We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sydney Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sydney, 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.

As someone who is not naturally a risk taker, my art making journey has become the very thing propelling me to grow in this area. Art continues to be an unavoidable theme and desire in my life that I just can’t shake. Pursuing it full-heartedly is perhaps one of the biggest risks I’ve taken thus far and is the very journey I’m stepping into.

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?

Other than having a desire to make art my entire life, I received my Bachelors degree in Fine Arts in 2018. For the last five years I worked in the non-profit world where I experienced incredible individual growth opportunity, built an incredible community, and was able to participate in really meaningful work, all while building my art practice on the side. If I’m honest, I was never really sure that full-time artistry was in the cards for me, but this year I felt as though if there were ever to be a time to do it, it’s now. Rather than fearing the unknown, I decided to trust that the only way to fail would be to not try. My art making journey is not only an act of trust in the process, but it’s a form of rebellion for me. My art practice is the result of me choosing a risky thing and being open to the learning that comes along with it, hopefully encouraging others to do the same.

As it relates to the craft I am honing in on, I primarily am an acrylic and oil painter. While I do commissions for clients as well as Live Wedding Painting, I am drawn to creating work that explores connection as well as the layers that come with being human. I create work that is inspired by the both/ands of life and in turn hope to create an invitation for introspection for viewers. My paintings are often inspired by my film photography, a patience-inducing practice that naturally slows me down and allows me to savor a moment captured – a practice that is really rare in our world today.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I’m sure these goals will evolve over time, but right now my goal is to create work that I care about and find to be earnest. If I am creating from a place of sincerity and conviction, I trust that there will be people who connect with the work.

With this being a risk filled and fairly new journey of my own, my goal is to make a lot of work that I care about because I think that process will be a cathartic one that I won’t ever regret initiating. Aside from my own relationship to this process, my goal and mission is that I’ll be able to create work that welcomes all people. If people can appreciate the beauty of a piece, feel encouraged or challenged by it, or leave just feeling grateful that it exists, I’ll be happy to have spurred on a moment of connection. My goal is that I’ll be able to cultivate spaces of community and connection as a result of making a body of work. There’s the art that hangs up on a wall and there’s the art that happens in a room when people are all looking at the same thing. My goal is to be able to create and make space for both.

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

I would say I currently am on a journey of unlearning. To an extent, we probably always are, as I think unlearning is an important part of refining our perspective. I think a refined, yet broadened, perspective is a side effect of growth.

That being said, I’ve learned over the last few years how my wiring is often rational and logical when it comes to assessing risk. Simultaneously, I am a creative who values expression and longs to pursue an unconventional source of employment. For the longest time, pursuing art-making as a career felt irresponsible because it felt unreliable. There isn’t a road paved for you to follow in this work. At times it feels like you’re the one clearing the brush yourself. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a responsible choice, but it does mean that this is a journey that is uniquely yours.

I’ve finally gotten to a place in my life where I am not afraid to do something imperfectly or have to figure it out because I know I’ll love the work I’ll be doing. Like any job, there are days that are harder than others, but unlike any job, art-making is the very thing that fills my soul and ignites passion. If I could name that which I am unlearning, I think it would be the belief that predictability equals responsibility or that taking risks equals irresponsible. Obviously this varies person to person and what risk might mean, but for me, I feel priviledged to be in a place where I can choose art-making for as long as it makes sense to. I believe so deeply that I am supposed to make art. Just because this pursuit won’t look like other 9 to 5’s, it doesn’t mean this journey isn’t worth doing or that it won’t be successful. All I can do is continue to make work that is earnest and commit to being a learner in this process.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.sydneysmithart.org
• Instagram: @sydney_smith_art

Image Credits
Bethany Moore LaJoy Lewis Heather Crouse