We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Phyllis Shenny. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Phyllis below.

Phyllis, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Is there a lesson you learned in school that’s stuck with you and has meaningfully impacted your journey?

I studied all the art classes in my High School and then went to Parson’s School of Design. I learned a lot and graduated with a BFA degree in Communications Design and worked in ad agencies starting at the bottom and up to art director. Eventually I started working independently and ran my own design studio. I had some success for over 20 years when I retired to raise my family. However i never felt the confidence in myself as an artist that I later developed years later when I started to do digital photography and artistic editing. I can’t say there was one lesson. There were many or maybe it was the “whole ball of wax” as they say. When I started doing my own art just for the love of the art I started to put in many creative hours. At first I was just playing and didn’t take myself seriously. I was creating art for two years when I finally hit me that I was a professional and had a degree in this. When i started getting recognition and winning awards and getting into juried shows, I realized that many of the lessons we learned in Parson’s from the amazing pros who were the instructors had come to the surface. Yes I had used many of these lessons while in my design studio but this felt different. As a designer I was trying to please a client. Here I was only creating for me. And it took a friends compliment on my work to stop and actually see how much of what I had learned some 40 years earlier found their way to the front of my brain, or my soul, to create these images. The lessons in compostion, color, texture, light, concept, style and more. The fascinating part of this was it was totally instinctual. It just reflected itself in my art without a thought about it. Creating for oneself is different that doing a commissioned job. When you design for yourself there are no restrictions beyond your tools and capabilities. I always took the route of learning something new and then forgetting about it and just creating or playing as I prefer to call it. This took on a very relaxing and healing tone. I started teaching in the Cancer Support Community what I learned from this to help others relax with creativity. This part I didn’t learn at school. I wish I had. I think I would’ve been happier in my work. The lesson I learned in school? Look at the world as an artist. See the art in everything. I think when i learned this originally i could appreciate it, but maybe forgot it until I put in the hours creating.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I got into design after being into art my whole life. I got into fine art photography when cell phones started to have cameras, even before the IPhone. I had a little flip phone and was bored on a drive in the rain. ( no i wasn’t driving). I started taking photos out the window and the color and low resolution created an interesting effect and I started editing them in Photoshop and printing them. People really liked them and that’s how i started. I discovered so many IPad apps that did various effects and spent a lot of time learning them and playing with them. People buy my art at shows, online in person so I haven’t really done much commission work. I have done a few. I think my photography and what i do with it sets me apart. But many artists can say that. The fact that I am committed to helping those impacted by cancer is what I have beyond the rest. I am very proud of the work I do with Cancer Support Center and happy we made it continue ( virtually now) though the pandemic. On a more personal level I am so proud of being accepted into The NAWA, The National Association of Women Artists, which is the oldest women’s art association in the country. Being that i still do design and branding, I am now able to use my own art when appropriate for a brand. I have always loved doing logos and still do them I designed a logo for a restaurant in Manhattan and its still in use on the store sign even though the owner has changed. When i do a job for a client i make sure to get to know them and their product or brand so I can create something that really tells their public who they are in a positive way to create interest. With fine art its different. I do choose more knowingly what to exibit, what to enter in a show and what to offer for sale. These aren’t always the same. My marketing background has taught me this. I create instinctually and visually. Although my branding work is pretty conceptual, my artwork is more for visual appeal. Sometimes it comes out with some other meaning and thats nice but not really intentional. I want the viewer to enjoy seeing it. I want it make them feel something (positive). I believe art should raise people up.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

There are different philosophies in building morale in a business. I believe in building people up and encouraging them. I think incentive to do well like higher pay or bonus or perks is good but mainly acknowledging a person’s strengths to them and supporting them to learn more and advance. Giving them the confidence to work hard. Some competition is good but we should compete with ourselves to achieve what we think we can and I believe in helping people do that.

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

So many confidence building things today tell you you can do anything and I subscribed to such business and personal ideas. I have learned that isn’t so and that’s a good thing. We can strive for anything but I believe we all have a purpose and when we are true to that purpose along with our ability we do well. Life is hard but everything doesn’t have to be the struggle we tell ourselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.artnsoul.biz
• Instagram: @Phyllis_Shenny_Art
• Facebook: Art & Soul
• Other: I am featured and my work is sold on TurningArt.com and MadeandCurated.com search Phyllis Shenny on those sites

Image Credits
Photo of myself by Photographybysky.com; Kat Cioffe Yannalfo, NJ I imposed it on my artwork