaccessible, writing and interpretation become important tools in engaging with it. Rather than from providing prescriptive guides on how to read an artwork, it can offer possible ways of understanding it or triggering one’s own response. Spreading the word about current exhibitions that happen in the local area is gratifying too – anything to help people see more art, it simply makes life better!
I studied Fine Art at university, before completing a Masters in Research in Art and Design. I then had a brief break from most art-related things before coming back to making through some good decisions that became instrumental in shaping my future work. First, I attended a collage workshop with the artist Cath Rogers that reminded me how much I love this medium and how it’s the most intuitive way of creating I’ve ever encountered. Then, I got an embroidery set for Christmas and once I started I couldn’t stop.
In professional terms, I create artworks on a commission basis, from smaller collages and embroidered brooches to larger-scale work in any of the mediums I’ve mentioned as well as collaborating with other artists.
As a writer, alongside being an Exhibitions Editor, I write about art for other publications. My dream for the future is to facilitate workshops in all of these things, particularly in writing. Artists often struggle to write about their own work and the trend in current ‘art speak’ is to overcomplicate texts with long words and jargon. Art must appeal to our emotions as well as intellect and this is often missing from the way we talk about it – I’d like to be part of changing this approach. I’d love to write a text for an exhibition catalogue too, as a chance to dive really deeply and contemplate a specific artist’s work.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
In today’s world, we probably consume more art and culture than ever before yet the appreciation and respect for creatives seems at a particularly low point. This may be an issue specific to the UK but I think a lot of global creatives would agree – describing yourself as an artist or creative can sometimes feel like a dirty word that people are suspicious of or dismiss as a passing fancy. We saw a temporary change in this attitude during the pandemic, when people openly acknowledged that the hours of TV shows, online exhibitions and theatre productions that accompanied them during a difficult time, were all, in fact, created by artists. For a moment, society opened its eyes to the importance of culture in all of our lives and it was beautiful!
This kind of attitude is what we need more of today – public support for artists’ initiatives and calls for more (rather than less, as is happening now) funding for the arts in all forms. We need art so we may as well all say this out loud. Instead of comparing the importance of STEM to art subjects in education, let’s accept both as being of equal importance. Let’s encourage our children to stay creative way past infancy too – it will enhance theirs and our lives now and into the future.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I don’t have any specific resources in mind, but talking to other people is perhaps the most important thing you can do as a creative. Go to networking events, casual meetups, exhibition openings and workshops. In the online realm, reach out to people that you admire or who seem like they’re on your wavelength. This way you’ll build a little (or big!) community of people who understand what you’re going through and you can become each other’s support system. This applies to better known creatives too – there’s no harm in reaching out, the worst that can happen is you don’t get a response. Some professionals in the creative industries genuinely want to help others reach their potential so it’s worth a shot.
Artist interviews are a fantastic source of inspiration, whether it’s for practical advice on materials or more lofty concepts to keep you curious. I am a podcast lover and some of my favourites include: ‘A brush with…’ (interviews with visual artists), ‘In Haste’ (interviews with writers) and ‘Raw Material’ (arts and culture from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art).
A few years ago I discovered the London Drawing Group, a collective of artists who put on the most incredible art workshops, most of which you can access online on a pay-what-you-can-afford basis. I learned more about looking and drawing from some of their sessions than I did during my three years at university! Their tutors are incredible and I simply cannot recommend them enough: https://www.londondrawinggroup.com/.
Lastly, look outside your own discipline! Inspiration can come from anywhere so if you’re feeling stuck, do something new. You don’t have to go skydiving right away – just try a new painting technique, listen to a podcast you haven’t tried before, watch a long, slow and gorgeous art film. These simple ideas to get ‘unstuck’ would’ve saved me a lot of tears as a younger artist…
If you’re short on time and energy, remember that cooking and getting dressed are creative acts too and sometimes they’re enough!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.majalorkowska.com/
- Instagram: @majalorko
- Linkedin: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/maja-lorkowska-callaghan-b96b74100
Image Credits
Klaudiusz Lorkowski