Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Collet.
Hi Emily, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
After graduation, I thought neuroscience was my path. It didn’t take long until I realized it was not at all what I wanted to pursue and changed my major to psychology. Another year goes by, and decide to take a year off from school. I honestly had no idea what I wanted as a career. While spending lots of time at home over the winter season I received a drawing tablet from my brother as a Christmas gift. My creativity was reignited. I began making all sorts of doodles, graphics, and even logos for people. It caused me to rethink my path, and I saw that art was always in the picture.
Currently, I have an LLC for my art and am working towards pursuing that full-time. Along with an associate’s degree in Graphic Design and a few freelance gigs under my belt. I am excited for where this path will take me next.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road has felt nonexistent sometimes, kinda like off-roading. But each bump big or small has taught me a valuable lesson. While thinking about the obstacles encounter, I’ve realized they’re majorly caused by my own self. I believe we are all capable of achieving our dreams. Half of my battle has been tearing down the walls of perfection and accepting the mistakes along the way.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Recently I’ve been working with acrylic paints and creating smaller functional pieces of art. My most recent ideas have been hand-painted bookmarks with an addition of a fabric backing and handmade journal/book covers with a painted addition. My grandmother was a fabric artist, and she created these beautiful journal covers for me and my cousins. I was lucky enough to inherit her fabrics and plan to continue the work she started. Aside from making art for others, I also have a deep love of doing it for myself. Art to me is a release, a way to express myself in a way that words won’t. I have been working on a series of paintings I like to call ‘Rainbows of Emotions.’ This is a series of self-portraits expressing the raw emotion I am unable to put into words. I want it to represent the ever-changing emotions we feel. Too many of us are ignoring our own feelings and sometimes others as well because that’s how we were taught. I hope to break that norm and create a new norm by starting conversations about it.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Although I cannot pinpoint a specific memory, I will always remember creating various forms of art with my grandmother. She passed away when I was 12, so the memories are a little vague. I specifically remember creating like drawings on those etching boards. The ones where you have a wooden tool to scrape off a black film revealing a shiny array of colors underneath, making every stroke appear like a rainbow of colors. I thought it was like magic. My grandmother also introduced me to painting as well as pastel. I believe pastel was one of her favorites to play around with aside from quilting. The vibrancy it holds and the ability to be smudged across the page made it a perfect tool.
I will always cherish the time I was able to spend with her and still believe she’s painting with me today.
Contact Info:
- Website: emilycollet.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/smilez_creative?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Image Credits
Emily Collet
