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

Alright, Victoria thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

The most important lesson I learned was to embrace the risk of failure. For years, I was held back by a fear of creating bad artwork. Then, one summer, I set a goal of making one bad painting a week. This new mentality freed me to throw myself into the process. Now, I know that each unsuccessful painting brings me one step closer to the next successful painting. Plus, I have found that painting over unsuccessful paintings often adds depth and interest to my work.

Victoria, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I sell original oil paintings that celebrate the female form and nature. I am fascinated by the strength, delicacy, and beauty of the natural world. I work with a limited number of strong colors on surrealist and abstract backgrounds. I try not to capture how something looks, but rather the experience of that thing at a particular moment in time.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I used to believe that creating art should be relaxing and fun. I thought that I was doing something wrong because I often found the artistic process difficult. But I came to understand that I create because something essential is missing from my life when I do not. Making art requires courage and being self-critical. Thomas Mann said, “A writer is someone for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people.” I believe this is true for artists in general, regardless of the field or medium they’ve chosen.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing someone impacted by my artwork. It is a joy to see my paintings elicit strong emotions from viewers. I love hearing people describe what they see in my paintings—they so often explain exactly what I was trying to communicate.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.victoriasager.com/
• Instagram: @vsagerart

Image Credits
Victoria Sager