Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Williams.
Hi Julie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
As an artist and designer never thought I was interested in teaching until I tried it. I was learning how creativity could be a tool for wellness and healing when I came across two opportunities, one working with Youth in Foster Care and one teaching public art to 3rd graders. With the help of several wonderful mentors, I found I loved connecting with people through art and saw firsthand the power of creative focus to calm the mind. Those jobs lead me to the world of mosaic, public art and community-based collaborative art projects with a variety of non-profit organizations. I am currently bringing drawing and journaling workshops to medical workers as a means for them to process the pandemic and reduce stress. My own artistic practice is informed and inspired by working with students, the more I push them, the more I push myself to get my ideas out of my head and into the world
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Feelings of vulnerability often go hand in hand with creative expression. It took some time for me to learn how to create a safe space that allows for discovery and dialog and avoids negative judgments, for myself and my students. That is always a work in progress. Working with populations that have experienced trauma requires you to be flexible and put the needs of the students first. Working at non-profits can be so rewarding and enlivening but it has its challenges, there is never enough time, space or money. It is important to take care of your own well being along the way.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I balance my time between working as a community teaching artist and my own studio practice. I work in many forms and materials, primarily mosaics and drawing, and I love using found and recycled materials to reinvent the familiar into new and inviting objects. My mosaic sculptures are made from broken plates pushing the hard material to appear soft. My sketches and cartoon drawings are about accessing memory, getting the hand moving and seeing what shows up on the page. My (almost) daily practice of drawing is a loose and playful counterpoint to the time and tediousness of three-dimensional mosaic making. I have woven drawing exercises into much of my teaching with teens and adults as an accessible entry point for generating creative ideas and projects. For myself and my students I preach endlessly that the experience is what we are after, the resulting art is a bonus.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Organizing is my superpower and I love transforming chaos into beautiful flow. People are often surprised that an artist can be good at planning, organizing and project management. It comes so naturally to me, I often stop to reorganize the shelves at stores.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jwilliams.art/
- Instagram: juliewilliamsart
- Facebook: Julie Williams Art
