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

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

Being a creative professionally wasn’t always the plan. I always loved art, and I had teachers throughout my life encouraging me to continue exploring my creativity. Regardless, even at a young age I was fully convinced that it wasn’t the “smartest” option for my future. As I got older, I started attending a college preparatory school that really focused on higher education, particularly in STEM. Being the youngest of three children, I saw both my siblings go to school for STEM related fields and definitely felt that I should do the same.

For a long time I really thought that I would pursue something academic. There’s a long list of careers I considered including a veterinarian, a genetic engineer, a environmental scientist, and even a lawyer. In truth, my science and math courses were a struggle for me in high school and throughout all of this doubt, the one thing that remained constant was my dedication to the arts. Not only was I taking art courses, but I was in student government for the arts, building and painting sets for the theater department, and doing stage makeup for school plays.

I came to the conclusion that the one thing all these potential careers had in common was a desire to help others. I have always been incredibly passionate about how my actions can impact the world around me. I started exploring topics such as mental health and social issues in my work, and in that found my true passion.

My art classes became a safe haven, somewhere I knew I would enjoy myself and feel satisfied and accomplished with what I was doing and I soon realized that I shouldn’t be dedicating my life to a career that does not bring me joy. I can use my art as a way to have conversations with people around me about topics that are heavy on my own heart. I can still affect change and help others by sharing my stories and the stories of those close to me. It was clear to me at that moment that art has always been my rock, my steady guide through every phase of life.

I think the fear of accepting that I wanted to pursue a non-traditional career was the scariest part. Being in such an academic environment made me feel that my dreams were unattainable and that I should settle for something more “realistic”. Even when looking for colleges, I thought that I would get my degree in graphic design because it felt safer than what I really wanted. I still settled for illustration rather than fine arts, but I am grateful I didn’t chose something further from what I truly love.

Now that I am older and soon to graduate college, I believe that all people thrive in a creative environment. I would have been miserable had I ignored that calling to pursue what truly brings me joy. My academic upbringing has really helped my work flourish. I can use knowledge I have about other topics to create art that nods to history, symbology, or allegory. I have never doubted myself once since taking the leap of faith to commit myself to the arts. It’s not always easy and I still get scared about the risk but it is all worth it so that I can be truly fulfilled in what I do.

Maya, 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?

Currently, I am a freelance artist and muralist working in Columbus, Ohio. I work as a Gallery Assistant at Blockfort Gallery and lease an art studio there as well where I work and sell my products. My work is primarily oil painting and printmaking. I often combine expressive portraiture and graphical iconography to confront deeply personal themes and social issues. I want my work to tell a story and create a connection to the viewer. My work isn’t just about what I see, but what I feel as well. I enjoy experimenting with new ways to sell my work and offer prints, originals, tote bags, stickers, shirts and much more.

In the recent months I have found a true passion for mural painting. The mural work happened so fast. I did my first solo mural project in late March and I have now finished five mural projects and assisted on two other projects since. I really enjoy creating work that is literally part of my community. I want to continue exploring this area of the arts, and hope to make mural painting a core aspect of my work going forward.

I also really enjoy showing my work in gallery spaces. I’ve had so many incredible opportunities to show alongside artists in spaces like Blockfort Gallery, 400 West Rich, and Daylight Artist Collective. In addition, I’ve had two solo exhibitions. Those two exhibitions were a huge milestone for me and really made me feel proud of my work. Creating a cohesive body of work has been a new challenge that I’ve loved. I am currently working towards my third collection of oil paintings.

I am graduating with my BFA in Illustration and a Minor in Business from Columbus College of Art & Design in December of 2023.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I think some of the things I have heard consistently are phrases like: “What’s your real job?” or “My son loves to doodle too!”. These comments are so draining and can really make you feel like you are an imposter. Being an artist is about constantly growing and working on your practice. It is a never ending journey. When you are in a creative field, it is already difficult to get your seat at the table. When you do get that seat, people around you will still make you feel like it’s not a “real job”. I do not buy into this.

This truthfully drives me crazy. Like many other creatives, I am young and I am a student, but I am also an artist. I won’t be made to feel lesser than because someone does not understand what a career in the arts looks like. I don’t have a cubicle and I don’t have a traditional work place, but trust me when I say I am putting in the hours. The definition of success is not confined to a 9-5 office job, it looks different for everyone. It looks different for every creative in particular.

Everything around us had to be designed or created by someone. We are surrounded by the work of creatives at all times but many fail to see that connection. to me, being an artist is to put something beautiful into your world, to share that beauty with others. I am sad for people that can’t see how creatives are making the world a better place. How sad would this world would be without creatives?

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, it’s those conversations with people that felt connected to my work. I feel rewarded when I finish a piece or I get the brush strokes just right, but nothing really compares to that human connection. When I get to have a conversation with a viewer about how a painting moved them, or they share a personal story with me because of something I made, I feel so fulfilled. Even when a family walks by my mural and the kids are super excited by my painting, I feel the same way. I know my work isn’t for everyone and I totally accept that, but those moments where someone really was moved by my work always stick to me. The human connection is the most rewarding part.

The most recent example of this was at a chalk drawing event. I was drawing a Barbie design for a local event and a young girl came by who really wanted to draw with all of the artists. Her dad said something to me like “she wants to draw so bad”. I handed her my box of leftover chalk and her dad said thank you. I saw her walking around an hour later holding that box of chalk to her chest and watching everyone draw with a smile on her face. That really moved me. What I was drawing wasn’t the rewarding part, it was just being able to give something to this young girl.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mayapinz.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayapinz/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/mayapinz