We were lucky to catch up with Skylar Speedwell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Skylar, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Growing up, though I was surrounded by artists within my family, almost none of my peers in school were interested in pursuing art. As I got closer to my final year of high school, there was a lot of stigma surrounding applying to art schools and I was constantly asked the dreaded question of what I would be doing with a degree in photography. Even my parents, who were creative-minded, doubted my decision to apply solely to art colleges. I knew that this decision was right for me but I got little to no support from counselors at school and even art teachers weren’t very knowledgeable on application processes, etc. I decided that even if I wasn’t getting help or support from peers, family members, and teachers, that I would take the risk and apply anyway. I ended up applying to over 20 colleges all over the country, and the final choice ended up being Kendall College of Art and Design. While I’m still working through my degree, I can confidently say that what some people might consider a risky choice was truly the best decision I could have made for myself. I have flourished as an artist in this environment, found community with my peers and professors, and learned about myself in ways I couldn’t have imagined outside of the art world. Studying something I’m truly passionate about and interested in has been an irreplaceable experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for a more “practical” education.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My work is photo-based at its core, but takes many other forms. My work blends film photography, video, fiber arts, installation, bookmaking, printmaking, collage, and writing. My work largely concerns the process of grieving family through the lens of estrangement and abuse, as well as examining childhood memories. I am interested in themes of cycles, nature, and how objects pass between people and through generations. I hope that people will look at my work and feel moved by it, or that they can relate to it in some way. I hope it makes people think about the things they carry, both physically and metaphorically. At this point in my career, I’m starting my thesis at Kendall College of Art and Design, so I’m looking forward to where that work takes me and I’m very excited to be putting together a show for the coming Spring. I really enjoy what I do and I hope that people will see my work and feel inspired to explore making art themselves while investigating themes that are relevant to them.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

One book that I’m currently reading is Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland. I think it’s an integral text that every artist should read and reread, throughout any point in their career. It it very inspiring and has made me feel so much better about pursuing art, without the judgement of others. It focuses a lot on making artwork because you find fulfillment in it, not making artwork just because of the expectations of your peers, professors, friends, family, or society. Another resource that has impacted the way I think about my art is Zane Lowe’s interview with Bon Iver frontman, Justin Vernon, for their album “i,i.” Aside from Bon Iver being my favorite musical artist, Justin Vernon has always inspired me in the way that he immerses himself in his work. In the interview, Vernon says, “I wanted to have music be my job so badly, I was holding on way too tight. And when I finally was like, maybe I can’t do this, it just happened right in that moment – when you let go.” I think this is such an important sentiment to have as an artist, and though I’m not a musician, I find it relevant to my art practice as well. Similar to Art and Fear, this idea of letting your work flow freely without letting the expectations of yourself or others is so important.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me personally, the most rewarding thing about being an artist is the ability to both keep my work personal, as well as share it with others. I don’t love social media as a platform for sharing my art, so when people get to experience my work in person it is very rewarding. Whether that be an in-class critique, or an actual art show, I love hearing what people have to say about my work and how they read it. There is also something so special, though, about keeping my work personal and having certain pieces just for myself. Keeping art to myself as well as sharing it with other people are both such intimate experiences, and I love both of them. Because so much of my work is so personal and based in experience and trauma, sharing it with people can be so scary, but so rewarding, and I hope it allows people to learn a little more about me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skylarspeedwell/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@skylarspeedwell

Image Credits

Artist photo credit: Sydney Bickel