Begin Again Club

chapter 4: self-portraits, polar bears and serendipity - the role of art and creativity in finding purpose

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In the second installment of our purpose puzzle piece series, I am joined by the phenomenal portrait artist and painter, Melissa Clements!

Aside from being an incredibly prolific and talent artist, Mel also happens to be my housemate. As such, we have regular existential crises and discussion on the couch of our sharehouse, unpacking and making sense of the universe and each of our journeys through our 20s, one challenge at a time.

For the first half of this episode, we dive deep into Mel’s own career journey so far exploring:

  • Mel’s experience in transforming her passion and obsession with art as a child into a sustainable, full-time career pathway in a short two year period, including defining moments and opportunities in her journey, a result of both hard work and serendipity
  • The cathartic role that art and creativity have played in Mel’s journey to finding and creating purpose in her life, as well as a form of healing and managing big emotions and challenges
  • Her experience in becoming a finalist in the prestigious Archibald Prize at the young age of 24, and why we should challenge and reframe traditional ideas of success
  • The influence of travel on her sense of purpose and her work, as well as the sublime power of nature to humble us and renew our sense of self, inspired by Mel’s recent travels to Svalbard, a remote island in Norway where she climbed a mountain during a snowstorm and encountered polar bears for the first time

    • In the second half of the episode, we zoom out to tackle some big hairy questions including:

    • Mel’s perspective on the role that art, and artists have to play in responding to both terrible and great events that have happened throughout human history
    • The legacy she wants to leave as an artist and how she approaches deriving impact and a greater meaning from her work that may have the biggest impact beyond her lifetime
    • How endless day and night in Nordic countries can help us to find peace and hope for the future of the planet and in our own personal lives

      • If you enjoyed this chat, make sure to follow and support Mel’s incredible work here!

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      Just because you’re figuring out who YOU are, it does not mean you need to do it alone!!

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        Begin Again ClubBy Purposeful™️