Aubrie Van Zandt shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Aubrie, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Anytime I sit to create I find myself in a hyperfocus that keeps me busy as long as the project takes. Sometimes I forget to take a break to eat or drink water, which can be bad. But when I come out of the hyperfocus I typically have a completed or good amount of progress made and I feel like I am on top of the world. It brings me joy and helps me tap into my childlike wonder. Creation is play.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Aubrie Van Zandt. I have been creating art as long as I can remember. I think it was my second Christmas I asked Santa for “a pair of scissors, little ones”. I wanted safety scissors so I wouldn’t have to ask for help when I wanted to cut up paper to make something new. This year I am celebrating my 10 year anniversary as a working artist, I have been creating and selling my art under the name Van Zayton Arts in the Denver, CO since the fall of 2005. While my artistic style may change, adapt or transform there is always a clean, simple approach with stark contrast and bold illustration. The themes of my work are often inspired by my life, my history and the things I find important. With a love of nature, the macabre and finding ethos in all things I derive my inspiration from obscure movies, traditional tattoos, vintage illustrations, and all creatures living and dead.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
I used to think that your life was basically over when you hit your 40s. I turned 40 this year and have realized how much time I still have and all the efforts I can be more successful with now than I would have been earlier because I have more knowledge and a better head on my shoulders. Aging is a miracle and a gift, I shouldn’t squander away and waste the skills I have developed simply because the clock struck. We are all capable of so much, it really is about having the right mentality.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
When I was a child, my younger brother passed away. I have spent the greater part of my life mourning his loss and thinking about what could have been. In 2018 I was listening to music and had a sudden burst of inspiration. The song was by BROCKHAMPTON the song was Liquid and the specific lyric that inspired me was “Imagine playing rock, paper, scissors with your imaginary friends”. saw the image before I realized what it meant. I saw a little boy, I called him Bill, a ghost named Ghostboy and a skeleton named Bones sitting in a circle playing rock, paper, scissors. As I started the process, I realized this was deeper. I saw a way to give my brother the childhood, the life I felt we missed together through my art. I began drawing these three characters playing and experiencing life. It just happened to align perfectly with an art show I was doing at a local Denver restaurant, City O City. I sold out within the first 24 hours. They told me it was a record and asked if I had more we could switch out and hang again and luckily, I did. It was a cathartic series that meant so much to me. Being able to share it and have it shared and loved by so many others was one of the highlights of my art career. Loss is hard, grief is hard, but knowing we have others to share with is healing. I appreciate everyone that has shared with me their own loss when talking about the series.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
We are all like a 12 sided die. Showing and sharing one small piece of ourselves at anytime. We are the mysteries to unfold. I know who I am, but at any given time I can be shaken and land on another side, showing or sharing a different version or part of myself. Over the last 10 years I have had art inspired by my relationship with faith and with loss, both a more serious tone and direction and in the same period create something absurd and silly. I don’t know if anyone really knows all 12 sides of me, friends, family or myself. It really is the surface and what people see that they believe about a person. This isn’t to say no one really knows me, but more that no one knows all of me. All the gritty bits.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What do you think people will most misunderstand about your legacy?
I don’t think about my life or works as my legacy. Everything fades. As the saying goes “nothing gold can stay.” And I think this includes me. I am here for a time, and I should make the most of that. I should influence what I can and how I can with the best of my intentions. If I could simply help someone see the world a little different, a little better, a little more harmony in their heart and they were able to spread and created that same message to others even if I was never mentioned or a part of their conscious spread of love and harmony, I would be elated. I don’t need the fame or the credit. But knowing my legacy might make the world better by just being a little better myself is good enough to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://vanzaytonarts.com/
- Instagram: @vanzayton
