We recently connected with Wyn Austin and have shared our conversation below.

Wyn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I can’t really pinpoint the exact time or day when I wanted to pursue my dream. It was a feeling. A feeling that I kept chasing and still am chasing! I remember in grade school whenever we would have indivdual projects, I would put my all into it. I would have my mom drive me to the craft store to get anything and everything that seemed to fit in my imagination. I wasn’t in any competition but I created each thing as if to better myself, and also show my classmates how creative I was haha. I have a distinct memory of me in 8th grade drawing on scrap paper and I drew “Crocodile Dude”. He was my first comic or really original cartoon drawing. I placed it in my binder as a cover and people kept inquiring about it. So I came up with this back story and eventually made like 10 other characters. If I will myself I can still draw them lol. I didnt really take my art seriously until COVID really. I was at a real low time and I discovered this artist on YouTube. He is brilliant with oil pastels and I said ” I can do that”. And I did! I got myself some cheap oil pastels and a new sketchbook and created. I drew a new original “Eugene in Green” it was first real attempt at faces. I’m not a realistic artist but I pull from reality and use my imagination to create the faces I see. From there I also tapped into my spirituality mode and aligned myself with things that helped boost my creativity and imagination. Moving from sketchbooks to canvases was very intimidating. But after doing my first canvas, I just kept going and going and never stopped. Now seeing how my drawings, paintings and ideas have evolved I credit good old “Crocodile Dude” for giving me a spark and the imagination to pick up a pencil and create anything!

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

I naturally just fell into art. As if it was my calling honestly. Through my journey, I am most proud of the fact that I came as far as I did by being self taught. I would use references, of course, like YouTube videos or the like. However, the technique is cultivated was all me and that is something to be proud of. What i have is unique to me like many others. Some hardships would be the self managing and motivating aspect of being a painter and creative. Having to remember why I did any of this and why any of this is supposed to happen.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I think non creatives struggle with understanding why some artists are.. so deep! Everything we pull from is emotional and spiritual. Whether its pulled from trauma or from euphoria, everything has a story and a creatives we are willing to tell that story. What’s obscure to some actually came from a place of growth from the creative. What’s beautiful to some may have came from a place of pure hurt from the creative. That’s why we are so passionate about anything we do when comes to our art. It’s how we are allowed to be seen in this society.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think one society has a more open mind to art in its natural form, that can really push the creative ecosystem. What i mean by that is, holding space for all things beautiful and ugly. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Art isn’t supposed to be placed in just one box. There’s are no rules in art and yet society places strongholds on what is deemed just that. Creatives are naturally supposed to have the space to express, regardless. I think also understanding that we are all trying to survive in a world that craves our creative mindset but doesn’t know what to do with it once it’s out there. Holding more space and understanding for the different art or that’s can really push us to places we have yet seen.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: artfulwyn

Image Credits

All credits to me