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"Soaring to Success" Interview ...
Interviews of Artists, Writers & Photographers....
their work, creative spaces & techniques!
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Mixed Media Artist from North Carolina
...Andrea Saccone Snyder
1. Introduce
yourself..
Hi all, I am
Andrea (Saccone) Snyder I currently live
in Pittsboro, NC (Chapel Hill, Raleigh Durham area) USA .....I LOVE CREATING ANYTHING!! But mostly I am a mixed Media Painter. I have been a hairstylist for 21 yrs and and
artist all of my life.
2. When did
you know you wanted to be an artist, writer or photographer?
I have always known myself as an artist deep
down. As a child I was most content with
paper and crayons or markers in front of me.
The feeling of the blank page and the endless possibilities was like a
magical world waiting to be opened and I held the only key! As a
young adult I decided to major in Fine Art in college as it was one of two
interests I had...the other being psychology/social work. I went
to school for a few years then met and fell in love with my now
artist/musician husband and somewhere in there decided I could paint anytime,
what I wanted was a real job.
I come from a family of hairstylist's and my
mother owned a salon at the time. My
plan was to leave school for a year, get my cosmetology license and return to
school and work some for her salon. (It was a local college). I never went back to college. I put all of my
creativity and psychology skills into hairstyling and now 21 yrs later I am the
owner of my own salon. As an adult like
so many of us, I put the idea of me being a full fledged artist on the
backburner as I thought I needed to make a living doing something else. (head hung in shame) I fell for the lies..."that we cannot
REALLY make a living doing art".
And honestly I, like many women subjugated my own creativity and myself
and I lived through my husbands dreams for his own art. I decided he was the real artist.
Fortunately l did chose a career that I could
be creative which SAVED me. But as you might expect...mid life
"opportunity"/ BURNOUT....set in recently...and after a much needed
period of rest and reflection I made a soul saving decision to commit to myself
and my future to my own art.
YAY!!!!
3. What are
your fears? How have you faced
them?
I have spent the last 20 yrs being ruled by my
fears. I have been through an extensive
process of recovering myself. I have
read every how to get unblocked, self
help/creativity book, talked to my friends and family till I was blue in the
face. I have sat in sweat lodges, by
ritual fires, gone on solo pilgrimages.
Givin my husband hell (love u hon).
And finally.... I awoke and I realized.
I am the ONLY one who can change my life. Projecting, transferring, whining and being
scared has not done a thing for me. AND I'm 40 now!!!! No time to waste. All of the trite but true
sayings...I will fail for sure if I don't ever try. I plan on realizing deeply what I KNOW to be
true. I am an artist and an artist need
to create. I will fall, but I am STRONG
and I will get up and get over the inevitable hurdles. Nothing could be worse
than what I had already put myself through. Even falling can be fun when your
on the right path. I HAVE to believe in
myself if I think anyone else is going to.
My soul, my family and friends and the world will all be better off if I
am a happy full filed creative woman with a purpose and a paintbrush!!
4. What makes
you different…unique from others?
Everything I have ever been through or
experienced in my life makes me different than others. No two of us on this big blue ball have knelt
at the same graves, kissed the same lips or been inspired by the same
beauty. AND at the same time we are so
much all the same (dare I say the same being in different disguises) being
human is our common thread.
I am a bit of
a philosopher/mystic type trapped in an Italian girl next door kind of body.
You can find
more of my musings atwww.flowgrldesigns.blogspot.com
FlowGirlDesigns.blogspot.com or WWW.AndreaSnyderFlowGirlDesignsfacebook.comFacebook Andrea Snyder(FlowGirlDesigns) www.FlowGirlDesigns.blogspot.com
www.FlowGirlDesigns.etsy.com
at FlowGirlDesigns
5. Any
secrets to reveal about the tools you use or your techniques? Tips or tricks? What makes your art special?
In my recent work. I take a common theme. The vessel and infuse
it with life thru my painting
process. This process I think is
unique. I am back to playing with
crayons!! Most Encaustic (wax painting)
is done with a resin/ beesewax /pigmant and the layers are fused with
heat. Thus the term Encaustic which
means (to fuse) I paint with waxes /
oils/ graphite/ watercolor and
collage. Some of the wax and some of the pigment I uses comes from
melting crayons along with beeswax/ soy wax.
I started working this way one night when I was bored wit my
materials. I watched a few U tube videos
about encaustic and decided to try it myself.
I heated things in an old pot on the stove and dove in head first...not
into the wax on the stove...but into this new medium!!!!! I was IN LOVE...I have been experimenting
ever since!!!
6. What are
your goals & inspirations? Where
will you hope to be in 2 years? 5
years? 10 years?
I hope to be supplementing my income and
eventually get out from behind the(salon)chair a few more days a week. In 5-10 yrs I hope to have a happy balance of
art and beauty in my life and be making an abundant living doing so. One day I may just make my life about my art
and allow the salon to be run by staff.
7. Where is
your creative space or studio?
A few years
back I was fortunate to be able to put a studio in the house we built. I share it with my husband. I still would like to get messier than I
do...but I am SO grateful to finally have a beautiful space to call my own!!
I am inspired
by so many books and quotes, a few of my fav's are...".Be the change you wish
to see in the world" ( a lesson
hard learned in my life...still sinking in one day at a time) "Everything you seek is
within"…..Eckart Tolle's Power Of Now
for a reminder of what's real and important
8.How much
time do you devote to your work? (Is it
at same time everyday? Are you disciplined to go into your studio at 9:00am
every morning? Or do you wait until you
are in a creative mood?)
I try to spend almost everyday off in the
studio or doing something with my new blog or something like the e-class. I no
longer run useless errands just to distract myself from my true callings...fear
has made me buy way too many pairs of shoes and throw pillows.....I like
morning best. After I drop my son at
school I come home and have a quiet house for a few hours( my husband keeps
late hrs and sleeps late) . 6 good hrs
during the day. (unless I have a real
errand or appt) Pick up my son...hang with him.. dinner...family and maybe I can get a few hrs at night if I'm
not too tired. I am really trying hard to
not be in the salon and wishing I was in the studio. I want to be present for my clients. And in the here and NOW. This is why the balance is so important. Got to fill the well.
9. What are
your “whispers” or callings begging you to do?
(Paint, write a book, sell your items on-line) What made you decide to take this e-course
with Kelly Rae Roberts? What do you want to achieve?
There are so many possibilities opening up
recently. I just got introduced to a PR
agent who is helping keep me on track. I am going to launch a Kickstarter
campaign to help me raise funds for printing supplies to get my online business
going (Etsy) I have always had a book idea about the beauty industry so now to
think about the possibility of an art book is exciting but a bit
overwhelming. We will see. I decided to
do the e-course because the timing was perfect.
I had just committed to my journey but need a road map!! Now I have it!! I am locked and loaded!
10. Do you
keep a daily journal or sketchbook, or write in a diary?
I am on again off again with my journals...I
log dreams, and musings...writing about book ideas and creative ideas. doodles sketches etc...the idea of art
journaling is pretty new to me. Mine have never been as elaborate as those I
have seen recently.. Old school I guess.
I love to see peoples works. I
need more time to do that next!
11. How do
you market yourself? How do you plan to get “the word” out there??
I just started my blog in July. Etsy just before that and still want to get
great photos and prints of my newest originals before I sell them. I plan on selling on Etsy (Prints and
originals eventually). I am going to
make my salon a bit more boutiquy and
feature my own and others art. Galleries
too. I have not done any advertising
besides FB and word of mouth.
12. What type
of music (if any) do you listen to when you create?
Sometimes I listen to music in the studio
anything and everything....well no rap or hard rock beats...soothing or
energetic in an inspiring way. Not an oh
god shoot me kind of way! Sometimes I
like the silence. Sometimes a podcast or
radio talk show. LOVE Hay House radio
13. Who is
your favorite artist, photographer, author? …
In other words, who do you admire, and look up to?
Kelly Rae now that I found her. My husband is a very inspiring man and my
biggest champion. I love Deepak Chopra,
Eckart Tolle, Carl Jung. I have always loved Monet...mostly his winter
scenes. Mary Cassatte, Degas just to name a few.
14. Are you
encouraged to follow your creative path by your family or friends?
YES!!
YES!! YES!!
15. How do
come up with titles for your
work…?
Going within and letting the work speak. Silence helps.
16. Do you
work on one project at a time ..or have several going on at a time?
I work on several projects at a time...
Thank you Andrea for agreeing to do this interview. It is so inspiring to read about all the things you are up to and involved with. I wish you tons of success.. with the enthusiasum you have and the plans set in place, I'm sure you will soar to great heights!!
Thanks so much for participating! ...Joan
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