Today we’d like to introduce you to Shay Holloway.
Hi Shay, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve been creative my whole life. My creativity just looked different when I was younger. Instead of painting and creating art, I wrote poetry and short stories, and always had a craft project going. I really enjoyed using my hands to create things…still do.
I didn’t actually start painting until around 2019—that was the first time I ever picked up a paint brush, and the rest, as they say…is history. No, but seriously I picked up painting in 2019 and from that year until now I just immersed myself in art and the creative community around me.
I’d say I got to where I am today through endless curiosity, a belief that I can create the life that I want, and patience. All those things coupled with clarity about who I am and what I want, networking, and taking risks has really created a foundation for the things that I’ve been able to do up til now.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not! A big struggle, something that continues to be something that I work on has been patience. I feel like each layer of my growth has required me to develop more and more patience. It’s a pattern that goes like this: I have an idea or a desire for change in a certain aspect of my journey, I do the internal work of sifting through any mental barriers or resistance, then that’s when the actual hard work starts…waiting. The Universe continuously requests my patience before any shifts happen.
I’m grateful for those moments when I’m called to practice patience though. Those moments help me truly get grounded in the faith that I have in myself and helps me grow not only as an artist, but as a person who just happens to be an artist.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create colorful contemporary abstract art. I’m known for my use of vibrant colors, repeating patterns, and overall fun designs. My work aligns with folks who like to drench their spaces in color or are just an eccentric collector of fun art! I create work that feels fun, and reflects how I move through the world—whimsical and intuitively.
The thing that I’m most proud of is a mural that I painted in an Airbnb not long ago. It was the most amazing project I could have ever done. Prior to getting the opportunity to do that mural, I had turned down so many other projects or just didn’t apply to calls for murals because I wanted a project that I could do MY WAY. With the Airbnb mural I was given complete creative freedom. Freedom with a project is something that I value. I don’t mind being given a couple of conditions or guidelines but ultimately I want to just be let loose and trusted to allow creative energy to flow through me. The client trusted me enough to allow me that freedom.
That project felt like culmination of staying true to myself, having patience, and faith that my ideal project would actually come along…and it did! The mural is still in the space, the client loves it, and I couldn’t be happier about that experience or the work I that I produced.
I think what sets me apart from others is my perspective on being an artist and carving out your own path. I’m not afraid to take risks, even if that means taking a perceived loss sometimes. Nothing is truly a loss if you end up learning something from the experience. Sometimes I feel like when I see everybody going one way, I take a right turn to go explore something else simply because who says we all have to go the same direction?
More than anything, I trust myself when making any and all decisions, even if it doesn’t seem to make sense from the outside looking in. The dedication to being my authentic self no matter how others perceive me is what makes me different.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I like this question, it’s something I’ve asked myself and thought about a lot. I define success as being able to do everything that you enjoy and doing so with joy, freedom, and ease.
I feel like if you asked me “How do you measure success”, my answer would be different because defining something and measuring something are different…but you didn’t ask me that so that’s an answer for another time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.artgirlshay.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/artgirlshay
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/artgirlshay
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shayholloway
