Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Quirk.
Alex, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My artistic journey was certainly unconventional. As a kid I loved art like most kids do, but It came easy to me – my classmates would fill a long list of requests for personalized drawings and teachers would frame my art and allow me to doodle during class instead of reprimanding me. As I grew older, my extracurriculars were filled with violin, tennis, track and languages, and I didn’t have room in my schedule to try an art class, though I was always jealous of my friends that did. That love for art, eventually evolved into a form of expression and coping through challenging teenage years. I’d fill journals with doodles and would draw when I couldn’t sleep, or when words weren’t enough. More and more adults would notice my doodles and encourage me to pursue art seriously after high school, but I was passionate about Psychology and turning my pain into a fuel to help others who were struggling like me. So, I went to a great university with an excellent psychology department and chased after that dream. I did internships at counseling centers for kids and teens, research studies, lots of volunteer work in the field and loved every minute of it. However, my own mental health journey was more of a mess than ever and I had to take a step back from everything and heal. After many years of not doing any art, I picked up my pen again in 2020 and rediscovered not only the love I had for art, but the need for a creative outlet and expression. In 2021 I hit a crossroads between pursuing my masters in psychology and continuing on my path to helping others through counseling, or giving art a try. Can you guess which I picked? Yep, I chose to launch Works of a Quirk and merge my passion for helping others with my love of creating and run with it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being an artist is incredibly rewarding, but definitely not for the faint of heart. Each piece you put out into the world is a lens into a very personal part of you, and finding the courage to boldly put it out there is certainly not easy. As a recovering perfectionist, I consistently struggle with letting go of my expectations and allowing the creative process to unfold – as messy and imperfect as it is. I was not schooled or taught the “correct” methods – I simply went at it through trial and error and there has definitely been a lot of error as I’m sure there always will be. I’ve learned over time, that the key is to lean into it and embrace each flaw and mistake and only through that acceptance can we truly grow in our skills and in ourselves.
Aside from the daunting task of putting yourself out there through your work – showing up, and just talking to people was a massive obstacle for me when I started, and still holds challenges for me today. After hundreds of shows, I still have panic attacks before them and I still find myself fighting insecurities each day. Launching my art business was almost like a great experiment of how well I could navigate my mental health challenges in a pressurized environment and It’s tested every bit of fortitude I have. Three years in, and we’re improving each day and as I grow, my business grows and those challenges and obstacles make the journey all the more rewarding.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a multifaceted self-taught artist that works with a wide range of mediums to create nature-inspired art. My focal art mediums include watercolor, gouache, ink, and I specialize in traditional relief printmaking on both wood and linoleum, though I also grow, dry, and press my own botanicals, make my own paper, restore frames, and do pyrography art on reclaimed wood.
I strive to lead a business built on sustainability, quality, and traditional handcrafted and tangible methods, and do art the slow, but beautiful way that you can’t get through mass production or modern, digital art. This means sourcing as much as I can through small ethical businesses, being involved in the production of every aspect of each piece as much as I can, and working with reclaimed and foraged materials. I want to be proud of the work I create, and for me, that means leading a business that holds the values I have and putting out work that I would hang on my own walls.
The goal of my work is to share my love of nature and the peace it brings, as well as uplift someone in a small way with a touch of whimsy and a bit of quirkiness. Getting outside is good for the soul- it reminds us to slow down, stills our restlessness and turmoil and helps us reconnect with ourselves and appreciate the world around us. My goal is to bring peace and a little bit of whimsy to paper and cheer up someone in a small way.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
While covid resulted in a lot of brokenness and hurt in our culture – I think it also opened up the space for many people to slow down enough to reevaluate their lives and pursue new paths they didn’t imagine having the freedom to pursue before. Covid was a pressure cooker in a lot of ways for so many relationships, individuals and lifestyles and while many have come out of it a little broken and worse off, so many people have grown through that time and in their relationships and have re-prioritized what is important to them – which is something I think you can only experience and appreciate through periods of struggle and conflict. I am one of many businesses born out of covid and I am grateful for the space it gave me to launch the life I have now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.worksofaquirk.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/worksofaquirk/
Image Credits
Stephanie Quirk Photography
