Today we’d like to introduce you to Anaïs Godard.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I grew up in a very small village of France where I built an imaginary world for myself that allowed me to escape some tough times as a child. I quickly understood that stories and creativity have the power to heal and change your experience of the world.
Eager to discover the world I quickly caught the traveling bug and moved to London at 17 with a tooth brush and a note pad. Sensitive to the inequalities could observe in the world I decided to go back to Paris to educate myself. I received a Master’s degree in Journalism and a Masters in Linguistic & Semiotics from La Sorbonne – there I wrote my research thesis on the impact of immersive storytelling on our society and the female representation in the media.
My journey then took me to NYC where I had the chance to sharpen my design skills and storyteller chops apprenticing with my Mentor the multi awarded designer and storyteller Tony Walton (Mary Poppins, Chicago, Guys and Dolls) while working on Broadway for a while. Tony taught me to always listen to your child at heart.
Finally, I landed in L.A. where I worked in TV as a Producer & Host for a few years, where I had the opportunity to observe first-hand the influence that the pop-culture, art, social media and TV have on the world and the place women hold in those media. Strong of those insights, I launched a storytelling platform for kids ANAISMOODS.com to create empathy and I wrote and illustrated my first kids’ book “me I am bidule” (published in 9 languages) a tale about friendship and differences.
In parallel, I co-founded Nasty Women LA (@nastywomenla ) – the Los Angeles Chapter of the Global organization, partnering with the Women’s March, to empower women in the Arts. We hosted 7 thematic conversations with guest panelists around societal issues, and curated the exhibition We Are Nasty Women.
more info about the exhibition and organization here: https://www.laweekly.
Meanwhile, my work as an artist was also showed in Paris and LA, most recently alongside artists like Gary Baseman and Shepard Fairey at WE RISE LA. I keep writing, creating Murals and give Live-painting performances like more recently for the non-profit Echo Society or the MotherShip Festival.
Please tell us about your art.
I have always been a storyteller.
With a background in Semiotics I love to play with symbolism. Combining storytelling, imagery and drawing I try to transform complex universal concepts into relatable stories.
I think overall my work explores the ultimate search for truth and the hidden story of childhood and femininity.
I created ANAISMOODS, the cross generational storytelling platform for kids and children at heart to create empathy. I call my drawings “moods” because each of them is inspired by a feeling, an emotion, or an event of my life. I try to offer content, illustrations, designs to make you smile and see things from another angle.
If I had a motto, I think it would be “it’s our differences that make the difference” which is the last sentence of my kids’ book “Me I am Bidule” – the story of a rejected little monster who eats colors.
I am not sure why I create, I just know I need to, it gives me balance and keeps me sane in our crazy times. I try to tell another story than the one we hear in the medias. I am not sure what I’ll make tomorrow, and I am looking forward to see where my artist journey takes me. Today I focus on writing my first Novel love painting the female forms (anaisgodard.com) and I enjoy exploring big scales. I paint mainly from home, or on walls people offer to me (garage doors, living rooms, bedrooms, building walls).
I think for me the key is consistency, whether it is writing, painting or drawing, a little bit everyday goes a long way to change the narrative of our society and maybe help make tomorrow a better place.
What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
I don’t think the conditions for artists have ever been great and we all know of amazingly talented artists living in precarious situations. That being said with the ongoing threats to the artist conditions and the art budget cuts our government has approved I feel the desire to come together for artists has rarely been so strong.
Artists are using their voices to be change-makers and rewrite the narrative of our society.
On top of it a truthful consumerism trend is taking place; corporations are being held accountable, and the public’s positive impact expectations are pushing businesses to go into introspection and to change their ways.
I would love to see more Social and Art Platforms/groups (like nasty women LA) get closer to consulting firms and brands for them to act as incubators gathering their insights to implement them (e.g. Adelante Movement/ Coca Cola, UN Women & Chanel partnership…) and make tomorrow a more socially equal world.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I recently showed in Paris and LA, most recently alongside artists like Gary Baseman and Shepard Fairey at WE RISE.
I also create residential Murals and I am always excited to give Live-painting performances during events & concerts (most recently the non-profit Echo Society, Mothership Festival, LA concerts). Christmas is coming and if you have kids around you my kids’ book “Me, I am BIDULE” is available on amazon in 9 languages. It’s a hopeful tale on friendship and difference.
I developed iPhone Interactive stickers/emojis with Apple, best seller on the apple store – you can download them here: https://itunes.apple.
I also have an online shop with my anaismoods illustration. https://
I just started a new venture painting colorful mural on garage door “bringing joy to the neighborhood one garage door at a time”. I have had overwhelming feedbacks from people taking a stroll in my hood, and I’d love to do more of those and invite people to get in touch with me if they are interested in bringing a touch of color to their garage doors or outdoor walls!
I just want to draw on stuff, if you have a shop with a wall that needs love, a cafe with stools waiting to be drawn on, a garage door, a restaurant wall or just a chair you want me to pimp, I’m your girl.
And of course
Contact Info:
- Website: www.anaisgodard.com / shop https://society6.com/
anaismoodswww.AnaisMoods.com / Amazon link of my kids book: https://www.amazon.com/ Me-am-Bidule-Ana%C3%AFs- Godard/dp/0692582614 / - Instagram: @anaismoods & @nastywomenla
- Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/anaismoods - Other: my emojis: https://itunes.apple.
com/us/app/anaismoods- stickers-by-ana%C3%AFs-godard/ id1162267054?mt=8
Image Credit:
Sophie Hamel, Amanda Lopez
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