Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Molly Goehring Burke. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Molly 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?
I had always been a creative child. Sidewalk chalk stains on my knees, pencil smudges on my hands– my mother always laughs when she tells me about the time she found clear tape in my hair when tucking me into bed at night. I don’t remember ever saying that I wanted to be an artist when I was young, but I knew that my love of art would always be an important part of my identity.
It wasn’t until high school, after a string of rather difficult events, that I picked up my sketchbook in earnest. Something clicked. I drew my way through Algebra II and scribbled in the margins of my History notes. I decided that I would take the “sensible” route in college and pursue art therapy; it married my drive to create to my desire to help people in the way I had been helped over the years.
Unfortunately, in some ways, and fortunately in others, I fell ill during my second semester. What started as a suspected virus blossomed into a wild goose chase of a medical mystery, and I had to put my entire life on hold. I eventually returned to my education part-time, taking one class a semester. I learned a lot, but moving at such a pace was not sustainable.
It was about a year before graduating with my Associate’s degree in Art that I decided I needed to give being an artist a try. Being unable to hold a traditional job due to my illness, I needed something that I could do from home. At least, that’s what I told myself– deeper than that, I knew that art was what I wanted. I knew that it was what I needed to do. The only thing worse than failure was never having tried at all, so I decided to try.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Molly Goehring Burke, and I am a visual artist, teacher, and curator who lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Spending my childhood in the verdant Susquehanna Valley in Pennsylvania, I grew up with a creative drive which eventually led me to experimenting with painting, drawing, and fiber art.
My work explores themes of femininity, emotion, and the human spirit. Through a mishmash of abstraction and figurative work, I take inspiration from my complicated relationship with my Catholic upbringing and the difficulties I’ve experienced with both mental and physical illness to create art that represents not only my personal experiences, but the joys and grief of the human experience. My love of color and experimentation is vital to my creative process, and I am always looking for new ways to challenge the definition of “fine art.”
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
Perfectionism is something that I am still in the process of unlearning. This may seem ironic, given the chaos of imperfections that can be found in everything I create, but I am a very “inside” person. I dwell. I ruminate. I dream. When I get an idea in my head, I have the tendency to keep it there, like an orchid on a shelf, and not let it out until I feel that it is in full bloom. It’s not uncommon for me to lie awake at night and paint in my mind, but I find it nearly impossible to get ideas from my head onto paper.
I have always felt uncomfortable with true vulnerability. Childhood bullying had taught me to be above reproach– if I had no visible fault, then I could not be criticized. My reasoning was flawed, of course, but striving for surface-level perfection became my main drive. As I’ve learned and grown, I’ve realized that living as my true self is the only way I’m ever going to make the art that I want to make and to live the life I’d like to live.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
To care for the artist, we must first care for the person. Access to medicine, food, and shelter are a must. Although some may find this idea radical, I believe that we have a responsibility to make sure our fellow beings have their basic needs met. How can the painter afford brushes when there is nation-wide price-gouging affecting every grocery store? How can the sculptor form clay when their arthritis medication is not covered by insurance, leaving them in agony and unable to properly move? I am not naive enough to believe that all of the societal issues we have can be perfectly solved by a few policy changes and the redirection of funds, but I do believe that humanity, as a whole, can do better.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mollygoehringburke.square.site
- Instagram: @mollpaints
