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

Martyn , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I have appreciated and loved art all my life. I love creativity in all its forms. I always dabbled with art and creativity, but never felt qualified to do my own “art” as a professional. Some of this was due lack of confidence, but I knew I wanted art in my life, and I always have used art as the lens through which I view life. It was my children that woke me up and made me take my role seriously as an artist. I wanted them to grow up with art as an intrinsic part of their own lives, seeing life through that lens. Having them in my life was the catalyst for making the leap to do it professionally.

My father was a preacher for many years, but he loved oil painting. He is a deeply creative soul who was emotionally sensitive to what art can do for others. As children we were all taught and learned about art and its varied and rich forms. Now, for my children to see me as an artist is very important to me as well, and I now can see why my dad said and did some of the things he did in our childhood. I firmly believe that taking this step to work creatively enriches all our lives through the experiences we have had as I became a “real” artist.

Martyn , 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 loved almost any kind of art all my life. From childhood, I remember watching art tutorials on tv, trying to replicate them, and loving to do so. Rather than taking my own art seriously, I took it for granted which was then mixed with lacking confidence in being able to see myself as an artist in anyway.

I grew up in West Virginia, USA. In the Fall of 1999, I was offered and accepted the opportunity to do a gap year in Leeds, England with a small charity. After the gap year, they hired me as staff, and I worked for them for 20 years. This was primarily as a content creator and designer on a small team of other designers. The years working for them were formative, helping to shape me as an artist, and I will always be grateful for that. In 2016, I attended a 10-week course called “An Introduction to Printmaking”. I absolutely fell in love with traditional printmaking. During that course, I learned about West Yorkshire Print Workshop (WYPW) where I could take more classes and use their facilities to continue printmaking. I loved the workshop and soon became a member. The staff that worked there were down to earth and helpful in encouraging my work as an artist and printmaker.

Through all this time, people commissioned me to draw things for them and I would sell some of my work that I loved. In 2017, I made a children’s alphabet book for my kids, and it was then that I really started to pick up more sales and interest from others who wanted to buy or invest in my work.

On a much deeper level, I was becoming more conscious of the effect that my art could have on my children, and I knew that I wanted them to grow up with a lifestyle where art was not only important, but where all of life was lived and viewed through the lens of art. My wife and I deliberated about me taking the leap to become freelance for about a year until in October 2019, I left my 20-year career working for the charity and started doing freelance work.

Various artists and friends were key to helping me find steady work, and I landed a couple jobs illustrating for a small publishing company as well as picking up other work with my video and photography skills.

March 2020 came along and COVID did, too. It was a scary time for us as a family as a lot of work dried up for me due to people being worried about their own trials and what COVID brought with it. I did a lot of art shows before COVID, and those were suddenly gone as well. I had to look for part-time work just to make ends meet, and I still do currently work part-time for a homeless charity in Leeds, UK.

At the time of writing, I currently get a number of commissioned jobs through the illustration of children’s literature. These are usually hand drawn and then edited in Photoshop. I have done a number of titles for a small publishing company in Scotland and was recently chosen to illustrate a book for a philosopher in the United States. I have done a number of illustrative works for individuals and small companies when I am not busy working on bigger projects. I love working on bigger projects with clients and have benefited greatly from being able to illustrate books professionally.

In my personal work, I love working in traditional printmaking. At the moment, this is in the form of Linocuts, and I am currently working on a second alphabet book for my children. I currently sell my first alphabet book on my Etsy site, through a few local retailers, and at art shows all over the country. I love the art of printmaking and all it entails, so I sell limited editions of prints I have made, but I am currently focused on making prints for this new book. Both books are and will be self-published, however I sell versions of the letters and animals from the book as individual prints as well. I am hoping to have my new book finished by the middle of the year. This all ties into what I was saying about art being an intrinsic part of our lives, and I have plans to do more with my printmaking after I finish this project.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding thing for me is that people see value in my work as a professional artist. I know that sounds obvious, but from being a young kid, I have always loved how people encouraged me in my work and believed in me enough to make art a viable, living and breathing thing.

When I see people investing in my work, whether that is through buying my work at an art show, seeing my work and then asking to hire me to do something for a loved one, or when a company hires me to do a commission for a much bigger project, I always, always feel a deep sense of pride and gratitude, that people are willing to invest in the work that I do. Even when people just love and encourage me to keep doing the work, it is deeply rewarding to me and helps me to carry on as an artist.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I have come across people who ask me what I do and when I tell them I am a freelance artist, they have said “Oh, yeah, but what do you really do?” And it can be hard to not say, yeah well, actually, I am a support worker as well. In one way, I struggle with the fact that I need a part-time job to make ends meet, but then again, I have three kids and a mortgage, and my priority must always be my family. Also, my part-time job is amazing and fulfils and enriches my life as an artist.

I always have to remember the quote “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” I have had my fair share of ups and downs with my role as a professional artist, with COVID and having a family and all that that entails. But, I am also grateful for this amazing life that has enabled me to be fulfilled through my love and work as an artist.

I think that (some) non-creatives love the idea of living the life of a creative and view that in a romantic way, but they often struggle to understand it’s as hard work as any other role or job you apply yourself to for financial stability. I feel the arts has always had this problem. When people get upset that I don’t just draw something for free, cause “it’s so easy for me,” I always must remind them that this is actually my livelihood as well.

Of course, this isn’t always the case and to be honest it’s an attitude that is quite rare, however it does happen. I do think raw talent can only take you so far, and I really think a good work ethic is essential for people to understand any role for an artist. Either way, I love that people engage with me over my art and work either positively or negatively. In more ways than one, I have an amazing support network of people who back me and encourage me to keep going as well.

Letting people know that it is much bigger than a hobby is something I love and feel grateful to be able to share. I am not there yet either! I have so much to learn and so much more to do and I know that my work needs work! However, I mustn’t let that stop me from doing any work, so I keep pushing, playing, being curious, working and trying my upmost to enjoy the process and all its richness along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.xomartynxo.com
• Instagram: @xomartynxo
• Facebook: @xomartynxo
• Twitter: @xomartynxo

Image Credits
xomartynxo Diane Houliston