How To Find Your Creative Outlet

Amongst our busy schedules and attempting a work-life balance it can be hard to find time to simply be- be in the moment, be at rest and be content. As our phones vibrate our pockets and as our calendars notify us continually, the only way we can simply "be" is to be intensional about it. Once we create space in our day for time, the next thing to do is fill that time with something valuable and that makes us feel good.

My dear friend, Heidi Moore, has done just that. Heidi is a freelance artist working in mainly acrylics and watercolor paints. She also draws with ink, graphite and pastels.

K: "Can you tell us a bit about yourself?"

H: "I am Fargo-born and raised. I went to the College of Saint Benedict, graduating in May 2018 with studies in Global Business Leadership and Art. During my art studies in college, I took all sorts of classes, ranging from ceramics to drawing to art history to photojournalism. In addition to this art training in such a wide variety of mediums and disciplines, I’ve been able to learn a lot from fellow artists, through observation and research, and through tons of practice. I’ve always gravitated toward painting and drawing, but I think there is so much value in learning about and having an appreciation for other art forms and creative processes."

K: What do you do as your creative outlet?

H: "One of my creative outlets, and certainly the one I’ve pursued with the most passion, is painting. While I often work in my studio on commissioned paintings and find such enjoyment in those pieces, the true therapeutic benefits of a creative outlet show themselves most when I’m painting just to paint. With my music cranked up, my paint bottles spewed everywhere, and a canvas that can be turned into anything I want it to be, there’s no place more magical than my studio space when I’m completely lost in my art. For anyone who has a creative outlet, you know this feeling I’m talking about. Time truly stands still - it’s SO cool."

K: Can you tell us about your artwork and what inspires you?

H: "A majority of my current work is paintings of flowers. I’m so inspired by their beautiful, organic shapes, the contrasting vivid colors, and the challenge that is understanding and translating the highlights and shadows of natural subject matter. In addition to still lifes, I enjoy painting landscapes and abstract pieces, among a variety of other things. The inspiration for my art tends to change with whatever season of life I’m in, which can be both incredible and frustrating, as some seasons are, well, less inspiring than others. In those moments, I’ve found some inspiration-inducing tricks through my own trial and error, but thankfully, these seasons don’t happen all too often. I feel lucky to live in such a vibrant community full of inspiring people, ideas, and moments.

K: What do you feel benefits you by having a creative outlet?

H: "Having a creative outlet serves me in so many ways, some of which I’m probably not even aware of. I am grateful for the time and ability to paint. Being able to channel my emotions and inspirations into something tangible is such a cool concept, and the feeling of creating anything from start to finish with my own two hands is rewarding, remedial, and just downright fun."

H: "I definitely feel that my painting is interconnected in my day-to-day; it only makes sense that flexing the right side of your brain will make it stronger for other areas of life! I think for a lot of creatives, there is a constant itch to make and create. I am thankful to have so many opportunities to be creative in my job, and I try to make it a point to find ways to incorporate my creativity in smaller ways, too. From fashion to baking to making a really great Indie playlist on Spotify, there are so many beautiful ways to gain inspiration in daily life."

K: Do you have any tips for finding a creative outlet that you like?

H: "My best advice is to go into your creative outlet hunt with the mentality that I think should go for most all things in life: “I’ll try anything once!”. If you see someone doing something interesting, if you are curious about something you’d heard about previously, or you have a crazy idea for something totally out of the box, I’d say that if it got you excited for even a second, try it!"

H: "I think the word “inspiration” can be daunting to someone just beginning in a creative endeavor, but it’s a crazy awesome word, not a scary one. Inspiration can take many forms. Whether you find inspiration in a documentary you just watched, a friend whose creative outlet you’ve always envied, the beautiful trees out your back window, or just the desire to take up a new hobby, whatever inspiration you’ve gathered is more than enough to get started. For someone taking the first steps, I’m sure there is some sort of balancing act between being gentle with yourself and giving yourself grace as you start, and just jumping in headfirst. But honestly, when it comes to a creative outlet, I think jumping in headfirst is so much more fun."

H: "I’d love to expand the quantity of artwork I can produce, but of course, that comes with the cost of time. Right now, I feel very satisfied with the amount and quality of the work I’m creating, but I do hope that someday I can multiply that to become something even larger."

K: What can people expect to see in your upcoming work?

H: "I am working on two new series that consist of ink drawings, watercolor paintings, and acrylic paintings almost entirely in grayscale. One is a women empowerment series and another is a minimalist art series. And of course, flowers!"

You can find Heidi as she participates in the June 13th, August 8th and September 12th Corks and Canvas Art Craw events in downtown Fargo!

Say Hello to her on Instagram at @heidimooreart !

You can also email her at heidimooreart@gmail.com.