Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tracy Holt. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tracy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

Recently leaving my full-time corporate career to pursue art full-time. Historically, I would describe myself as fairly risk averse. Always following the rules and safe path that we are ‘supposed’ to follow in life…graduate high school, go to college, get a full-time job based on the major you graduated with and the list goes on. Never would I have thought I would have the courage to veer from that ‘secure’ path. After years working at a large corporation in a creative field, feeling more and more burnt out, I decided it was time to make a major change. I had been creating some sort of art ever since I could remember and had recently created a website and began selling my artwork alongside my full-time career. When the pandemic hit, I dove even deeper into my art and had more time to do so. In 2022 everything aligned and I was fortune enough to take the leap full-time into my art practice.

Tracy, 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?

I am a minimalist, abstract artist based in the midwest. Since I can remember, I’ve always been sketching, drawing, and creating. I studied interior design at Indiana University and practiced as a designer at a commercial firm, specializing in healthcare design. From there, I represented Knoll and Herman Miller furnishings throughout the midwest. Falling in love with the art and design of the modern masters I represented, Harry Bertoia, Eero Saarinen, Mies van der Rohe, Charles and Ray Eames…and the list goes on. Throughout my corporate career I continued painting. Eventually creating a website and social media page to display my abstract, minimalist paintings and in 2022 having the ability to pursue my art career full-time. Throughout my work, I love experimenting with shape, color (or lack of color), and texture. Creating minimalist abstraction with depth and movement. In a chaotic world, my goal is to create visual order. Painting to me is a form of meditation, working towards a sense of calm and quiet.

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

‘Find Your Artistic Voice’ and ‘Art Inc.’ both by Lisa Congdon were two books that really helped at the very start of my professional art career and I continue to reference. ‘How to be an Artist’ by Jerry Saltz is a great read for any creative and another one that I keep in my studio and go back to often.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect for me is putting a piece I have created out into the world or creating a specific piece for a client and hearing what that piece means to them. I’ve received some of the most moving notes from collectors after they have received one of my paintings. Not having any expectation that something I’ve put my time and heart into would evoke any sort of emotion from another, only to find out that it has brought meaning into their lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tracyholtstudio.com
• Instagram: tracyholtstudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-holt-54352829/