Slow Folks on Creativity and Constructing Art with Meaning
Meet Slow Folks, the artist behind our Willow case. She is a full time illustrator and small business owner whose art is a reflection of the way she views the world.
HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE CONCEPT OF SLOW FOLKS?
Slow Folks came unexpectedly to me at a time when I found life to be moving too fast for my own liking. I used to be so consumed with my work in fast fashion, living in a high rise in the middle of a busy city, doing what a cookie-cutter city girl basically would do. And I started questioning the point of all of it. I needed a personal reminder to take a breather, check in with myself and reevaluate my values. So I created Slow Folks for myself, as a persona, to share my thoughts and my journey to a more mindful, meaningful life.
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE YOUR ART STYLE?
I’m not a trained artist, so my style is very freeform. It’s a reflection of how I think, feel and perceive the world. I usually describe it as a blurred line between abstraction and reality. It’s not trying to go anywhere close to anything realistic and neither is it too abstract for you to not comprehend. I try to make it as effortless as possible but still trying to capture the essence of the message behind it.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU AND YOUR ART?
I get inspired by emotions and philosophies. I always want to make pieces that mean something, to me, at least. So a lot of my work revolves around the realm of feminism, astrology, Yoga, nature and island living as these are what resonates to me the most.
HOW HAS THE NEW NORMAL CHANGED THE WAY YOU CREATE?
I used to be a freelance brand consultant prior to the pandemic and Slow Folks was just a passion project. But through everyone’s support and warmth, I am able to sustain a livelihood out of it through these tough times. So how I treat Slow Folks, and how I create pieces, are now very different than it was. I now have to balance both art and business and make sure that I value both aspects equally. I think my values and the ethos of my persona remain the same, but how I work is what changed a lot.
HOW DO YOU STAY CREATIVE IN THE MIDST OF A PANDEMIC?
I try to find other outlets besides my work. I experiment with new mediums, try new interests, try to learn new skills. That, with a lot of mediation, mind-setting and conversations with like-minded people, can always spark creativity.
WHAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE FOR ASPIRING ARTISTS OR ANYONE WHO WISHES TO BE MORE CREATIVE?
We all have the ability to be creative. We all think differently, feel differently and express ourselves differently. Most of the time, we just need to find the right medium that fits our skills and preference to best express what’s inside of us. Have the courage to try and try and try until you find a medium that works best for you.
