Jamie Beitler **Guest Slammer**

I found Jamie Beitler’s amazing work by way of another blog and I immediately fell in love with her amazing website design work.  As I explored her website, I found some of the most amazing and whimsical mixed media collages. I knew she had to be a featured artist on the Art Slam. I have to thank Jamie for giving one of the best interviews I have ever featured here. She is a shining example of a female business owner who believes strongly in empowering women and being true to her creative self.

What made you decide to pursue mixed media art and web design?

I actually got into mixed media because I couldn’t find (or afford!) any art that I really connected to. I started with my digital collages, then branched out into what I call “real collages”- just meaning real paper and glue, and not digital work. I love all sorts of art, but am most moved by pieces that have meaning to them. I was drawn to mixed media because I love the depth that is usually found in each piece. I love the feeling of being captivated by a piece or art- the best is when you discover something new each time you look at it. For me, mixed media does both of these things. I especially love pieces that build layer upon layer, but are still able to maintain their beauty and cohesion.

My web design studio was also an adventure I undertook because I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied with a run-of-the-mill website (ok, I admit it, I like to have creative control over things I venture into! ). After I learned how to create websites, I really wanted to offer the same thing for other women. A large goal of my web design business is to make beautiful and interesting sites that small business owners can afford. Since I’m a small business owner too, my other hope is that people don’t feel intimidated when working with me, as opposed to a large web design firm.

I really like the piece, “You Were Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”. Can you tell me what inspired you to create it?

I really love this ol’ gal too! A major recurring theme in my art is the journey of becoming free from the world’s expectations of us as women. I create so much art about it because it is something I want to personally achieve so badly. The category of “the world’s expectations” is a large one, but mostly what I am speaking about is the image issue…. the impossible expectations for beauty that the media sets up for women that we can feel like we need to meet. But I don’t think beauty comes from meeting high physical standards; instead it comes from just being yourself. I believe we were all created with unique gifts and talents… and we are most beautiful when we feel comfortable in our own skin, free from the captivity of needing to conform to an unnatural and impossibly high beauty standard. So, this piece was a message to myself first to inspire me to try and attain the goal of being the best “me” I can possible be.

What artists have influenced you, and how?

The two artists who have influenced me the most are Teesha Moore and Anahata Katkin. I am completely in love with their use of color and looking at their pieces makes me want to stop everything and create! I love their cooky-ness and I think it’s obvious by looking at their pieces that they are not concerned with churning out their work in order to sell it. Their pieces are so unique and individual to them and they really inspired me to find my own creative voice and to just follow it wherever it leads me.

What inspires you to create mixed media art and how do you keep motivated when things get tough in the studio?

I think that life in general inspires me to create mixed media. I am definitely a thinker and when new things (whether it’s new experiences or new life lessons I’m learning) are going on in my life, it takes a while for my mind to process all of it. I do my best thinking while I’m working on a piece of art. Usually, I have no music or tv on in my studio because the silence helps keep me from getting distracted. We have moved twice recently and so the bulk of my art supplies are packed away, but we’ve also gone through some difficult things. Without my art around, I have realized that it is my stress release, and part of my coping mechanism to the daily grind of life. As I write this, I am waiting for a shipment of new art supplies from FedEx (I can’t NOT create anymore!) and I have been checking the tracking number every five minutes like my very life is on that truck! Haha.

When I’ve completely hit a creative wall…. or am feeling uninspired, the first thing I do is set everything down. Kind of a “step away from the art” principle . I’ve ruined too many pieces by working on something longer than I should have. When I’m feeling “funky” I’ll even put all my supplies away and completely tidy up my studio. Then… I leave. When I’m feeling uninspired, I try not to look at other people’s art- for some reason, it makes me feel worse!  Then I just do something completely different, depending on why I feel blocked. If I’m blocked because I’m needing to understand the emotional issue I’m dealing with in my art a little better, I go for a walk to clear my mind. If I’m feeling creatively stagnant, like I’m doing the same thing over and over, then I look for inspiration in different places. One of my favorite things to do is look through house decorating magazines. Or I will look at new lines of fabric that have just come out. One thing I know for sure is that my work cannot be forced. I wish my art things weren’t packed up or else I would bring out a particular piece that I feel like I ruined because I kept working when I should have stopped. Different artists have different views on pushing through the funk, but for me, walking away for a bit is the best remedy. When I’m ready to go back into my studio, I try to discover something I have seen for a while in my supplies. I’ll dig to the bottom of my paper stashes to find that amazing paper I’ve completely forgotten about. Or, I’ll look through my vintage photos… focusing on faces I might not have noticed before. Usually at some point in the process, something will spark and I can begin again. If not, I wait longer! 

How have you handled the business side of being an artist?

Probably like most artists, the business side of being an artist is my least favorite thing to do . In fact, I always try to talk my husband into taking over that side of things (I’ve been extremely unsuccessful so far). My approach to the business side of being an artist is to take things as they come and learn what I can along the way. I’ve learned that from a business aspect, my biggest challenge (and greatest asset when I’m doing it well) is being realistic about my workload and saying no when I have to. Like most women, I get this Superwoman-complex and tend to take on way too much. When you work in a creative field, this can be a killer- at least for me. If I’m stressed and running around doing a million things, my creativity gets completely squashed. Unfortunately, I’ve had to learn this the hard way, though.

What advice would you give to an artist just starting out?

I think the best advice for any artist is to just create what you love and most likely, there will be other people out there who love it too! I think the pressure to sell or to become well-known can kind of creep in subtly, so it’s important to regularly check yourself to make sure you are creating work that YOU want to be creating. The creative well dries up pretty quickly if you’re trying to follow trends or opinions of others instead of listening to your own creative voice.

• Audrey Hernandez
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• Veronica Jennings