Artist Statement
Exercise in Imagination
Like a lot of kids, I had a hyperactive imagination and loved all things make believe. I still do, otherwise I wouldn’t be much of an artist. So much of what we do is conceptualizing our own take on make believe into something others can enjoy.
My series is about that type of wild imagination, the amazing things our minds came up with when we were younger that can elude us as adults through the daily grind. I know I’m not alone in wanting to go back to a time where every new place seemed like a wild adventure and any number of things might be possible. Specifically, the places and creatures in these pieces are ones relevant to my own childhood. The places I lived and the creatures I believed in, whether it be mistaking turtles in the ponds for mermaids or thinking the beating of a giant bird’s wings might be responsible for a windstorm.
These things meant a lot to me as a kid, and while that may seem silly, I don’t think we need to throw these things away simply for being fun. There’s a lot more value in allowing yourself to unironically love the things you love without guilt. Wearing something because you like it and not because it flatters x shape, dying your hair just because you wanted to, playing, and allowing yourself to really stretch your imagination. Creativity needs to be practiced, exercised like you would any muscle. Growing up doesn’t have to be a process of letting go of joy.
So many people talk about wanting to return to their youth, but I don’t think age is really what made our childhoods special. I think it’s got a lot more to do with that practice. Kids are always practicing their creativity, whether it be playing, dancing, singing, drawing, or anything else that might capture their attention. Things like the excitement in things we enjoy free from embarrassment or guilt, the whimsy of going to a new place and treating it like some sort of adventure. When everything is so new you tend to romanticize the little things in life.
I try to bring a little bit of that whimsy with me everywhere I go, including my art.