Welcome to Part 2 of An Interview with Artists! Thank you to all the artists and readers – each of you have a role in the success of this series.
Question 2. What benefits have you experienced from making art?
Tina Alvarez
“I have won several awards and have been selected in some very competitive art shows …. so that feels good.😁
But my biggest benefit is socializing with other artists and hearing folks’ responses to my photographs… always fascinating👏”
Art Medium: Photography
Pauline Baughman
“The biggest benefit has been emotional. Being creative helps me look at the world in a new way and stay open to possibilities.”
Art Medium: Pastel, paper, fabric, felt, rickrack
Tore Bellis
“Initially it gave me greater peace. Calm. Lower stress. Now the benefit is the people one meets when sharing one’s art.”
Art Medium: Photography, electronics
Michael Borne
“A relaxed, sane, and serene state of mind.”
Art Medium: Transparent watercolor
Kay Byfield
“The benefits cannot be fully enumerated but here are the ones that are easy to name:
- The act of creation helps me to maintain balance in my life. When I focus on a project, all my everyday stresses are pushed to the back of my mind. The respite from real life worries enables me to tackle them productively when I pick them up again. Somehow, the solutions come more easily.
- Art groups provide a sense of community for me because I am with people who share my passion.
- As a person, I need to always have challenges and feel as though I am growing. Art and teaching does that for me. My goal is to become the best artist and teacher that I can be.”
Medium: Watercolors on paper
Lisa Chittenden
“Art simply makes me a better person. Art opens me up to new experiences, I meet new people, and it encourages participation and engagement within my community. Whether you’re the artist creating art, or an individual supporting the arts, you are impacting your little corner of the world in a positive way. I’m in awe and inspired by all the artists I’m exposed to. Art simply makes me happy!”
Art Medium: Mixed media / Assemblage
Joe Conner
- “I juggle multiple things/projects each & everyday and I find that art has a calming effect on my crazy life.
- I have made new friends, visited new places to show my art and increased my “circle” of contacts for networking.
- Showing my art has helped me encourage other artists that they have talent and should increase their prices 😊”
Art Medium: Collage/mixed media
Diane Marcial Fuchs
“Although sometimes creating art feels stressful as I try to bring my vision to life, I am always so satisfied with the result and the feeling of accomplishment. (At least, most of the time!) I am always grateful and pleased when others enjoy my artwork, too.”
Art Medium: Watercolor, oils, acrylics, pastels, colored pencil, graphite
José Ángel Hernández
“I am not in the business of selling art. The way I see it, I’m in the business of putting my art on other people’s walls. When I’m creating art I don’t think about selling it, I think about making the artwork desirable. Sure the monetary transaction is satisfying but the feeling of accomplishment feeds the heart and keeps me going. This is what I think of as I am trying to fall asleep at night.”
Art Medium: 3D Mixed Media
Kathryn Ikle
“Money. Fame. Fortune. 😏 Jokes aside, the biggest benefit of making art is the adventure of it all. It is an exploration of my mind. I’m curious to know what I will find – to challenge my imagination. I ask myself, “What’s in there?” It also means joining a community of others like yourself – wild and zainey and unexpected – and that makes life interesting.”
Art Medium: Acrylic paintings, charcoals, mixed media, & printmaking
Christine “Tiny” Irizarry
“I had a very meaningful piece of art showcased in Times Square in the summer of 2022 which to date is one of the coolest experiences to go through as an artist. I have had “aha” moments that have benefited me in a personal level of artistic achievements. My 3D reactive series has left me thirsty for more and more art in my day to day activities and therefore I believe it is a major benefit. The friends that I have made in various art groups is absolutely mind blowing. We are a community of beautiful minds and I believe that we can all benefit each other by building our peers up.”
Art Medium: Watercolors / acrylics / mixed media
Deb Kreimborg
“The benefit of being part of the art world is the opportunity to continue to grow, to be inspired by others, and enjoy the gift of sharing, realizing “art is about the journey within ourselves.”“
Art Medium: Photography
JAM McKay
“Friendships, appreciation for all things visual, expanded imagination, and a sort of inner peace. There is one other thing, but I don’t know what it is called. It is when you get that giddy little tickle inside because you are bursting with a new idea.”
Art Medium: Photography, digital composite, beginning watercolor
Anna Mikhaela Reyes
“My work has helped me to deconstruct and make sense of my emotions and experiences. As an internal processor, it’s easy for me to internalize and ruminate over experiences without actually pinpointing why or how I got to an emotional response. Art helps me to gather these thoughts and observations and organize them into a visual, tangible representation of my experiences. Think of my brain as a room filled with documents of every kind, flying about and containing information about everything and nothing at the same time. To me, art is like the physical act of opening a door into that room, catching sheets of paper as they fly by, and piecing them together to make sense of which ones are the most important and relevant. Without art, that analogical room remains shut and the papers continue to whirl in chaos.”
Art Medium: Charcoal, pastel, colored pencil
Dawn Wester
“It helps me be content and happy. If I am creating something, I have to be present and focus on what I am doing.”
Art Medium: Quilting, scrapbooking
Justine Wollaston
- “I get to play.
- I get to act on inspiration.
- I can be my work and my work can be me.”
Art Medium: Watercolor on paper, acrylic on canvas and walls
Diane Beem Wright
“Good question.
1. Accomplishing something I’ve been wanting to do.
2. Enjoying the result of work that I’m proud of.
3. Getting a compliment, of course!”
Art Medium: Watercolor, color pencil, acrylics, assemblage/mixed media
Denise Holguin
- I didn’t realize the benefits of creating art until joining an art league. Art leagues give me the opportunity/excuse/motivation to create and share my art.
- From the moment I joined an art league, I felt a startling sense of belonging among artists.
- Having a venue to share and explain my art gives me a chance to be part of a community of other artists and people who appreciate art. This is a source of happiness.
- Attending art receptions is like being in a performance. There’s a wonderful adrenaline rush and sense of satisfaction in seeing my art on display with other talented artists.
- The saying of “fake it until you make it” runs true in the sense that by having art on public display, I feel like a credible artist and my peers in the art community treat me as such!
- Productivity, experiments and engaging the mind.
Art Medium: Assemblage art, photography, machine embroidery
Thank you for reading Part 2 of this series. Be sure to visit the artists’ links to learn more about their art, their upcoming exhibits and other happenings. If you missed Part 1 or want to revisit it, click here.
If you are local make plans to attend a Visual Art League meeting as a guest. Visit the websites below for more information. There are dozens of art clubs and leagues in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex – find one that works for you.
Visual Art League of Lewisville
Part 3 (the final in this series) is coming soon!
big bertha's adventures 
Add a place to enter artist’s social media link. Great blog. Thank you!
Hi Jose!
Thank you for making it possible through your participation!
I double checked, your Instagram link is working. Everyone who had a website/social to share is included.
Denise
Loved reading all the artist replies… very inspirational 😁
Thanks for creating this… fun!
An idea…. maybe ask artists to send you their favorite art quotation?🤔
Cheers
Tina
Hi Tina!
Thank YOU for participating! What started as a light night idea blossomed in to a fun series with so many talented artists such as you!
That’s a good idea about a favorite art quotation. I can even see it as a fun series to expand within the art leagues.
Denise