Smashing the proverbial bottle of champagne on the maiden voyage of The Artist Interview, John Hargis kicks off his column by interviewing his alter-ego, GypsyLuc.
John: You’re one of the talented writers that have come onboard with TAI. Can you unlock the meaning behind your column’s title?
GypsyLuc: Smediums. It’s a word that splices ‘small’ & ‘medium’. A friend of mine uses it to describe pants that hang a little too short. It speaks to those times when a person has too much leg for not enough pant. Growing up we called them ‘highwaters’.
John: How does that idea fit into the concept of an Arts magazine?
GypsyLuc: As an artist, I am always dreaming, creating & experimenting with just one more thing - a new medium, a novel idea, the latest creative challenge. It’s sometimes hard to squeeze it all in - to wring out enough moments in the day to make it all happen. It’s like I need 32” long pants but have to fit it all into a pair of 30” smediums.
John: So, Smediums will present interviews with artists on how they find the time to integrate the arts into their lives?
GypsyLuc: Exactly. I’ll be focusing on how artists in Central Ohio weave creativity into the fabric of their day-to-day existence. We all have distractions, commitments & constraints that drag us away from creating. I want to discover the thrust behind the passion, the tricks, techniques & methods - whatever magic there is - to keeping art a priority.
John: You’ve got your fingers in a lot of things yourself: full-time job, three hour daily commute, taking care of wife & kids, creating & marketing your art, writing, open mics, serious involvement in YelloWall Collective… How do you find time for it all?
GypsyLuc: It’s tough, no doubt. It comes down to art being a necessity in my life. While it might be possible for me to exist without it, I definitely can’t thrive that way. I’m equal parts planner & opportunist. I reserve Wednesdays & weekends for art creation. I set deadlines & hold myself accountable to meet them. I sketch at work during meetings & conference calls, refine ideas in my head around the clock, record writing snippets on my cell phone while driving. I reject other opportunities in order to carve out space for art. Sleep is optional at times! Plus, I have some amazing artistic friends who inspire me & push me to keep creating in the midst of the melee.
John: Is it going to be even more difficult to squeeze a monthly column for TAI into an already jam-packed schedule?
GypsyLuc: It’ll work out. The ideas are exploding in my head already! I’m excited about meeting with other artists & passing on the stories of what they’re currently into, why they choose to create & how they make the time. Hopefully, our readers can glean some wisdom & scraps to lace into their own lives. Writing is art. I strive to make time for art. And, in the end, what’s wrong with having a little more leg poking out of the bottom of my smediums?
John: You’re one of the talented writers that have come onboard with TAI. Can you unlock the meaning behind your column’s title?
GypsyLuc: Smediums. It’s a word that splices ‘small’ & ‘medium’. A friend of mine uses it to describe pants that hang a little too short. It speaks to those times when a person has too much leg for not enough pant. Growing up we called them ‘highwaters’.
John: How does that idea fit into the concept of an Arts magazine?
GypsyLuc: As an artist, I am always dreaming, creating & experimenting with just one more thing - a new medium, a novel idea, the latest creative challenge. It’s sometimes hard to squeeze it all in - to wring out enough moments in the day to make it all happen. It’s like I need 32” long pants but have to fit it all into a pair of 30” smediums.
John: So, Smediums will present interviews with artists on how they find the time to integrate the arts into their lives?
GypsyLuc: Exactly. I’ll be focusing on how artists in Central Ohio weave creativity into the fabric of their day-to-day existence. We all have distractions, commitments & constraints that drag us away from creating. I want to discover the thrust behind the passion, the tricks, techniques & methods - whatever magic there is - to keeping art a priority.
John: You’ve got your fingers in a lot of things yourself: full-time job, three hour daily commute, taking care of wife & kids, creating & marketing your art, writing, open mics, serious involvement in YelloWall Collective… How do you find time for it all?
GypsyLuc: It’s tough, no doubt. It comes down to art being a necessity in my life. While it might be possible for me to exist without it, I definitely can’t thrive that way. I’m equal parts planner & opportunist. I reserve Wednesdays & weekends for art creation. I set deadlines & hold myself accountable to meet them. I sketch at work during meetings & conference calls, refine ideas in my head around the clock, record writing snippets on my cell phone while driving. I reject other opportunities in order to carve out space for art. Sleep is optional at times! Plus, I have some amazing artistic friends who inspire me & push me to keep creating in the midst of the melee.
John: Is it going to be even more difficult to squeeze a monthly column for TAI into an already jam-packed schedule?
GypsyLuc: It’ll work out. The ideas are exploding in my head already! I’m excited about meeting with other artists & passing on the stories of what they’re currently into, why they choose to create & how they make the time. Hopefully, our readers can glean some wisdom & scraps to lace into their own lives. Writing is art. I strive to make time for art. And, in the end, what’s wrong with having a little more leg poking out of the bottom of my smediums?
No comments:
Post a Comment