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

Hi Laura, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Worrying too much about achieving that perfect balance is something that I think holds so many creative people back from making some of their best work. As I’ve gotten older and more serious about my art practice, I understand more and more that there is no convenient or easy time to work on your practice. If you wait for some sort of heavenly inspiration to strike you to work, you’ll be stuck waiting forever. A real practice requires that you continue to problem solve and push through stuck points even when you don’t feel like it. Because of this, I often find myself needing to work long past the time that my friends in other career pursuits are getting off their 9 to 5 jobs. Painting is demanding work, but I wouldn’t sacrifice that “balance” in my life if it wasn’t in love with 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 primarily a painter and printmaker, but you name it, I’ve probably tried my hand at it (or it’s next up on my list). In the past, I have used expressive marks and a vibrant palette to explore memories of noise state fairs in summers and winters wrapped in horse blankets. As a girl who grew up riding the line between suburban and rural Illinois, much time was spent up close with plants, farm animals and prairie wildlife. Recently, however, my focus has shifted towards my practice with figures.

Truthfully, my Instagram presence is a large part of the reason I’ve found some success in my work. Being able to connect with commission work and sales through the same platform I use to show my work is incredible. I take all the commission work I can handle at the moment while also working part-time in a greenhouse downtown. It can sometimes be a difficult balance, but spending time working with my hands in auto-pilot is something that helps me work through blocks I have with my art.

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?
With all the sunshine we get here, it would be a crime to spend too much time inside! Probably one of my favorite things about my neighborhood is how easy and walkable park days are. Cheeseman and City Park are my two happy places, where I love to set up shop on a blanket with some snacks, a good book, and my current crochet project. On a warm day, there are plenty of new four-legged friends to be had, and they are not at all shy about saying hello. I also love a good beer on a brewery patio (possibly Improper City or Ratio?) in Rino.

As a lover of art, no trip to Denver in my eyes is complete without time spent in the Santa Fe art district, wandering through galleries on a First Friday in wine in hand or thrifting. I am obviously also a huge fan of the Denver Art Museum, and while I haven’t made it to the Clyfford Still Museum, it’s on my To-do list!

I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect of the music scene in Denver, but I could not have fallen more deeply in love. As someone whose personal mission is to consume as much live music as humanly possible, Lost Lake and the Bluebird on Colfax are always favorites.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I certainly would not have the excitement and dedication I have for my work if it weren’t for the encouragement of the community I’ve made in Denver since settling here about a year and a half ago. I moved as a random subletter into a house of 4 close friends and they along with their web of friends became my family, loving me in all my quirks, supporting my art work, and creating constantly alongside me.

Instagram: @lauradiggs.art

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