On The Ebbs And Flows Of Creativity And Community-Building: Artist Swathi Konduri
THIS SPRING, WE’RE CHECKING IN WITH OUR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS ON WHAT IT MEANS TO NURTURE.
For this interview, we touched base with Swathi Konduri of Swatcasso, one of our vendors within The Front Market. She chats with our team about transitioning into art full-time and the creative environments she needs to recharge.
ABOUT SWATHI KONDURI OF SWATASSO
“I am an artist originally from Orlando, Florida who loves bold colors and experimenting with a variety of mediums such has acrylic paint, colored pencil, photography and digital art. I am inspired by art that makes me feel deeply and aspire to create pieces that do the same! After quitting my tech sales job, I now make art full time and sell art prints at markets all around Austin. ”
GET TO KNOW SWATHI:
NO. 1 — What are you hoping to nurture through your work in 2022?
I am hoping to nurture a more disciplined approach to art—creating works as a series rather than bouncing around and trying a bunch of new ideas.
NO. 2 — Who are your biggest inspirations in Texas?
One of my biggest inspirations is Sari Shryack. I followed her on Instagram before I even moved here and first saw her art hanging in Revival Coffee in 2019. She uses her talent to add a little bit of color and humor to daily objects. Specifically, I really am inspired by her ability to make literally any mundane object interesting. I am, of course, also inspired by all the people I see constantly vending with me at art markets around town and their work ethic.
NO. 3 — What does creative collaboration mean to you?
Creative collaboration means coming together to create one vision from a variety of directions and constantly pivoting to see how these different approaches can aid one another.
NO. 4 — How do you make space in your life to creatively recharge? Any tips or routines?
I make space in my life to creatively recharge by changing the environments where I create, whether that's painting at the park or sketching in a coffee shop. Each environment has different sources of inspiration to offer and puts you in a whole new mindset. My creative practice incorporated a variety of mediums and that allows me to explore different parts of my imagination. But most importantly, I constantly remind myself that creativity ebbs and flows and no amount of force or work can change that.
NO. 5 — How do you approach building community around your work?
I build community around my work by befriending as many people as I can in creative spaces I inhibit such as art markets or my art classes. I try and make sure I cultivate these relationships where I can share my creative struggles and discuss with people who share similar perspectives.
NO. 6 — What's the one recommendation you'd make to someone new starting out as an independent creative or small business owner?
I would just recommend not letting your failures or successes affect you too much because you may start to create for the external world or validation rather than for yourself! And also reach out to people for help, the Austin community is so warm and everyone wants to see each other win.
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