Today we’d like to introduce you to Shifra Wylder.
Hi Shifra, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I enjoyed creating art as a child. As I got older, this passion never faded. I went to college in my hometown of Boston to study art. I finished out the year of college and moved to California to pursue a modeling career. Eventually, I found my way back to art and worked as a production artist in advertising for 15 years.
Following a family tragedy, I decided to go back to college, get a degree in Psychology, and became an addictions counselor.
Ultimately, after many years, I burned out and had no choice but to rest and heal. During the healing process, I discovered while helping so many others, I’d lost myself. I began taking art classes, attending workshops and was creatively inspired to fulfill that childhood dream of being an artist. I had my first solo exhibit during Covid in November 2020. I had no idea if I would even sell one painting. Eleven paintings sold, so I decided to stick with this art thing!
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?
I believe most artists or creative people do not have a smooth road. In my experience, and I can only speak for myself, tend to transform our pain into beauty and see vision where there is darkness. Being an artist has been a lonely, uncustomary, yet healing and transcendent journey. I find it nearly impossible to hold a typical 9-5 job. It equates to being trapped like a caged animal. Sometimes it’s better for me to rest and recharge even when my bank account is dwindling and the world seems to be shouting its mouth off to “diligently set goals and be productive.” I fully understand this works for some people. I’ve tried countless times. This way doesn’t seem to work for me. It can be exhausting feeling the need to justify an artist’s lifestyle to standard mainstream society. It’s been a slow process learning not to defend, apologize or have to explain myself. I don’t create for validation or approval. I create to purge my heart and soul and to help people heal through art. This is where I find gratification.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I write poetry and have recently written poems to reflect each painting. Viewers will experience the painting and reflected poetry, which will be sold together.
I’ve developed my own style of abstract expressionism. I choose colors I feel and begin to paint without an end result in mind. Each intuitive, abstract creation manifests in its own distinct style. Expressive 3-D textures, bold colors along with metallic and neon acrylic paints stir up deep emotions when diving in and observing the paintings from all angles.
Every painting is a new adventure for me. It becomes its own little journey. Sometimes I feel excitement to start working on a new piece, other times trepidation. I’ve learned to trust and surrender to the process in painting and in life.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I suppose how success is defined determines its qualities or characteristics. I can’t say there’s only one quality or characteristic to my success. I consider completing a painting a success. Selling said painting is certainly profitable. Qualities such as integrity, resilience, adaptability, perseverance, empathy, curiosity, and communication skills are most important to me for continued success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shifrawylder.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulrevivalart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shifra.wylder/
Image Credits
Vincent Panigazzi
