There are sides of ourselves that aren't welcome in polite society, thoughts and feelings too dark to share. When we recognise them expressed in art, we feel less alone.

- Rick Rubin

Looks like you’re a little curious…

That’s good. Great even. I’m happy to tell you a little about myself.

My name is Liberty. Lib for short. I’m the face behind this art.

I hope you’ve enjoyed it so far. And if not, it’s subjective, right? That’s the fun of it.

I’ll be transparent here. I never understood why art always had to have meaning. Most of my life I just wanted to make things that I liked the look of. I still do that, but as I painted and experienced more of life, my art has become my outlet.

Sometimes there are things we can’t explain through words alone.

So, consider my art as a diary entry. My mark on this world. My unique human experience.

I encourage you to feel as you wish about my work. If it evokes emotion in you - amazing! If you love the aesthetics - great! If you hate it all - even better - what’s a world without disagreement and unique tastes?

"Art is above and beyond judgement. It either speaks to you or it doesn't." - Rick Rubin

You’ll see some of my work touches on grief. It’s the only experience every human will certainly go through, yet the one that no one really likes to talk about.

Well, I’ll happily express and talk about it here.

I lost my beautiful mother at 21 years old. It was very sudden and completely unexpected. I was with her when it happened.

She was my only parent, my soulmate, twin, best friend, and undoubtedly the best person to ever exist. We did everything together. And I feel completely broken without her.

Immediately after she passed, the only thing that brought me peace was to paint her. And in this time, I painted my piece ‘A Daughter’s Memory’.

It was comforting to have time and space completely dedicated to my memory and feeling of her.

I also love talking about her. So for me, this kept her alive in my own little way.

I’ll never stop talking about her and I’ll never stop painting her. I like to think she lives on through my eyes but also through my art.

And my hope is to bring a slight comfort to those who have lost someone. I hope it evokes emotion. Good or bad. Both are a part of the process.

Quite frankly I don't want to be here without my mother. But here I am.

So I guess I should tell you a little about myself. What I get up to and what I try to live by.

Throughout my life I’d always wanted to try new skills, hobbies, and sport, but somehow I had the belief that I was too old already and I should’ve started when I was younger.

Then I realised I was a complete idiot.

There’s a lovely quote by Zig Ziglar that says “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Now, I sometimes call myself a hobby-hoarder. I’ll try anything I can, no matter my skill level, as long as I enjoy it. This definitely comes from my mother.

Practicing these hobbies has taught me that you don’t need to be good at something to enjoy it, and that practice really does make perfect. Funny that.

Navigating through my twenties and the (very early) grief of my mother, I’ve learnt there is no use doing what other people tell you is best for you.

David Bowie once said “Never work for other people”.

I have spent years pleasing others with my education, career path, and way of living. Even though the entire time I’ve known exactly what I’ve wanted to do - pursue my art.

Taking this jump was scary. Terrifying even. But here’s another great quote that helped me - ”It feels scary because it’s unfamiliar, not because I’m incapable.”

I’ve wasted valuable time. But I’m here now.

And if there’s one thing I can leave you with, it’s this:

“Don’t give up on something you can’t go a day without thinking about.”

In the past I’ve let my practical side dampen my creativity. I’ve thought too hard about marketing that I’ve forgotten to create.

I pigeon holed myself. I got too hung up on the idea of having a recognisable ‘style’.

And I discovered, unsurprisingly, that to find your style you have to explore all styles. Which I wasn’t doing.

To pick a style is to define. And as Oscar Wilde once said “to define is to limit”. And that’s exactly what I did. I ended up not creating for years as I discarded any idea I had that was outside my ‘style’. Because of this, you’ll never see what ‘style’ I chose because I never bloody made anything. Or everything I did make, I never finished. As you can see with this painting I'm holding here...

The most creative I have ever been was when I had no expectation and was creating for my own satisfaction, exploring any avenue I wanted. Regardless of whatever success could follow.

I’ve promised myself to keep doing this. So what if something fails? If it felt right to make it at the time, then it was right. That’s the only thing that matters.

One of my absolute favourite films is La La Land. There is a scene where Mia encourages Sebastian to open his own jazz bar. She tells him “people love what other people are passionate about”.

And I believe that to be true.

So, I’ve mentioned a few things I try to live by but every day I keep coming back to this one quote by Theodore Roosevelt:

Comparison is the thief of joy.

This may feel like a cliché. I'm sure you've heard it many times before. But this quote has helped ground me more than anything else I've ever heard.

Other people's progress doesn't mean you're behind.

Other people's beauty doesn't make you ugly.

Other people's intelligence doesn't make you less smart.

Other people's opportunities don't limit your own potential.

Other people's strength doesn't make you weak.

Other people's success doesn't make you unsuccessful.

Other people's life doesn't make yours boring.

It fits every aspect of life, especially in this new age of social media. Most of us are constantly comparing our lowlights to everyone’s highlights. And when it comes to art, comparing your ideas to existing pieces can kill your idea in an instant.

Everything in life is unique and subjective.

That is the beauty of the human experience.