An Interview with the Artist — Maria P Tuttle
The following was inspired by Julia Cameron’s course in discovering and recovering the creative self titled The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Creativity. Some of the questions are drawn directly from the journaling exercises that I completed during the course. Maria Tuttle interviews Maria Tuttle about being an artist. The interview took place on June 25, 2021 at 6:55 am PST in pajamas, slippers, and coffee.
MT (interviewer): When did you know you wanted to be an artist?
Maria (interviewee): Probably earlier than I know. I think back to a time when I was new to this country. I was nothing but a cute and mostly shy kid because of the language barrier and the general sense of feeling out of place. I came to the States when I was very young; my mother remarried and so we immigrated from Colombia. I remember not wanting to go outside, but rather wanting to stay in the classroom to finish my painting. The teacher recognized that I was totally engrossed in what I was doing and was kind enough to let me be. Maybe then I realized there was something soothing and safe about making a painting. I always was a very independent and self-directed kid. I guess I knew what was best for me even if grownups got it wrong.
MT: Who are your artist champions?
Maria: Mostly people who aren’t alive. I have been a very big reader since I was a kid. I loved those books that listed all of the Catholic saints or all of the Greek and Roman gods or even all of the US presidents. Anything I could read about how people lived and what they did, I wanted to know about them to see what I could learn. Independent, one-of-a-kind women for example: Virginia Woolf, Georgia O’Keefe, Frida Khalo, Judy Chicago, Guerrilla Girls, loads of truly great champions who were completely fearless. But, I am not really answering your question. It’s totally tough for me to answer because so few of my closest friends and family genuinely understand how important it is for me to be creative and make art. It’s not something that is nurtured when you grow up in a working-class family. As a woman and a woman of color, you have to really make a stand if you want to do something that butts up against convention.
“Making art is probably the truest expression of who I am.”
Point Pinole
MT: Who are the enemies of your creativity?
Maria: Myself and bad teachers. I need the most help easing up on judging my own skills and talents. And, if you add a bad teacher to this poison, total paralysis. I have dedicated a large part of my professional career to being a really safe and nurturing teacher because I worked with a lot of underserved communities. Some teachers are just bad news to students who struggle to trust themselves or lack the support at home. I teach in a way that would be helpful to me as a student.
MT: What negative habits get in the way of your creativity?
Maria: The biggest negative habit that I have is not prioritizing my painting and art-making. It is so easy to put it off until I have made the bed or returned that email or made dinner or folded the laundry. I could spend endless energy and time on piddly tasks. I work really hard to carve out space in my week to paint and be creative.
MT: Can you describe your ideal environment?
Maria: I remember hearing some news story about how great chefs ensure that they are always at peak performance. They make sure that their kitchens are set up in just the way that they need with all tools and supplies within reach, completely organized, and ready for use. I am teasing out the French idea of maison d’etre which loosely translates to the reason to be at home. The phrase also means a reason for individual existence. So, thinking about this idea in terms of my own space, I look around my environment and make sure that my surroundings have all the necessary ingredients for me to exist. Are my paints and brushes sorted and ready? Do I have enough books to look things up in? Is my music available? Do I have enough flowers in vases for immediate painting? My space, in other words, gives me a reason to be there and feel at home.
MT: Why do you continue to make art?
Maria: You know that I have tried to stop making art. There was a time in my 30s when I thought about all of the poor advice I got from friends and family; you can always do art as your “hobby.” Oh dear. What terrible words for any artist to hear. That was the time that I gave up on it mostly only to discover that I had given up a really important part of my life. I thought I was doing the practical thing, the thing that society dictates. I was very wrong about that. Making art is probably the truest expression of who I am. I feel completely absorbed in it, like I did in that classroom so long ago. Now, I am feeling the calling to share what I know with others. Shouldn’t we all be able to recognize and express the truest parts of ourselves? What a gift.
Point Pinole