Episode 59: Artist Spotlight: Giving Yourself Permission to Chase Creativity with Ann Wood

Listen to mixed-medium artist Ann Wood talk about her international exhibit and how she keeps herself inspired and challenged with her art.

Have you ever found yourself in a creative rut? Found yourself no longer joyful with your work, but simply slogging through? Maybe you’re having difficulty even imagining a different way to do things. Maybe you have a dream to chase, but the risks seem too big.

If that sounds familiar, we have perfect inspiration for you! 

In this episode of Paper Talk, we chatted with Ann Wood of Woodlucker studio. She is the amazing mixed-medium artist behind a plethora of hyperreal insects, feathers, vegetables, fruit, and flowers. These incredible creations have been featured in many publications including Martha Stewart Living, as well as NPR’s Cultivating Place podcast. Her dream to create a massive botanical wall led to her current exhibition at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag in the Netherlands.

Here’s what you’ll learn when you tune in:

• Find the confidence to break boundaries and take risks with your art.
• Get inspired by the depth and breadth of Ann’s experience, and how she actively molds her journey to keep her work challenging and interesting. 
• Let yourself dream of the endless possibilities our medium provides.
• And finally, you’ll get a glimpse of the magic behind transporting, installing, and putting together an international museum exhibit.

Our conversation also touched on the beauty of slowing down and connecting with nature. Ann spoke beautifully about noticing all of the amazing little details we get to dissect as botanical artists, and of the emotional meaning and memories individuals bring to flowers. 

Listen now to get inspired and start dreaming of your next creative adventure. Ann summed up her inspiring optimism when she said this: “I think this is a movement of the paper art, especially the paper florals. This is a new movement. And it’s exciting to be part of, ‘What are the possibilities that are available for all of us to dream up in the next ten years?’”