An Inspired Chat with Ners Neonlumberjack of Channel Islands

Ners Neonlumberjack shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Ners, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
My most loved places don’t have trails, the favorite of which being Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness. You find yourself there by a plethora of choices, as you have to want it. Once there you choose a spot on the horizon that’s of interest, or lead yourself around the most manageable path as you feel along in your essence. One can walk unobstructed for hours in any direction. Others have likely been to the same place that you’re stepping on many times, but you can’t tell, and your mindset is intrinsically different.
I don’t go there with an exact purpose, but that isn’t without the idea of a goal or direction. Perhaps walking a path I’d be able to take in more, quicker, and experience the same things that a multitude of others have. That usually doesn’t interest me as much, and I then get to share my experience with others in ways they may have never seen or thought about before. Leading them on their own path, or wandering if they so choose.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Creating in nature, on nature, about nature. Primarily marrying painting with sculpture, I have the privilege of being surrounded by the vastness and beauty of the American landscape full time. Ebb and flow from two-dimensional and three-dimensional art allows for my works to be inspired by the landscapes in which they are created, and to reference one another.
The materials I choose to work with are either found in the landscapes that I inhabit, or referenced from them. Antlers, bone, logs, stone, are my canvas. If and when I work on canvas or paper, the aforementioned are subjects.

Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
Environments that we call home can be detrimental to our soul. From the gray, beige, dark plastic, asphalt enrobed exteriors, faux wood, off-white, cold steel interiors, we find ourselves being separated further in sight and experience of natural spaces. Of course when one goes to touch grass it feels wonderful. When’s the last time that you touched a leaf? If you can’t remember, firstly go make yourself a salad at minimum, or go outside and admire the astonishingly complex plant that is hopefully not greatly far from your door.
Our public spaces and public lands are so important to our restoration to closeness to each other and our world. Treelined sidewalks, park benches, and leisurely cafe patios that invite you to linger should not be taken for granted. If one has the means to explore a destination park and beautiful open space without an itinerary the benefit is expanded.

What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
Perhaps it’s not readily apparent in greater context, but the most famous artists that I have ever learned about through public education or pursuit of my own has struggled with some aspect of mental illness. Part of that fun club I am. Depression is a constant within myself. To think that some have never experienced it and correlate being sad with being depressed blows my mind. What a world that must be! I am very open with my audience about my personal history of suicidal ideation, and the reasons I am still here. Most see that in a positive light, if they can relate, or understand the benefits of my creation as overcoming my darkest moments. My primary care doctors and therapists, not so much, as they aren’t as keen to chuckle writing in their notepads.
Always it has been a wonder to me how art therapy as a profession works, and why I’m not cured. I mean, how much art do I have to make before I’m good!? Creating is cathartic. Intense periods of creation due to a deadline or mania, or a reprieve from the existential dread and devouring of energy that depression provides usually comes out with an artwork or idea that I can share with the world. Seeing the time periods in which I create the most, and least, let me know that my art is deeply rooted in my experience with depression and suicidality. The themes and visuals of which only occasionally apparent, persisting nonetheless.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What do you believe is true but cannot prove?
Communism will win in the end.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I am astoundingly appreciative that my parents did not discourage me from becoming an artist. They did not exactly encourage it, but I’ll see it as a win. I’ll say it a thousand times, but everyone is born an artist. One by one they are told they can’t/shouldn’t/won’t or simply warned that they will starve if that is what they choose. Glad I am stubborn in this way. My day job as a National Park Ranger is a reverent way of not starving, and only adds to my ability to create art in the ways that I choose.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.neonlumberjack.com
• Instagram: neonlumberjack