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ARTELLAGRAM 10-31-08:
"In the Studio"
An Interview with Artist Erica DiPaolo
(This interview is continued from the October 31 2008 Artellagram...)
Artella: Do you plan ahead when you're creating, or does your art unfold more spontaneously?
Erica: Sometimes I have a speck of an idea and I will build on that and very often the idea will 'branch out' into two or three projects and perhaps none of them will resemble the original idea.
Artella: What is your daily routine? Do you create art every day?
Erica: I do, sometimes all day every day and sometimes only during my 'work hours' which are 10 PM till 1 or 2 AM. That is the time that the whole house is asleep, I know the phone won't ring and no one will come to the door. I get some really good uninterrupted work done then.
Artella: What is the most important aspect of art in your personal life? What would your life be like if you weren't creating?
Erica: I have been asked this before and it is a really tough question. It is like wondering what my life would be like if I were born in 1800. I have absolutely no idea what I would do if I were not creating. I sometimes call it my sixth sense because it is that much a part of me.
Artella: What is the weirdest art material you have ever used?
Erica: I use all kinds of things in my work but the most interesting thing so far was when I was 'ghost designing' for a private label company and I learned how to deconstruct old fur coats and use them to cover things like guitars and shoes and purses. I
Artella: It seems that there is a prevalent belief that artists must be unhappy in order to create... that artists are "supposed" to suffer. Do you think that is true?
Erica: I think any generalization has its exceptions but it does seem that artists tend to be more sensitive in many ways than those who are more left-brained. I don't think that artists are supposed to suffer but I do think that like musicians, visual artists are somewhat naked when our work is viewed compared to a taxi driver or a mortgage broker.
Artella: How can I use my creativity to help other people?
Erica: I personally like to donate notecards or other works for causes that benefit children, AIDS victims, and animals. The cost to me is negligible compared to the money they can bring in to help others. If I can, I like to work on site at events and benefits as well, perhaps signing works after they are purchased. This is also a great way to make contacts.
See Erica's beautiful products in The Shoppes of Artella, here.
 Want more artist interviews from Artella?
Take a look at our eBooks Artist Profiles Assembled and Artist Profiles Assembled, Vol 2, and look at the "Ask the Artist" column every single day in The Artella Daily Muse, our daily online creativity newspaper.
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