I’ve found myself at a bit of a crossroads as an artist lately. I work in the visual arts, as an artist, art writer, facilitator, and technician. This is definitely work that I love and want to continue pursuing in one way or another. But as of late, I’ve been gradually spending more and more time revisiting a huge passion of mine: making music.
It’s certainly been a period of transition. I spend most of my creative time making music, but I haven’t really shared most of it. It is something that I talk about constantly, and something that most of my peers don’t really know that I do. It’s an odd and admittedly nerve-wracking place to be, but in some ways it’s also a hugely exciting one –– to have a project that you’re having so much fun with, that you believe in, and that allows you to try being something different.
With this in mind, I want to share five things that have impacted me during my journey as an artist.
1. Painting
Painting and drawing were my first introductions to what art can be, and it still tends to be what people assume that I’m doing when I tell them that I’m a visual artist. My interests have since peaked in many different mediums, and as a result, I put painting to the side for many years. But lately, these assumptions would be correct!
My dad and my sister both began taking an interest in painting near the start of 2025. We’ve started painting together, and it’s been wonderful to share with them something that made me fall in love with the slow, playful process of making. It’s also been a brand new process for both of them, and through this we’ve had conversations about everything from how to mix colours using a colour wheel, to movements in art history, to giving yourself permission.
When the idea of learning something new feels daunting, it brings hope to see people around you embrace being daring and playful in the face of the unfamiliar. It’s been a helpful reminder to allow myself back into these feelings while diving into making music.
2. How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy
Pouring my energy into writing music and learning about music production has led me to a number of books, podcasts, interviews, and other media. But none have felt quite as affirming and impactful as Jeff Tweedy’s How to Write One Song.
While this is a book written from the perspective of a songwriter, I think that Tweedy’s writing has a lot to offer about creativity in many aspects of life. The way that he writes about self-doubt and permitting yourself to make something bad especially strikes a chord with me.
In an interview with Hrishikesh Hirway on the Song Exploder podcast, Tweedy describes the process of making this book as writing “what I would have liked to hear if I hadn't figured out how to give myself permission." Asserting his belief that creativity is something that exists in all of us, he says, “If I can keep myself believing that, then I’m one less person who doesn’t believe that.”
Through reading Tweedy’s work, I am reminded that I love the trial and error and creative problem solving that goes into making. This, and the reminder that making art can simply be a fun way to pass the time, has helped me keep this process new and exciting.
3. Queer Open Mic
I’ve just started producing and hosting a Queer Open Mic, in collaboration with Pansy Club. Happening monthly at Bell’s Cafe in Marda Loop, this event brings people together in a space to try things, music, poetry, stand-up, drag –– you name it!
This event feels very special to me, not only because it’s brought out a loving and supportive crowd, but because it feels like something I’ve really needed. It can be very odd to be the only visibly Queer and Trans person on the mic, especially when you’re sharing something close to your heart.
Open mics at small cafes held me and many of my friends as teenagers, so putting together an event like this admittedly feels like a bit of a dream come true. I love performing and hosting, and it feels exciting to have a regular event to practise sharing my art and create an environment where other people want to do the same.
The first time I shared one of my original songs in this open mic series, I promptly forgot a large portion of my ownlyrics. Practice makes practice (and I better keep practicing!).
4. Artistic Collaboration
From visual art to audio/video editing to songwriting, I’ve been fortunate to go through the process of collaborating with some really incredible people lately. Recently, I had the opportunity to work with performance and installation artist Rita McKeough, where I helped edit audio and video for a performance piece of hers at the Nelson Museum Archives & Gallery in July. I also ended up recording some vocals for the piece, and had a particularly meaningful moment watching singers respond to these vocals live as part of the performance.
I’ve also recently started collaborating with others on my music, which has been both a slightly daunting and hugely rewarding process. Collaboration totally transforms the work, and has taught me so much about my goals as an artist and a person. While it can be a challenge, I’ve been fortunate enough to collaborate with people who can make it feel all the more fun. It’s a process of negotiation, compromise, and learning to communicate through different artistic languages. We can both get lost in translation and create something else via a path we wouldn’t have taken otherwise.
5. Friends
One value that has gotten me through the past few years is this: Your friends are more important than your art. Although I enjoy and need time spent alone while working, having dinner plans for later, or a spontaneous mid-workday walk in the park, grounds me in reality and reminds me to take it easy.
I’ve also learned a lot through making art with my friends, like how playing board games together before working on a project can bring a much-needed sense of levity. Or how telling the truth about an artistic insecurity can lead to a chorus of laughter, and the realization that you’re not alone.
Ultimately, I think of art as a means of reaching for connection. When someone reaches back, it feels all the more real.
Header image: Artwork by Levin Ifko
