We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nadia DeLane. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nadia below.
Alright, Nadia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
I’m building a legacy of authenticity, color, and storytelling. I believe legacy is a foundational key in art and business. It’s helpful for making an idea timeless and grounding one’s life. It’s wonderful to build something within a lifetime but I’d also like to have an impact that lives on. I want to be remembered for my creativity. I want loved ones to speak highly of my work and the way I made them feel. I hope I’m spoken of as witty and passionate. I hope to be remembered for who I was in relationship with others. Connections, friendships, and familial bonds give life flavor and help us grow. I want people to feel cared for, moved and inspired to take on their dreams. If my communities felt supported by my sharing, then life was a success. If my stories are retold in surprising ways, I consider that a victory.
Nadia, 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?
My name is Nadia DeLane. I’m an artist, author, and creative consultant. I design memorable experiences by drawing, painting and telling stories. My work utilizes bold colors and botánics to wield Afro futurist themes. Creatively, I allow the story to select the medium, which includes soundscapes, paintings, immersive experiences, zines, written works, and illustration.
As a consultant, I’m proud to serve as a thought partner with my clients. I’m often recommended by people in my network to craft a mission or vision for their enterprises. I bring UX expertise, visual storytelling skill sets, and art and design principles to solve creative, style, and business identity challenges. My boutique exercises identify the source of strategic challenges so that we can work together to create newly.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Everyone is creative. There are so many forms of creativity. However, if someone doesn’t consider themselves an artist, they may find it difficult to understand that the artistic journey is one of discovery. They may find it difficult to understand that we need to explore different genres, art forms or approaches. It might mean travel or research. It might take time. It’s important to respect the journey even if it looks different than one might expect. I think one of the challenges I faced as a young artist was that I tried to hold myself to standards designed by others. I often sought out respect or admiration from those who could never offer it because they had different values. I used to chase people to be noticed. Now I wait to attract aligned experiences. Once I defined my values, I respected and loved myself and my work. That made things a lot easier. Artists do the hard work of alchemizing context and conflict to create beauty for the world. This is why it’s called a gift. It’s a gift because it must be given. It’s rewarding and that’s a lot of responsibility. It’s a role deserving of honor. For artists, it may take years to understand how what you do adds value to your life and the lives of others, but the most important thing is to see the work as vital. The most loving thing anyone can do for an artist is to ask them questions about the creative journey from a place of genuine interest and curiosity.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the gift of freedom and self expression. At times, life is painful. I do believe that most of us feel deeply. The reward for that depth of emotion is the creative outlet. We have a place to put the pain, joy and emotion. I’m fulfilled when I hear how my work has impacted a person’s life. I feel acknowledged when I hear a positive story about how a session with me shifted a perspective or how my visual art inspired. It’s amazing when that happens.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nadiadelane.com
- Instagram: @delane._
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadia-delane-4a5829b8/
Image Credits
Photos – Nadia DeLane