We recently connected with Trinette Mcdowell and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Trinette, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I have known since I was around 9/10 years old that I wanted to be an artist. I remember the thought in my head, clear as day, and the abject joy that colors, designs, and circular shapes brought me. I was in the gifted program in 5th grade and was tasked with drawing a monster with markers. I remember being in the classroom while the other kids had gone out for recess. I was so focused on that picture that nothing else mattered. My teacher picked up my work and looked at it with wonder in his eyes.
I received my first camera around the same time period and have been in love with capturing images ever since.

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

I was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Tucson, Arizona. Having roots in such a vibrant, busy and cultured city and being thrust into an arid, developing, town where we were one of the only Black families within our neighborhood was difficult. I was tall, quirky and stuck out like a sore thumb. I didn’t know at the time I was neurodiverse. I was always singled out by teachers and quite a few students. I had music and dance lessons, church, social groups and was a debutante…but always had some sort of friction with authority and certain of my peers.

Art, music and reading have always been my refuge. I always had open access to paint, pens, pencils or whatever materials I needed to create. As I moved into my teenage years, I discovered collage. I worked on one project for two years, only to have to leave it in Chicago(I had moved back for a couple of years to reconnect with my family). I was heartbroken to leave my creation, but elated to have opened up a new connection to creativity.

While living in Arizona, some years later, I was helping manage a clothing store. There were large amounts of odds and ends,arts and craft supplies and old broken jewelry. I was doing some cleaning and organizing and was given free reign to use and keep most of these items. I started making art from these left overs and my love for upcycling/sustainable art was born.

My current discipline involves using discarded canvases from paint and sips, my photographs, donated supplies and found objects. I explore the subjects of self-identity, elements of creation myths, environmental and social sustainability and healing. Those that experience my work tell me that my use of colors, textures and the themes included make them feel joyful, self-reflective and seem to evoke strong emotions.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I’m neurodivergent. Art and sustainability are two of my special interests. I believe that in the next decade, research will show that many conditions seen as disorders, today, will be in the future recognized as simple genetic diversity. Self-identity, innovation, sustainability and culture are important parts of my work. These are all crucial concepts that will help drive the survival and evolution of humans.

One of the most important goals of my work is to assist people in identifying their value and place in the world. I believe that helping people rediscover their true nature and solidify a healthy sense of self will also show them the importance of conserving the environment and the communities in which they live.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2019, my two children and I, with a backpack and a rolling suitcase, each,took a three-day bus ride to Massachusetts to start a new life. I left my longtime friends, my aquaponics tanks, my new recycling business, our lives, everything. I had come to the realization of the toxicity and dysfunction of my familial and personal relationships. We had a hard landing in Massachusetts in September of 2019 and five months later, in February of 2020 were faced with the surreal reality of Covid.

During the last five years, my children and I have worked to rebuild our lives. We have navigated bad therapists, health scares, neurodiversity diagnoses, difficulties with housing, the educational system, building personal relationships, and other challenges. We have made it to 2025 as a stronger family unit and as stronger versions of ourselves.

Although I had been in a creative field for 10 plus years, my personal creativity was stifled. I had barely picked up a paintbrush or a pen in almost 10 years. One day I was walking home through the Winter Hill neighborhood in Somerville. I saw a large, white, wooden panel on the side of the road. My spirit told me to pick it up. Another time, walking to my son’s school, in Cambridge, I found a box full of acrylic paints. It took some time, but I eventually listened to the whispers in my head, picked up a paintbrush….and haven’t let one go, since.That wooden panel became my first work in almost a decade. I feel a fierce, overwhelming joy whenever I look at it.I had my first art opening at The Foundry in late 2024 and can’t imagine life without creating.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Sustainability.ALoveStory
• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits

All images credited to Trinette McDowell