Meet Alison Reid | Interdisciplinary artist focused on art as a therapeutic practice

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alison Reid and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alison, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
I’m inspired by our minds and the impact creation can have on the habits held by them. I spent a lot of my time growing up learning about how and why we think the way we do, as sentient beings. The ease our minds have of creating coping mechanisms and shields to protect us from harm have always been the most interesting to me. As someone with my own mental health disorders and several close friends suffering from their own, I’ve learned how complex life becomes when you start following the paths our minds take us on to survive. In my art, that has evolved from representing these complexities to now giving into my own. I’ve slowly allowed myself to explore my own mental health and transformed my artwork into a habit that aides it. If I become hyper fixated on a thought or object, I let myself explore it instead of being afraid or shutting down. Specifically, my automatic drawing practice has become my ultimate anti-depression, anti-anxiety pill. Rather than making art to speak to the world, or applying so much social pressure to make things a certain way, I’ve come to understand the power of making in itself and thrown the expectations away. I now understand the importance process has to having a healthier life and the negative impact of forcing myself to meet expectations. My automatic drawing and film photography allow me to be inspired by the act of making and the peace and calm that washes over my ever active mind. I never know exactly how anything will turn out. I give in to the process of shooting and developing a roll of film or letting a pen wander aimlessly across a page, while the racing thoughts and firing neurons in my mind slowly get quieter and quieter. Those fears and voices telling me to run get weaker and weaker. Making art has a special impact on the way our neurons fire and I don’t think I would be here today without it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art comes from a very personal place. It gets to be difficult to express the meaning of each work as it is often created out of a dark and confusing place. My life has thrown plenty of hurdles my way, which have been very difficult to overcome when my depression beats me down every day. Every hurdle quickly becomes another reason on the very long list of reasons I shouldn’t exist. This list has tried to take me away at every important stage of my life. My art practice has become the buffer, the noise canceling headphones, against the barrage of these insecure reasons and thoughts. It took a long time to accept that art can be just that. It doesn’t have to be trending, it doesn’t have to make statements. Art should never fit a mold. Through endless sleepless nights surrounded by torn up and scribbled out pages of failed work, fuel for self hatred, I found the work that quiets the noise. The work made without expectation, with no end goal. That work brought peace. I learned to force myself to throw away any plans or preconceived ideas and simply exist in the act of creation. Life can’t be controlled, why should art. Every thing I make is an effort to find peace within myself through the act of making. I share it in hopes that others may find their own peace as well, if even for a second. I hope that my artwork and motivations can help others struggling with mental illness find their own path to healing through art. I also hope to, one day soon, begin live streaming my process as a meditation exercise for others that aren’t helped by traditional meditation.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
There is so much to love about Leadville, Colorado. So much to see. Even in the most overlooked places.

There’s a small pull off area on the side of i-70 that leads to a gorgeous lake with mountain peaks all around you. The sound of the rushing water from the river that feeds the lake roars over the sound of the highway. You can forget where you are when wandering the trails winding around and up the mountains, or floating on a raft in the middle of the lake, trying hard to push yourself to the islands of trees ahead of you.

The mining district is full of history and hidden treasures. Every risky road leads you to something unexpected and beautiful.

The treasures from the mines surrounding the towns fill the local flea markets and antique stores. Exploring every shelf and corner of these stores is never disappointing.

The restaurants of our town all honor the history Leadville was built on. Reminders of the gold and silver rush are on every wall. The food is always incredible. It’d be hard to decide on a single place to eat. However, I would suggest following the live music so often billowing out of a restaurant’s doors.

Our town loves live music and shows, there’s no where better to experience it than our historic Tabor Opera House.

However, my absolute favorite activity to do in Leadville, is simply to wander. Taking our dogs to roam the streets, full of all sorts of architecture, or to wander the surrounding woods and lakes, listening to nature at it’s purest. Choosing a direction and setting off always leads to beautiful places and a fun journey. It is a town of history and nature, I’ve never been in a better place to find the peace I’m always seeking.

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?
My partner, Sage, and my mother definitely deserve recognition for my success in life. Without their endless support and understanding in both my growth as an artist and struggle with mental health, I know I wouldn’t have made so many of the discoveries I have. They have pushed me to grow and heal as an artist, to overcome and find peace with my demons through my practice.

Website: https://www.alisonreidart.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neurons_and_photons/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alisonreidart

Other: https://linktr.ee/Alisonreid