We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Will DeShazo. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Will below.
Alright, Will thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
Within my work I attempt to always create art that is very close to my heart. This is because my yearning for making art is driven by expressing myself and feeling understood. Art is my way of communicating with others in a deeper way than my abilities to verbally express myself allow me to. My most meaningful projects in the past have aided me on my journey of grief and understanding how my brain works. My college graduation exhibition discussed my niece’s tragic death, my recent photographic triptych followed my journey of self acceptance and expression, and many of my earlier paintings surrounded my relationship with my constant battle with my own mental wellbeing. Of all of these projects, my most meaningful one is the show I am currently working on. Often in my past work I have only expressed my trauma as a current factor of my life. In this show I discuss my trauma as a thing in the past that affects me but I attempt to move past. I really struggle with being able to let things go and adjust for the future. There’s so many events that I relive everyday and the intense pain I felt when it happened is all still the same. The betrayal of close friends or being ghosted by someone who seemed to reciprocate my love for them still hurts me as much as it did when it originally occurred. I live life through the lens of all my past soul crushing experiences. With this exhibition I attempt to create a narrative for myself where I can heal and embrace hope for my future. I don’t want to feel all of this weight on me throughout my daily life anymore! Creating this show in which I build a future of happiness for myself is so important for me.
Will, 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?
Hi there! My name is Will DeShazo. I am a multimedia visual artist that works in painting, photography, sculpture, and fiber art. I currently live in Fort Worth, Texas but i’m originally from a small town half an hour away from Fort Worth. I started off my journey into making art with working primarily in painting. Making paintings felt kind of limiting to me because I wanted so much more out of art. I then began working with sculpture, ceramic and other, and now I make a lot of textile based art. Lately I have been doing a lot of photography but I intend to mesh all of these facets of expression together by creating multimedia quilts and banners. I have always used making art as an outlet for my thoughts and feelings, I was always the kid in the back of the classroom silently painting and drawing. Fortunately I have been supported enough to continue that love of mine into adulthood. Something that I think benefits me as an artist is that I try not to limit myself by medium so I am capable of producing anything. In college I learned how to weld, I can make paper, I taught myself how to sew and weave, and I have worked really hard to perfect my painting abilities. The through line in all of my work is my use of color and texture as well as depicting darker topics in romantic ways. I try to bring my own flavor to everything I make so you can always tell I made it even if it’s in a different medium. When I was in high school I would always throw myself into art events in the city so I could meet new people that I could build good working relationships with. This is how I got my start in making a reputation for myself in the arts. There is nothing scarier than being a shy sixteen year old surrounded by intoxicated extroverts at packed openings and parties. Fortunately I am one of those people now! As an adult I want to put myself and my vulnerabilities out into the world so other people who struggle with similar issues can feel understood and less alone. Like most people I have a void inside myself that finds joy in ravaging my self worth and always tells me that I will never be good enough. For too many years I attempted to fill that void with things that only ended up hurting me. I have since realized the power of making art and I now fill that hole in myself with the light of creation. Expressing your deepest pains and most vivid passions truly has such a wealth of strength. I am really proud of my ability to translate these topics into my art in a way that reaches other people. In the wider view of my life and career I want to move to a much larger city and reach more people’s souls with my art. I want a larger audience that I can shock, entrance, and make feel love for themselves and the world around them. I yearn for bigger things in life so all the struggling will feel worth it in the end.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Being an artist comes with very rewarding attributes! Creative expression holds power like nothing else. Art, no matter in what form, inspires millions of people everyday. The art I soaked up as a child has influenced the way I live my life now. As an artist I find an immense joy in hearing how my work has inspired or influenced others and this also definitely helps me keep creating! The power of art lays in the ability to use your voice and tell your story in your own way. I am able to control my own narrative with my art and that is something that I find really fulfilling. Creation is also an incredible tool to cope with the horrific events life may throw at you. I use art to work through my darkest moments and turn them into something that can benefit other people who relate to my experiences. Often I feel that I am made up of so many complex experiences that make me unrelateable to people but when I share my art and my story I usually get a response from people that make me feel so much less alone.To create art is to wield power.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I believe in order for creatives to be supported that there needs to be more opportunities for those who don’t fit the mould of being a conventional artist. There have been so many times where I miss an opportunity to show my work because the person in charge decided to give the opportunity to a friend or one of the same people that is always on display. I feel that bringing in fresh perspectives will keep an art community healthy and will produce new and exciting work for all parties involved. It is the people who don’t have their voices heard that need to be listened to. Younger artists should be given opportunities as well because at some point the constant rejection will only make the artist lose their passion for their craft. Galleries that only display the same paintings or sculptures over and over will create a stagnancy in their business because there is no excitement that drives people towards them. A healthy art community thrives off of evolution and innovation. I truly believe that art is for everybody, not just the certain few.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.willdeshazo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/will_deshazo_/
Image Credits
All photos are mine.