Meet Heather Divoky | Detail-Driven Artist & Designer

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

Hi Heather, how do you think about risk?
Risk permeates many aspects in my life, which I think is why I am so comfortable with it. I see it as a necessity now. As a visual artist, I am placing a risk on myself every time I show a new piece of work (or behind the scenes of work, which sometimes can make me even more vulnerable!). How will the public receive my new piece of art? How will that affect me emotionally? Will someone like it enough to purchase it? These are all very basic risks I take when I open up my creative practice to the world, especially as a small business.

I find these risks have, for the most part, led to self-inspection and growth. Of course I am over joyed with people who like my work, but I also find criticism to be helpful too. Risk is how one grows, and even a negative comment has allowed me to examine my practice, learn something new, and try something new (truly awful comments aside, which rarely have to do with me and are often more about the commentator).

In a more business-savvy sense, risk is absolutely necessary. Presenting a body of work to a gallery, applying to markets and residencies…spending time on a piece that may not sell…all risks!! All things I enjoy doing! Which makes the reward that much sweeter when it pays off. The more comfortable one becomes with risk, the more likely there will be reward because you become less afraid of failure. And that’s amazing.

That’s not to say I’m doing back flips off of my roof. I think risks should absolutely be calculated. Bet big, but know what you could lose and have a plan in place if that loss happens. Additionally, one person’s risk is totally different from another’s. Before I do anything that can be considered a risk for my business, I assess what resources I have and how they could be affected if something were to happen. I am so lucky that I have a strong support system in place, which changes what a risk looks like to me. It’s important to acknowledge that not every person’s situation is the same.

Risk is so scary and so satisfying for me! And small risks ended up setting me down a path where many of my wilder dreams have come true. Being vulnerable with friends and family by showing them my work is what initially made me start to draw more, and now I have a career in it. I love it.

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 visual artist who works primarily in marker and ink, as well as wire, and installation work. I love a good detail. I also love making wearable art, so for the past few years I have been making illustrated crowns out of paper and copper wire. For me, form and function are so important.

I am so, so proud of where I am professionally. I make most of my income from art, and it is amazing. In order to have gotten where I am now, I did have to pay around $37,000 of student loans, which meant working 5 jobs (and about 80 hours a week) for 2 years. In that time I was fortunate to have more than a few good people and jobs (shout out to the Leland Cultural Arts Center!!) who supported me and reminded me of my end goal: to make art. While I achieved this goal, it would not have been possible without the help of many people. I also no longer recommend doing something like this as although I am happy where I am now, mentally and physically I was exhausted for those 2 years!

After those 2 years, I was able to slow down, reevaluate my creative process, and hone in on what matters to me. A lot of my work now focuses on marrying science and art, inclusivity, and presenting the world from a unique perspective. Learning is something I love to do, so I generally find that when I am learning something very cool (or sometimes frightening, like history and climate change), I share it through art. I want my audience to learn something with me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Um ok full disclosure, I am visiting Denver for the first time this year. But I have a few places I want to go!!

Like, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science has hidden gnome/elf creature throughout the exhibitions, and I think it would be super cool to see them. And, obviously the International Church of Cannabis looks like it has some amazing murals! There’s also the Denver zine library and the Hart haus. I am ready for some Denver weirdness.

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?
Wow. WHAT an incredible question.

There are so many supportive figures in my life–my partner, my dog, friends, and family. I am going to have to shout out my Dad and step mom for sure.

I have a very specific memory of drawing my dad’s 1963 Ford Falcon convertible with him, and him being so impressed. I think it was the first memory I have of someone stepping back and saying, ‘Wow. Heather, you’re really good at this!’ Sure I was 6, but that was a big deal! And it absolutely set me down the path of learning about art, experimenting with art, and finding a career path that fulfills my soul. Both he and my stepmom fostered this love through art classes, supporting my choice to go to school for art history (even though it was never clear how I’d make money), and, on a much more basic level, showing up to as many art events as they possibly could. Without them, I do not think I would be where I am today!

Website: heatherdivoky.com

Instagram: @ohnoheatherjo

Linkedin: Heather Divoky

Twitter: @precariouswords

Image Credits
Image of me in crown: Bri Mellott