Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Vian Borchert. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Vian, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?
I never really sat and pondered if I am happy or not as a creative person. I know one thing though being a creative person and an artist is the truest and closest path to my authentic self. I have always been creative ever since I was a child. I would look at things from many angles, If I wrote a story, I would add illustrations and make it into a mini book. Thus, creativity came naturally to me. And, until now when I create new works of art, I write short haiku poems to accompany some of them to give them more of who I am and what constitutes my creative self. I wouldn’t say I am happy at all times in being an artist since the profession of an artist is I would say the most difficult one in the world. One doesn’t know when an artwork sells nor does one have a solid form of income like any other profession where you do your time be it a desk job or freelance project and get paid for it. The money and art projects / art sales are sporadic. Being creative on the other hand does make me happy. Coming up with innovative ideas and turning them into works of art has a very fulfilling and rewarding aspect to it. In regards to wondering if I had a regular job, I don’t wonder about that since I did have regular jobs and your typical 9-5 desk job at an earlier point in my life where interestingly I worked in finance as an account manager. I can tell you one thing though, I didn’t like that nor did I feel I was truly me. So, one day I quit the rat race and said no more 9-5 restricting desk jobs for me. I am too much of a free bird and a free spirit to live in such a restricting and uncreative way. I had to break free and take the brave step of fully becoming an artist and embracing my creative self.
Vian, 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 professional working artist. I have been doing art all my life. Ever since I was a child and as far as I can remember, I loved to draw and paint. Creating art transforms me into my Zen zone, and has been a source of joy for me throughout my life. I am an expressionist artist and painter along with being an award winning poet. I describe my art as a form of visual poetry. My artwork is mainly abstract, yet loosely based on nature, my travels, and what inspires me such as architecture. I was born with a natural gift / talent so to speak, along being born into an art household. Thus, between my natural talent and the artistic atmosphere, I grew up appreciating, admiring and creating art. I am also a “notable alumni” from the Corcoran George Washington University. Ever since I graduated I have participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions throughout the world. My artwork is in museums and key galleries in major cities such as LA, NYC, London, Washington DC. My art is also in embassies and in private collections worldwide along with hospitals and corporations nationwide. What I want people to know about me is that I’ve contributed to revolutionizing the current contemporary abstract expressionist art movement, and a number of art styles originated from my unique vision and aesthetics. Most notably my love for the big blue and my signature use of the color blue and lavender in my abstract paintings created new waves of abstraction in the art world. In this, I have singularly contributed immensely to the advancement of abstract art in the world. The creative products / works that I create are original paintings that are sold worldwide at “1stDibs” and “Artsy” which are the world’s leading marketplaces with auctions, best galleries and museums. For the art collectors and art lovers, here are the links for my available original artwork. Link to original paintings at “1stDibs”:
https://www.1stdibs.com/creators/vian-borchert/art/
Link to my original paintings at “Artsy”:
https://www.artsy.net/artist/vian-borchert/works-for-sale
I am most proud of the body of work I have created throughout the years and the fact that my art resonates, inspires, enriches, enlightens and even changes people’s lives for the better. I have seen people tell me that my art has moved them so much that they wrote poetry about it. I have seen people gather around my art in exhibitions and engage in deep conversations with strangers about my art. I have seen people completely change their whole life direction after experiencing and being inspired by my path and artistic career. I know I have changed so many lives for the better due to the creative awakening that my art has on people’s lives. I want my potential art collectors / clients / followers / fans to know that I love creating art, and I appreciate all the love I receive for the creation of my artwork. And, the love keeps growing more and more, the more people know about me and my art. I am always in awe of all the wonderful encouragement, be it the collecting and acquiring the art to enjoying it and making it part of one’s home, or simply saying “I love your work.” The incredible amount of love and appreciation from the art fans and the art collectors keep me wanting to produce more and become the better version of the artist that I am, In this, I would say it is truly a collective work of love, starting from me the artist creating art from the heart, to the fans and collectors who receive and celebrate the art, and the circulation of the art in publications such as this and even word of mouth – all contribute to the collective love that goes behind an artist / a brand / a product. It is the love and discovery of the art / artist that literally keeps the world going around. Hence, love and art go hand in hand. And, love and art possess so much power.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I had to learn to unlearn and almost do cartwheels and somersaults in my artistic and personal growth as an artist and as an individual in pursuit of happiness. Actually, one of my favorite quotes that I share with people, especially those who seem to be stuck on an idea or have trouble letting go, is from Yoda from Star Wars and his saying “You must unlearn what you have learned.” These literally are words I live by on a daily basis. You see, I grew up in a time where one has to abide by traditions and to not defy the norm or go against the grain, or else I might upset someone. I wasn’t a rebel as a child, but I wasn’t a conformist either. I was a shy child who retreated to her own world of art and creation to find herself and find a slice of joy in the process.
If I have to pinpoint, I would say I had to unlearn to please people. What I can say is if you try to make art to please people, you’ll end up not pleasing yourself – So, in a way you are a bird with cut wings that cannot self express through the creation of work. This is why you have to follow your own vision and your artistic voice and identity.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Yes, the story is rather hard for me to share and even talk about; yet it definitely shaped me and made me stronger to carry on and be resilient. A couple of years ago, where my art career was taking off, a close family member was diagnosed with a tumor. It was the most difficult part of my life and the worst case scenario anyone can be in. My life at that point had literally turned into a living nightmare. It was difficult to get up and do things and simply be, but I had to stay strong for my family. I had to be the anchor of strength in times I had no hope nor strength. I had to prepare my family member for surgery – It was very difficult, but I had to keep a smile and cheerful attitude to not show the severity of things. Those times, I had to walk into the darkest of fog not knowing of the consequences and preparing myself for the worst. My family member underwent surgery and thankfully survived and is doing well now. Throughout this whole experience and time, I had to completely dedicate all my time, effort and every waking hour to attend doctors appointments, go from one hospital to another, see specialists – in other words, I had to say no to art projects. And, in this time you truly see who is really there for you and who abandons you. Yes, I went through that as well, not only did I have to suffer from the tumor diagnosis, but I had to see people who I thought were my friends not stand by me, and those who I didn’t even think about offer support and help. It was most definitely a trying time. Nevertheless, I learned a lot from it, especially being resilient and carrying on. Eventually when things got better, I rerouted myself back to my artistic path and a return to following my dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.vianborchert.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vianborchert/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VianBorchertFineArts/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ViansArtCorner
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdB4RoTyxEA
- Other: Artwork on “1stDibs”: https://www.1stdibs.com/creators/vian-borchert/art/ Artwork on “Artsy”: https://www.artsy.net/artist/vian-borchert/works-for-sale
Image Credits
Vian Borchert, Oliver Borchert