We were lucky to catch up with Zaleski recently and have shared our conversation below.

Zaleski, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Although I am pretty young, I know that I am so much happier pursing my career as an artist! It doesn’t make sense in a lot of ways, and that only makes me love it more as my reality. Most of my peers are starting to secure careers and more “traditional” aspects of 20-somethings’ lives, so the comparison between perceived success is starkly present. But I have to remind myself that this is simply a comparison based on a perception; an inaccurate or insufficient definition of what success is or can be. A few months ago when I was back home in Nebraska, I was catching up with an old friend who has also always whole-heartedly and determinedly supported me in my art. We caught each other up on how life was going, how work was going, and the updates on aspirations related to both. It was so funny to almost feel like a fly on the wall as we talked; it was so clearly a “the grass is always greener” sentiment at play. While I was and continue to be so proud of him and his work achievements, his admiration for the freedom that seems so prevalent in my life and work touched my heart, and it’s continued to sit with me. As chaotic as it my feel at times, I am proud of the freedom that I have claimed for myself, of the self-determination I continue to strive for in my creative work and the sharing of it.
I will absolutely admit that the fear of “failure” creeps in at least three times a week, but it has just become a matter of reminding myself of the great adventure that lies on the other side of that fear. It’s all just so exciting, and life should be exciting!

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

I am a multi-disciplinary visual artist, using my experience as a Femme, Queer, and Bi-racial person to help create conversation. I find inspiration in mundane observation and in ancestral linkage. I started with drawing, painting, and sculpture work when I was younger, and as I’ve grown with those media, I’ve begun to work with fabric and textile art, digital and video work, mural design and installation, as well as performance/installation art. I am shifting in my practice to find more sustainable ways to create, such as making my owns paint and dyes, sourcing through second-hand and found materials, and the like. Creating art is such an essential act of meditation and contemplation in my life that I am so grateful to have, and I do not want my joy to harm others’ pursuits or well-being, nor do I want to invoke any more harm on Mother Earth. She grants us an abundance of gifts, and I want my art practice to be more intertwined with those. I am proud of being firm in my intention, even as I continue to grow in my self-awareness and creative practice. That doesn’t always bode well in a capitalistic society— I know it does tend to slow an artist’s ability to find financial security through their work— but there is a peace in the heart that I feel is more essential to the overall sense of security I have in myself. Art is conversation; it is humble, incorrect, learning. I am constantly working to be more vulnerable in my work, and even in how I share it, but I also want to maintain that vulnerability in conversations pertaining to commissions. I have a skillset, yes, but that doesn’t give me the right to direct someone to a conclusion. I always seek to understand clients’ “whys,” and help them to identify them if they need that aid. From there, I can work to translate what they want or need me to translate into something more tangible.

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

I think that non-creatives may struggle to understand the comfort we artists tend to find in the uncertainty of it all. The pursuit of discovery is enchanting! But it is also non-linear and can stall at any moment for any period of time. If it all made sense, if there was some clear and assured plan, it’d be boring. I’m not working towards an end goal. In terms of happiness, happiness is an ebbing wave, not a permanent state of being. And learning is an unending endeavor, that I will happily pursue and share until the end of my days. I believe that life is not about fearlessness, but about bravery. And being an artist allows and/or forces me to jump over unforeseen edges daily.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

I think that most of what drives me is truly my irritation with “art.” It is not something reserved for those with a certain level of artistic knowledge or comprehension; art is not profound! There is the physical (or semi-physical) result of the artistic practice but then there is conversation. That’s where the beauty or the hideousness is unveiled. That is where profound, or not profound, realizations are made. Whether it be representational or abstract, an artist takes the chaos of human experiences, filters it through emotion, perspective, biases, and whatever else, and makes them tangible. Art is note taking. I am simply starting a conversation, and I want people to understand that and to feel welcomed to participate in it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.artbyzaleski.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/artbyzaleski?utm_medium=copy_link
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNDmz22ods_1GV0gugik4mA
• Other: https://linktr.ee/ArtbyZaleski

Image Credits
Joseph Saaid Kevin Kabore Purely Drea