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

Victoria, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

I was in video production since college, majoring in broadcast news. Through several forks in the road (aka the 2008 recession) I was running my own production company with a focus on weddings and creative retreats around the world. One of my amazing clients specialized meditation, flow states and finding your inner voice. Concepts that I had no clue about growing up in small town West Virginia.

The idea of a flow state really stuck with me as it was something I never experienced. How are you not aware of what time it is? What do you mean you skipped lunch by accident?! I was in my early millennial “Girl Boss” era that consisted of all-night editing and saying yes to everything.

Fast forward to 2017, I opened a studio space with giant walls that needed some art. I had a budget of zero dollars so decided to make something myself. As I started putting paint to canvas, it was like a switch flipped off in my brain. It was immediate.

Time and space would suspend and hours would go by without me noticing. Better yet, with globs of paint on my hands, I was unable to touch my phone or laptop. From then on, I was willing to upend absolutely everything in order to paint as much as possible.

Victoria, 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 found my passion for painting during a period of career burnout in video production and have been slowly turning the ship from video to art full-time.

Painting has been a constant source of therapy through the past 5 years. I’ve become a mother, dealt with severe postpartum anxiety and lost my father after a long battle with Parkinson’s.

During this time I became really interested in how color can affect our mental health. I was constantly hiding my daughter’s colorful toys in bins and baskets amidst my beige walls, rug and sofa. My serene space started to feel sterile and stale.

I started hanging my own pieces and what started as a light blue accent wall or some striped pillows exploded into a sea of technicolor and I haven’t stopped since.

I want my art to bring a burst of joy into any space and I want to inspire people to be bolder when incorporating color into their homes.

I get excited when people slide into my instagram DM’s regarding a commission and it often turns into a full-on design consultation.

I love using latex paint (aka house paint) so I can easily color match a room’s theme. This makes working with interior designers stress free and fun.

If you don’t know where to start I always ask how do you want to feel in the room? Do you want to be energized or calm? Cozy or creative? These feelings can help dictate the direction.

I also ask what colors do you love to wear? Because if you enjoy it on your clothes, you’re going to be obsessed with it on your walls.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Deciding to close my video production company was hard. I loved my clients, but I found myself wanting to spend more time with a brush than a camera. Covid also pushed that decision along, as most of my work came from weddings and in-person retreats. During this time, I read Tara Mohr’s ‘Playing Big’ and that’s when I first learned about using my future self as an inner mentor.

I kept asking others what I should do instead of turning inward. From there, I spent a lot of time visualizing future me. Where am I living? How am I spending my days? What advice would she give me?

I realized that my dream future was an elderly woman living in a studio loft with tall ceilings and tons of natural light surrounded by canvas and paint. Her side tables were stacks of books from her travels and her downstairs neighbors think she’s a little nutty. At that point, I knew the path I needed to take.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Where do I begin?! I’m a big fan of non-fiction and I’m constantly sending friends books they never asked for. ‘The War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield is small but mighty. I read this book anytime I feel perfectionism creeping in – which is often.

‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron is one I fell in love with as an artist, but I firmly believe this is a great guide for existing as a person in the world – creative or not.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.victoriasutherlandart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriasutherlandart/

Image Credits

Amanda Sanchez & Veronica Varos