Meet Morgan Quist Sooy | Artist & Registered Nurse

We had the good fortune of connecting with Morgan Quist Sooy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Morgan, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I work as both a nurse and a studio painter, and I see both of these as a form of artistic expression. With my Registered Nurse badge on, I must creatively approach every situation to provide individualized help for each unique person that I care for. With a paintbrush in hand, I begin to fill blank canvas with anticipation for what will come to life on the surface. I do not think I would be a good nurse without the artistic painter lying just underneath, and I do not think I would be a good artist without the ever-present, precise, detail-oriented nurse tendencies informing my actions. Creativity does not turn off and on like a light switch, but it seeps into everything that I do, in every moment, of every day.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a Registered Nurse, but I don’t work the traditional inpatient nursing position. I am a Clinical Research Nurse for Type 1 diabetes. I work on a team of doctors, nurses, research assistants, and lab coordinators to complete both observational studies and randomized controlled trials. We seek to improve the lives of those suffering with Type 1 diabetes through research studies, education, and individual disease management. Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease with no cure, and clinical research is one way we can offer hope to the children and adults with this life-altering condition. I am the youngest nurse on the team, and it wasn’t easy breaking into the research field at such a young age. I find that I am learning an incredible amount every day, from both my teammates and the patients that I work with.

I am an artist. I have done commissioned art pieces for several years now, including mural work. I have illustrated several children’s books, and I have work hanging in a local coffee shop to expose my pieces to the everyday, ordinary person. I wouldn’t consider my art a “full-time” career, nor is it an essential income for me. It brings me pure joy, though, and I am free to create only that which comes naturally from the core of my being. I can stay true to myself because my art is not forced or fabricated: it is true.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
What a hard question! I’ll share some of my favorite places to go in Colorado, and I would find some way to loop everything together in an epic Colorado vacation.

Places to go:
• Brainard Lake – Hike to Blue Lake.
• Rocky Mountain National Park – Hike to Sky Pond.
• Ouray – (winter) Ice climbing in Box Canyon.
• Buena Vista – Mt. Princeton Hot Springs
• Grand Junction – Glade Park Movie Under the Stars

Places to eat/drink:
• Boulder – Sancho’s Mexican Restaurant (Best authentic tacos, and super cheap on Tuesdays)
• Salida – Moonlight Pizza and Brewpub
• Jamestown Merc – Friday night pizza in the park

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
First and foremost, I have to recognize my parents for all of their support. Without their encouragement, I would not be where I am today. My mom signed me up for summer drawing classes at a local college when I was in kindergarten, and after that, my artistic thirst could not be quenched. They drove me to oil painting classes, bought my first painting, and supported me when I told them I wanted to study studio art in college. To this day, they will critique my works in progress or hang up one of my pieces at a local venue if I’m working a nursing shift.

I would also like to thank my art and nursing professors in college, who mentored me through both programs. They helped me develop curricula for research studies that incorporated both art and nursing education. I graduated with the knowledge and hope that my creativity can infiltrate everything that I do, not just my dedicated painting time.

Website: https://mqartco.squarespace.com/

Instagram: @somemoart