Inspiring Conversations with Teri Shagoury of Whispering Truth

Today we’d like to introduce you to Teri Shagoury.

Hi Teri, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. 
I don’t remember wanting to be an artist—I only loved creating with colors, drawing, and trying to express myself and ideas through imagery. I enjoy learning new techniques and playing with products to see how they might be incorporated into my work. No matter where I’ve lived, I have always carved out a space dedicated to creating. I suppose all of that qualifies me as an artist. 

I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and went to UC Davis, where I majored in Studio Art. I was lucky to study with Wayne Thiebaud and William T. Wiley. In 1976, I moved to Syria and married there. I taught many subjects and levels at the American school in Damascus. On my own, I continued to develop my art skills. While living in Damascus, God called me to Him and then surprisingly asked me for my art talent. However odd that sounds, I agreed and my imagery started to change. I had no idea about making art for God, so I just tried different things. When I moved back to southern California in 2012, I discovered mixed media, journaling and worked to develop a creative voice that felt authentic. 

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?
When I moved back to California from Syria, I discovered mixed media and a load of new products that I had never used. I worked on my own, watched tons of YouTube videos. It took me a while to find other artists of faith. At the time it was a revelation to discover there were other artists committed to expressing abstract concepts about biblical truth—and a relief! I no longer worked in isolation. Frankly, I had a very cautious attitude about being an artist of faith, but I began to pay attention to the kinds of images that kept coming to me, and that helped me clarify my art goals. 

Creating art, for me, is an act of obedience. I want my art to speak, to cut to something that bypasses words. In my art, I want to communicate ideas and concepts that I feel when I am pondering scripture. An image will come to me, which I jot on a post it. I start with color and mark making to see where it leads or scribble a prayer with a brush and wash of color as the first marks of a painting. My work contains many layers, creating history on the canvas or paper, which is an evolution of my response to ideas I have about God and his relation to us. It is not always a straightforward process. Frequently, I employ contemporary metaphors to help contrast the wisdom of the world with the hidden wisdom of God. 

We’ve been impressed with Whispering Truth, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Moving from just creating to having art as a business has occupied much of my time the last few years—it has felt like a sabbatical in technology and marketing! 

I first thought of having a blog, which lead to creating a website. I really knew nothing about that, but I set my mind to learning how to build one. It took me about two years to make one I was proud of, and was learning to write blogs. 

I realized that my mindset was in no way entrepreneurial and that it took so much mental energy for me to figure out how all the pieces of a business worked together–I attended seminars and conferences and got coaches who helped me understand how all the moving parts worked to promote a business. Then, the hurdle of promotion was a wall that I could not climb, and being an introvert, I had no desire to attempt. 

But by this time, I had stacks of canvases, panels, folders of papers—full of artwork. I realized I was running out of room and space to create. So, I thought maybe I should sell art…then I needed a new website and more coaching, not to mention using social media to promote and market, not just share. Although necessary, it took me away from the joy of creating. 

My biggest challenge is to balance creating and marketing. I like showing my work and speaking about what motivates me. 

In the art I create, I work to communicate ideas, concepts, and emotions that I feel when I am pondering scripture. Sometimes I dwell on a passage for days or weeks at a time, reading it over and over again, daily. The idea for an image will come to me, or I will just start with color and mark-making to see where it leads. I may even scribble prayers loosely with a brush and a wash of color as the first layer related to the subject on my mind. Most of my work is very layered so there is a history that occurs on the canvas or paper that is an evolution of my response to readings and ideas that I have about God and his relation to us. It is not always a straightforward process! Once I have a pretty good idea about the direction and techniques I need to finish, then the work progresses. When possible, I like to choose images that are contemporary or to take a contemporary approach to making the images. 

I find that I am fascinated with moments in time—moments that signal change, growth, and about face. I like to dwell on the moment on the mountain when the disciples realized they were getting a glimpse of Glory, or the moment when the work on the cross was just finished, or when time will reach its fulfillment. Last year I spent time considering glory—I suspect that glory is mobile, moving about, landing for a while and moving on. Every now and then, we may get a taste or a feeling, and then it will move on to touch someone else’s life. 

I like to teach and share about what I do and believe. Art provides a vehicle to do this. 

I hope people will find art on my website that resonates with them, and I will work with anyone to help them understand the kinds of art, prints, and merchandise that are available. I also do commission work which is very rewarding. 

How do you define success?
For me, success is living true to my values and purpose. I want to use the gifts God gave me to bless others. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.terishagouryart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teri.shagoury
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whisperingtruth
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teri-shagoury-47445a27