We were lucky to catch up with Maureen Kerr recently and have shared our conversation below.

Maureen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Sometimes what initially seems like a setback turns out to be a stroke of luck. In December of 2019, I left a job and career that I had spent over 30 years learning, cultivating and practicing. My departure was unplanned, but I decided to enjoy the holidays, spent several weeks traveling overseas, and then came back to…yes…the COVID pandemic. The unexpected quiet time, away from my usual hectic day-to-day schedule gave me the opportunity to reassess my goals and recalibrate my thinking. I decided not to return to what had been, up until then, my steady and stable career. I needed a fresh start, something new, something to bring new energy into my life! I wanted to reconnect to my creative self; that inner child who could do whatever she wanted to do. And that is where my artistic journey began.

I began experimenting with soft pastel, colored pencil and watercolor. Then I decided to get serious and enrolled in a nearby community college where I completed an educational curriculum in Art History and Studio Arts. While I worked on my college courses, I had the opportunity to tutor art history and provide teacher assistant services to several professors at the college. I also joined a number of art associations in the greater San Diego area, entered juried shows, exhibited my art at selected galleries, and worked a few hours a week helping one of those galleries hang their shows. I participated in art walks in Little Italy, Liberty Station and Carlsbad. I also managed to get my website up and running!

I continue taking workshops and classes and surrounding myself with other creatives. I completed the Mentorship Program at Art on 30th last year. When I was offered an opportunity to teach classes at Art on 30th, I was thrilled to be able to share some of what I learned with other students.

Looking back now, leaving my former career presented me with an opportunity I never expected to get. Sometimes you need a little push over the edge to make a change or take a risk that, at the time, you didn’t realize you needed or wanted. I never thought I would have a “second career.” I’m early in my artistic journey, so I’m still evolving. I think I will be perpetually evolving. That is one of the things I love about creating art. You can modify, change, evolve, improve, and learn. It’s all very exciting!

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 back background and context?

Having experimented with various media, I found my artistic passion with acrylic paint and mixed media. I love using vibrant, saturated color, bold line, and distinctive shapes. I describe my work as representational abstraction with an occasional foray into complete abstraction. I often work with a reference (generally a landscape or floral), but without a concrete plan, preferring intuition and bold vibrant colors to guide my hand. Traveling and sports adventure have always been a big part of my life and it’s where I draw much of my inspiration. Whether hiking in Sedona, taking a gondola ride in Venice or just enjoying the local scenery, I see color everywhere.

For those who purchase my original work, it is often about connecting with a memory, a place they’ve been or want to go, or simply to add a touch of color and vibrancy to their home. In addition to my original work, I have prints or giclées available, so clients are able scale a piece of art to meet their space and budgetary needs. My goal as an artist is to bring some of what I see to life on canvas, so art lovers and collectors can share my journey with me. I continue to be thankful and humbled when my work gets accepted into shows and clients and collectors purchase my work.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I don’t know if this is as much a story about resilience as it is about how my thinking helps me overcome self-doubt and insecurities whenever they occur…and they do occur. My co-workers and friends have called me a risk-taker when it comes to career moves that I’ve made in my life. I don’t consider myself a risk-taker, though. I have long term goals, and I have an idea of what steps I need to take to get there. That is all you need to know…your long-term goals broken down into steps…and not necessarily in any particular order. Take a step or two and then get out of your own way. I tell people not to think about it too much. As the saying goes “just do it.” Overanalyzing leads to self-doubt and insecurities and that leads to paralysis.

I didn’t plan out my progression all that much when I decided I wanted to be a painter. I took a step, then a second and a third. And I asked a lot of questions. It’s amazing what opportunities present themselves when you keep moving and putting yourself out there. That is really how I progressed so quickly in my artistic journey. Do I feel vulnerable sometimes…yes! I have accepted opportunities at times that I have no idea how to do, but I figure it out. I also ask myself “what is the worst that can happen?” Maybe failure is the answer, but that’s okay. It’s the definite answer you get, if you don’t try at all.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I have found so many rewarding aspects to being an artist. The process of creating itself is rewarding. I can get bored easily, but I never get bored painting. I can always put aside what I’m working on and create something new. People loving your work enough to invest in it and put it in their homes is another. But most of all, I have to say the creative community has been wonderful. I have met so many supportive people who energize me and keep me going. Their creativity and artwork inspire me every day. Coming from the corporate business world prior to this, it is truly a different world. It can be competitive at times, but it is still kinder and gentler.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.mlkerrart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mlkerrart, https://www.instagram.com/maureen.kerr