We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Max Paulin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Max, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Working and studying as a visual artist, the thought of being happy with my work crosses my mind often. I think it’s difficult to allow yourself space to enjoy your work and have pride in it when you are constantly working and critiquing what you make. What I’ve learned though is that when I am truly uncomfortable or unfamiliar with what I am making, I tend to be a lot happier as I work through the process. I had this feeling most recently when I sculpted a piece featuring drywall and wood, which required a much different process than drawing and is very out of my wheelhouse. The feeling of working on such a physical object and having to change my perception reminded me of the joy of creating, and to me that joy is creating something you didn’t know you could.

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?

I am a university student earning a degree in fine arts, while printing and selling my work through local venues. I have been drawing for my whole life, with a background in illustration now working in painting and installation. I am interested in what gets forgotten, and the many overlooked details everyday. My work revolves around concepts of presentness, memory, and loss, where I reclaim spaces and emotions previously lost through my process of working. The visual language I have is fast and temporary, being comprised of many many lines that come together as an intricate and specific point in time. Often I will make work about mundane and unimportant moments in effort to put them on a pedestal, both for the viewer to see the depth in what is forgotten, and so I can pay proper time to it.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had always been under the impression that art making was about careful planning and knowing what mark you will make, where now I am learning that the faster you make mistakes and changes the easier it becomes to make what you want. Almost always you will be able to edit and erase, so having the confidence to make ‘bad’ lines is really great!

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

As with most things in life connecting with people is always the best. Finding other people that get excited about your work and hearing new ideas is so rewarding and everyone has such amazing perspectives! Being able to hear strange opinions and ideas about art is also super enjoyable and I find it’s a great connector!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://maxpaulin12.wixsite.com/portfolio
• Instagram: mpaulin.art