Meet Dustin Tidwell | Painter-art therapy

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

Hi Dustin, why did you pursue a creative career?
Art became my firm of personal therapy when my former world fell apart. With head trama and body ailments, i turned to painting to find clarity and learn to meditate. Soon, it became a full time activity. Since my work comes from my heart, it helped me tremendously, and i have found that it positively affects others. My desire is to help thousands thru art therapy.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I started painting 7 years ago when I got very sick. My body was falling apart and my mind was struggling with the reality of dying.

The paint brush allowed me to calm my mind. So I painted for many hours a day. 6 years ago, I move to the mountains with my family and change my whole lifestyle.
The town I moved to is very artistic and the local artists have me guidance and encouragement. For the first couple years, I spent almost every waking moment in my studio painting. Eventually, I named my studio and my art Painted Medicine.
Painting my emotions designed my style.. I learned to calm my mind, meditate, and find peace thru the work. It wasn’t easy, but I feel that creativity saved my life. After a couple years of self work, my ailments faded away and I felt like I was given a second shot at life.
I’m now in the process of building a presentation highlighting my favorites from the thousands of painting created over my healing journey.

I want to show the world that healing can happen. Many events and tragedies tore my mind apart, and the art helped me to rebuild it and shape my new life. I feel we are all artists and creativity is much more important than just making pretty things.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Living in a mountain town is exciting. I’d take them for a few hikes, float down the river, eat pizza at one of the awesome places here, I’d finish the first day by having a gathering with my musician friends playing for a crowd of fun people in my studio while I paint for the crowd.

Since there are a lot of galleries and musicians here, we would your the galleries and live music venues throughout the visit.

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 wife, Melinda My children
My community
My Tribe

Website: www.paintedmedicine.com

Instagram: @painted_medicine

Facebook: Dustin Jade Tidwell

Youtube: Painted Medicine

Image Credits
Photo of art taken byMelinda Juarez