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

Hi MicKey Patrice, thanks for joining us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

I have Autism and OCD (among other things) so the idea of being misunderstood has always been a huge fear of mine. However, I make a lot of abstract and nonrepresentational work and in that realm of working comes a lot of mischaracterisation. I think it has gotten easier over time for me to be okay with being “misunderstood”. As I create more works and delve further into the art world, I have become used to being misunderstood. Not to say that my work is often misaligned but moreso that every person is going to take something different from my work and I had to learn to accept that as a truth of life.

MicKey Patrice, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is MicKey Patrice Schmidt and I am a visual artist. My main focus over the past 5 years has been completing my BFA in Ceramics (which I graduate with in December of this year!). My art seeks to heal the rips of my mind. The process of artmaking is very important to me. I find that the actual art making is more important to me than the finished product. I love the works I create and I am so happy with how they turn out (most of the time) but often that finished product is not on my mind while creating. Creating is all about catharsis for me. I find that the pieces I have made while processing some heavy stuff in my personal life, become the ones that I love the most. That is to say, the most of me goes into those pieces.
I am proud of the growth that I have gone through over my years at University. I started uni with a very pessimistic worldview, a shallow understanding of myself, and wayyyyy less diagnoses. Now, as I am leaving uni, I understand myself and the world better, I understand my art better, and I understand what it takes to be me.
When I go to create something, I must first reach into the depths of my mind to begin to process my emotions and my fears. In my 2D works, I often incorporate text/handwriting. This text always comes from the top of my mind. It is sometimes themed to a specific experience or time of my life but I always make sure to write what I am truly thinking, not a watered-down or ‘edited’ thought process. These words then get covered up by drawings, paintings, more words, mixed media, etc.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is being able to release my inner thoughts and feelings into a creative outlet. I find that at times when I am not creating, I go through so much more inner turmoil and have no way to express it. It becomes hard for me to talk to my friends and family and even express how I’m doing (even if I am doing well). In periods of my life when I have been creating a lot, all of this becomes easier for me. I suddenly can say how I feel, I don’t feel as much guilt about taking time for myself, and most importantly I remember to tell people I love them. That. That’s the best part of creating art. Being able to understand myself enough to articulate it to others.

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

The hardest part to understand about my process as a creative artist would probably be my brain. I know that’s a very vague answer but I’ll try to explain. With my autism, OCD, ADHD, depression, anxiety, etc, my brain is always going a mile a minute. Thoughts are racing and whirring past my eyes all the time. I imagine crisp, vivid imagery in my brain. I can imagine anything I put my heart to! I have an Aunt who I recently found out can do none of this. Yes, she has thoughts and feelings but none of her brainscape is visual to her. She cannot picture a cow doing jumping jacks (I can). She cannot envision an art piece and then create it. She must take it one brushstroke at a time. Because she has no other choice. I know many of us visual artists are this way, where we can visualise anything we want at any time but upon learning that there are people out there who cannot do this, I have come to accept it as a power of mine.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mckennapsart.com
• Instagram: @yicchy.mickey

Image Credits

Ren Sibley (personal photo)