Life as a freelance artist/ artistic director/ props master/ event coordinator/ teacher/ writer/ hea
Hello, my name is Alexis. I thank you for getting this far and to even begin to read my blog. I never thought I would actually blog, but I feel like this is a right path for myself right now. I will blog about my life, what I do and create, and how I survive and heal myself in this world, as an artist. I am in the process of healing right now, hence writing a blog. So bare with me- here is a short introduction of what I do in life. Before I start, I want to remind you all that I am NOT just all these physical aspects. I am not just my jobs or my art. There are levels to being human, and I’m going to just start here for now.
Freelance artist, artistic director, props master, event coordinator, writer, teacher, healer, and empath but most of all, feeler.
Well, that’s a lot of hats to uphold… but this is the way I feel so full. Sometimes full of joy, other times full of stress- but also full of lessons and perspectives and sometimes I feel like I’m full of shit because I’m only a 23 (almost 24 year old!!) trying to make a difference in this world using only the tools I have thus far on my journey of life. Art was a language I could always speak, so as a kid I kinda knew this was my calling, if you can call it that. This definitely also wasn’t something I was handed to on a silver platter. I worked and cried and hated it then absolutely knew I had to do this- and now I know I deserve to be where I am today, even though I had no clue it would be here!
Am I happy with where I am? Hell yea-- I created some crazy and wonderful things at only 23. I mean, I’m not famous for anything or rich by any means but I have accomplished things I never thought I would of by this age. It is always a great feeling when you dream of things and how things might look or sound or feel and literally bring it to life. I think that is where magic comes from... From our visions. From the stories in our brains that make their way of of our fingertips or our tongues. It is art. That’s why when people ask what I do, I initially say I make art. First off, it leaves people a tad confused because when you say you are JUST an “artist” people make you out to be a crazy weirdo painter who really doesn’t have a job. But then I explain that I do an array of things (then I explain to them the various companies/projects I work with) and how I put my art in everything I do. I make my “jobs” pleasurable by making it my art.
One thing I always wanted to do was create my own performance art company and what has happened already with it is truly unbelievable. I have created platforms and safe spaces for artists and people of all types to showcase their own art and give them a reason to raise their voices. I also created a vision of mine that has been lingering in the walls of my mind for a while now, Symmetrical. It is a story of my life, technically. It started off as poetry I wrote in all stages of my life. From when I first learned who I was, from learning the truth of this world, to understanding my empathy and fighting with my anxiety due to the crudeness of this world. To finally coming to terms with what the world really is; a balance of light and dark. And that is initially how I live my life now. Still suffering, because life can be sad. But not lingering in my own suffering. Letting it go- pass by and keep living.
Each job I do, ends. As a freelance artist- every project comes to somewhat of an ending. I open and close many shows. I create sets and strike them just a few weeks later. I teach a whole group of kids and watch them graduate to the next grade. It seems like it is a very depressing thing, but I think I am kinda sorta a bit okay at letting go (I like to tell myself that). I need to get better at that with letting go of my crafting supplies and props…… but it is all a learning process, right?
