ART

What is Creative Resilience?

It’s taking whatever life throws at you and processing it into beauty and growth. It’s learning to letting go of the pain and suffering and appreciating the joyful highs that we couldn’t experience or recognize without the difficult lows.

I’m a mixed-media artist. I love turning trash into something beautiful. The best materials are reusable ones. That’s why I like to work with found objects like net bags from produce, damaged books, newsprint, pencil sharpener shavings, waxed paper, and of course, paint and glue. And let’s not forget my favorite—GLITTER! You were meant to SPARKLE, baby! Throw some glitter on it!

Tori Kelley, YES!, 2017. (Mixed-media) Here is a great example of Creative Resilience. I earned 199 rejections for a young adult manuscript I had written based on my childhood. I took those rejection letters and turned them into this piece of art that literally turned those No’s into a YES! The 200th query resulted in a contract with a literary agent!

Two Truths and a Lie

Truth Number One

When I was thirteen, I came home from school very excited after they tested our career aptitudes. I waved my career inventory proudly at Mother and declared, “I’m going to be an Artist!” She took it from me and read the two other results. Kindergarten Teacher and Psychologist. She said, “No, you’re going to become a doctor so you can take care of me. I want you to buy me a red Corvette and a nice house…” the list went on.

Truth Number Two

I was an obedient servant–I mean daughter–and so I did study psychology and went on to earn a Ph.D. in Counseling. But it always felt like something was missing. I think we’re born destined to do a certain thing, and when you don’t, or it’s taken from you, it causes agida, which is Italian for heartburn. Think about that word, a burning in your heart. My heart was on fire. I was living half a life.

One Lie

Your parents know everything and what they say is always right. Maybe if you’re lucky enough to have mentally healthy parents this could be true, although no one is perfect. But for many of us, growing up in abusive homes, we believe, as children, that our parents are right. If they say, our voice hurts their ears, then we believe it and stop singing. If they call us stupid, we believe it and drop out of school.

A Bonus Truth

Adults don’t know everything. No one does. You have inner wisdom. It’s a gift that gets trampled sometimes, but it’s there. See if you can get quiet and listen to it. My inner wisdom has been guiding me to lead an authentic life, and that includes throwing paint on stuff.

An Artsy Sampling of My Work

Tori Kelley, A Garden of Words 1 2021. (Acrylic, Mixed Media) On display at the Salon Studio.

Tori Kelley, A Garden of Words 2, 2021. (Acrylic, Mixed Media) On display at the Salon Studio.

I used to think I wasn’t good enough to make art. I can’t draw and didn’t study painting (unless you count my middle school art classes in Italy). I felt like I wasn’t worthy of the visual arts scene. I’m happy to share with you that I was swallowing a lie that many of us digest, much to our upset stomachs–that art is only for the most talented, the most revered. That’s crap. Art is for everyone! And now, I’m a proud member and regular exhibitor at my local gallery, the South Lake Art League.

You can make art with ANYTHING! The backs of cereal boxes make great, free canvases. You can tape or glue anything to them, color them, or crumple them up and sculpt with them. Next time you’re wrapping up a sandwich? Ball up that wax paper or plastic wrap and use it as a paint brush to apply paint or any staining liquid (beet juice works great!), or use that wad as clay and form it into a shape that pleases or inspires you. I like to make hearts, flowers, and animals. I’ve even made a family of elephants from waxed paper that I dipped in pencil shavings, glue, and gray paints.

Long story short: Art is anything you enjoy making. Or anything that allows you to express an emotion that you don’t want to carry in your body anymore. Art is liberation. That’s Creative Resilience.

What do you want to be free from?

Hold that thought and let your hands do the rest. Then take a picture and show me what you made on my Instagram page! I’d love to see what liberates you. Talk to me @byToriKelley

Remember, the most important art is the art you make for yourself.

Tori Kelley, Gordon, the Endangered Sea Turtle, 2023. (Acrylic, Mixed Media) Sold to private buyer.

“Gordon, the Endangered Sea Turtle” is a mixed media project aimed at raising awareness of how our trash affects the oceans and marine life. I’m hoping this piece will ask the viewer to consider their own participation in reducing consumerism and recycling materials. Gordon’s shell is used waxed paper, his fins are old latex gloves, and his stomach is made from packing paper.

No materials were purchased to make any of my pieces except for the canvas they are mounted on and paint. In this way, creativity is defined by using what you already have.